Poonam Bir Kasturi, a well-known social entrepreneur from Bengaluru, passed away on Thursday, May 9, at the age of 61. Poonam is the founder of Daily Dump, an online platform where one can buy composting equipment and also learn the basics of composting. Poonam is known for revolutionising wet composting and bringing it to many households in India.
A graduate of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, Poonam Bir Kasturi was also one of the founding faculties of the Srishti School of Art, Design, and Technology in Bengaluru. Concerned about the environmental impact of expanding landfills and growing piles of waste, she founded Daily Dump 18 years ago in 2006 to address the issue of organic waste accumulation. The organisation designs and produces composters tailored for home and community use, earning Poonam the nickname "Compostwali."
Poonam was also an award-winning entrepreneur having been recognised by the Schwab Foundation of the World Economic Forum and won their Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015. Daily Dump received the Lexus Design Award for Design Thinking in 2018. Poonam had also appeared in an episode of Shark Tank India in 2023.