Estimates of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste generation in India range between 150 to 716 million tonnes/ year. C&D debris recycling, one of the sustainable solutions for managing this sector of waste, is gaining popularity worldwide. However, very few recycling facilities are available in India presently to handle C&D debris. Several barriers, such as inadequate regulations, lack of incentives and awareness about recycling techniques, and unavailability of guidelines have been reported to hinder setting up recycling facilities in India. However, the influence of human factors, such as attitude and industry norms, have been overlooked in the existing literature. The primary objective of this paper is to evaluate the viability of a business model in the construction materials market in India for recycling operations and products. Different stakeholders of C&D waste recycling operations, such as construction & demolition contractors (waste generators), government engineers, architects and RMC producers were interviewed to understand their perspectives towards recycling and recycled products. A total of 67 open-ended semi-structured interviews across six major cities comprise part of the primary evidence. The customer discovery process of the lean startup methodology and related tools were employed to analyze the qualitative interview data. It was found that rewards in the industry for green products and services are negligible and inconsistent. The stiff competition offered by natural aggregate-based products necessitates price restrictions on any new entrants. Supply chain costs of waste acquisition and processing pose a big challenge owing to the lack of stringent regulations and enforcement. Quality concerns and usage restrictions might make direct selling of recycled aggregates unattractive. Value-added products, such as paver blocks made of recycled aggregates, present an attractive channel for recycled materials to enter the market. Challenges hindering the adoption of recycled aggregates and the ways in which government support could benefit recyclers by off-setting supply chain costs to make recycled products competitive are discussed. © 2019, Associated Cement Companies Ltd.. All rights reserved.