The Ugly Indian is driven by the idea that citizens and their cultural behaviour are part of the
problem of poor civic standards, and that citizens themselves can and should change our
environment. The organisation works with citizens and government to clean up streets and
regulate waste disposal by encouraging behaviour through focused, ‘smart’ interventions that
are low-cost and sustainable, and anonymous. The approach is to work with local actors and
change attitudes through minimal changes that can be emulated. Over the years, the
organisation has worked on improving footpaths, keeping public spaces such as walls
welcoming and clean, working with local actors to create cleaner garbage disposal practices, all
through small and sustained endeavours in immediate surroundings.

What excites us about their work:

• Create behavioural change through inclusion, messaging, community-led efforts at a local and participatory level, believing that a big difference can be brought about by small things.
• Foster the idea that hope exists in individual behavioural change, without minimising small-scale efforts.
• Work on the assumption that inclusive narratives do not require ideology or moral scripts and that setting examples can create sustained change.