At present, the treatment for patients affected with black fungus post-COVID-19 includes administering injections of Amphotericin B (AmB). This drug was earlier developed to treat a deadly fungal infection named Kala Azar, also known as Leishmaniasis or Black Fever.

However, AmB is available only for intravenous administration, owing to its high toxicity.

“AmB has poor aqueous solubility which makes it nephrotoxic. This means that improper dosage or overdosage could lead to kidney failure or cardiac arrests. That is why it needs to be administered under medical supervision and in controlled doses,” says Dr Chandra Shekar Sharma, a professor at the Chemical Engineering Department, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Hyderabad. He adds that this is also why researchers could not find an appropriate method to prepare an oral solution.

However, after two years of research and conducting several advanced lab-level tests, a team — led by Dr Saptarshi Majumdar and Dr Chandra Shekhar Sharma along with their PhD scholars — has developed an oral form of AmB using nanofibers.

The team is confident that this can be used for the treatment of black fungus. They are also requesting pharma companies to come forward, use their intellectual property for free, and manufacture the same for large scale distribution.

In an interview with The Better India, Dr Chandra Shekhar explains how this will be a relief for doctors and patients fighting black fungus.

A low-cost solution

The current administration of AmB, i.e, through injections, is an expensive process. Each vial costs over Rs 3,000 and the treatment is done over the course of 30 days.

“A patient requires up to 70 vials, depending on the severity of their condition. Apart from this, they would need to stay in the hospital for all 30 days so that doctors can administer the medicine and monitor any complications,” Dr Shekhar explains.

The oral medicine of AmB developed now is made using gelatin, an FDA-approved polymer. This allows slow release of the drug, within the therapeutic window.

Dr Raja Selvarajan, a general physician at Corona Health Care Clinic in Bengaluru, says there is currently a massive demand and supply gap for the Injectable AmB. Additionally, an oral drug might ease the burden for doctors and patients. However, he warns against its unmonitored usage.

He says the drug is highly nephrotoxic and unmonitored admission can lead to severe complications including renal dysfunctions. “While the drug has shown promising results during the lab-level tests, it is important to conduct clinical trials to demonstrate its efficacy and safety profile,” he adds.

To ensure there is no toxic loading, the team conducted a series of lab-level experiments against human kidney fibroblast cells.

“Tests were also conducted to understand how the medication reacts to various PH levels to check for any adverse reactions before approval,” says Dr Shekhar, adding that a 60 mg tablet would cost Rs 200.

After two days of launching the medicine, the team has received enquiries from 20 pharma companies to replicate the medication for widespread distribution.

Edited by Divya Sethu

In April 2018, three graduates of the National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad set out to two villages named Wathar and Nanded in Maharashtra. Nakul Lathkar (30), Vidyadhar Bhandare (31) and Santosh Kocherlakota (31) decided to spend six months among rural farmers and live the same routine as them to understand the hardships the community faced.

“We chose Nanded and Wathar because those areas experience extreme climatic conditions. Nakul and Vidyadhar had relatives who were willing to host us there for a few months. We did this after our graduation so that we could understand ground-level problems and innovate user-friendly solutions,” says Santosh.

The trio would wake up early in the morning, go to the fields with the farmers, and observe the work they did. By the end of their stay, the team had identified 20 different problems, including insufficient water supply and poor storage facilities, among others.

Finally, they narrowed it down to five major problems which they felt were unaddressed and started working on a solution for the first one — footwear for farmers.

“During those six months, we spoke to several farmers and noticed one common problem — none of them had appropriate footwear. While working under the hot sun, or in a sloshy field, all the farmers walked barefoot. This not only caused deep cracks in their feet but also made them prone to fungal infections and snake bites,” Santosh, tells The Better India.

In 2019, they launched a company named Earthen Tunes headquartered in Hyderabad. So far, they have provided 30 farmers with comfortable shoes, and are in the process of making 1,000 more.

Weaving a comfortable solution

On further probing the issue, the trio understood that footwear available in the market were not suitable for farmers in those areas. There exist some leather-based solutions such as gumboots, but they are not suitable for all weather conditions.

“Most of the solutions available in the market are designed for urban farmers. Gumboots, the most prevalent solution, are not comfortable for rural farmers because they need to be worn over pants. Even if there are shoes suitable for farmers in rural areas, they are not durable,” says Santosh.

The farmers needed shoes that would be comfortable on dry land as well as in slush, and those that would keep their feet cool in summers and warm in winters. Another important factor the team had to consider was to ensure the product was budget-friendly.

So, they travelled to various states across the country including Kerala and Karnataka trying to find a natural material to stitch shoes with. During initial trials, they tested 20 types of natural fibres including banana and water hyacinth. However, those were failures owing to different reasons.

“By the end of 2018, when we were looking for desi fibres at a village near Hyderabad, we came across Deccani wool. This is used to make thick blankets or ghongadi. Apart from being a versatile material, it is also suitable to varying climates because the wool becomes thicker or thinner according to its surroundings,” says Santosh.

