Open defecation has tremendous socio-economic implications. It negates efforts in the health and hygiene spheres. It widens the gap between rural and urban areas.

Swachh Bharat Mission achieved the goal of open defecation free India in the following ways:

• Building infrastructure – Since budget allocation tripled for SBM, more infrastructure needs to be built since sufficient water services, including group toilets.
• Behavioral change – Via numerous studies, it is understood that, despite having the same facility in their homes, people do not use toilets. There is need for change in people ‘s behaviors. From now on, SBM ‘s information, education, and communication components should be increased by 1%. 
• Bio-digester toilets – It can be constructed under SBM. It would generate renewable energy, and eliminate the need for manual pit emptying as well.
• Understanding the beliefs of locals – Throughout rural areas, manual pit emptying is stigma, because it is a job generally associated with the lower class. The kind of toilet that government under SBM is promoting needs the same. Further work needs to be conducted to understand people’s behaviour.
• Innovative measure –The government of Rajasthan has announced that it will form young boys’ teams to patrol the fields early in the morning. People who do open defecation feel weak and have stopped. Likewise, school children in a district in Kerala are asked to say OD (open defecation) or ODF (open defecation free), instead of Present or absent. It has encouraged children to persuade their parents to use toilets.
• Awareness campaign – Through Camera Perception, Nukkad Natak etc. To make India free of open defecation, SBM would have to develop both physical and behavioral infrastructure.