After finalising on the material, the trio again found themselves at a dead-end because no weavers were willing to spend time to make a shoe, nor were there shoemakers willing to work with this material.

So Nakul used his expertise in crocheting to make a basic prototype. With that design, they were able to approach shoemakers at Ambur, Tamil Nadu who agreed to make the shoes.

“Instead of weaving wool from scratch, which is a time-consuming process, we sourced woollen blankets made by a pastoral community from a village in Karnataka,” Santosh says.

Incubation at IIT-Madras

In April 2019, the trio applied for incubation at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

“We were offered pre-incubation for three months. During this period, we had to prove that our product was market-worthy. So, we had 30 pairs made with desi wool along with rubber soles,” says Santosh, adding that the wool has a double weave which prevents sand or tiny rocks from penetrating.

The material is water-resistant, however, with continued exposure to water, it will get drenched. All these factors were tested at the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Chennai.

Once the shoe was approved, it was taken to Wathar to be sold. On seeing the shoes, farmers immediately identified the material and were keen on owning a pair. Each was sold at Rs 300 but discounts were given if a farmer could not afford it. Once all the shoes were sold out, the trio waited for five months and collected feedback from the farmers.

Swapnil Mhetre, a 29-year-old farmer from Baramati, Maharashtra claims that the shoes have outperformed other products in the market.

He says, “I used it for a few months in 2019 on my sugarcane and pomegranate farm. I wore it in all conditions — when my land was dry, as well as after irrigation when the soil was muddy and wet. Usually, shoes will sink in this kind of mud, and slip out while trying to release the feet.
But, these shoes provided a good grip because of the lace. Moreover, they look trendy and can be worn casually for a short trip to the market too.”

However, Swapnil and some other farmers who tried the shoes said that the sole and shoes would tear after a few months of usage.

“To address this, we have found an alternative solution. Use of wool blend (a mix of wool and plastic) instead of pure wool which provides firmness, and a better adhesive to hold the sole and shoe together” says Santosh, adding that they are in the process of getting 1,000 pairs made from a manufacturer in Agra, New Delhi.

Apart from this, on seeing their successful sale, Earthen Tunes received Rs 10 lakh from IIT-Madras to take their project further.

“We will be launching the shoes once the COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions have been eased. Two models are being released — one for the farmers which is made from a wool blend, and another is a casual shoe for urban consumers. It is made with wool sourced from Uttrakhand,” says Santosh.

The team is also developing shoes that would offer protection from snake bites.

If you wish to know more, you can visit their website.

(With inputs from Himanshu Nitnaware.)

On a mission to find a sustainable alternative and reduce the menace of plastic pollution, Kagzi Bottles, a company based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, has produced a 100 per cent compostable paper bottle, that claims to be the first-of-its-kind in India.

India generates 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually, as per this 2018-19 report.

The idea to find an alternative to single-use plastic first took shape when Samiksha Ganeriwal, the founder of Kagzi Bottles, was working on a college project.

“Back in my college days, I had worked on a project to replace plastic bags and at that time there were no other alternatives. It has always been at the back of my mind to find an alternative to plastic because I have wanted to make a shift in my lifestyle but could not find alternatives. That’s when I decided to start working towards this,” Samiksha shares with The Better India.

However, her dream of creating an alternative to plastic packaging materialised many years later in 2018.

After finishing her MBA from Vignana Jyothi Institute of Management in 2006, she went on to work at various multinational companies in Hyderabad and Noida. In 2016, she set up her own packaging solutions company and it was during this time that she began to explore alternatives to plastic bottles.

In 2018, while working on a project for one of her clients on eco-friendly packaging she decided it was time to set up a company solely focused on creating 100 per cent compostable paper bottles.

Towards a sustainable future

With a keen interest in finding an alternative but no educational training in the field, she consulted product designers and scientists to develop the product. Over the next two years, she faced a number of challenges. The first was the lack of awareness about the method of how to create such a product.

“When I started, the biggest challenge was finding the right machinery. It wasn’t possible to just go to the market and buy a machine as this is the first-of-its-kind in India. We had to build the machines from scratch. I had to find the right people to help build them, taking into account the nature of the product,” says Samiksha.

The second challenge was consumer perception of the product. When the first sample of the product was made she went around showing her friends and family.

“They were quite surprised with the shape and colour as it is completely brown and people are so used to [transparent] plastic bottles. Eventually, however, they have come around and are excited about the work we are doing,” says the 38-year-old entrepreneur.

The Government’s blanket ban on single-use plastic items like bags, spoons and cups in 2019, drove Samiksha to the realisation of the urgent need for alternatives.

In December 2020, after more than two years of setting up Kagzi Bottles, the prototype of the bottle was launched which contains no plastic and is 100 per cent compostable.

A product made in India

Samiksha was determined that the name of the company denote how the product was made in India. This is how the company came to be named Kagzi Bottles, ‘Kagzi’ derived from the Hindi word kaagaz meaning paper.

In recent years, large multinational companies like The Coca-Cola Company or L’Oreal have also been working to create paper bottles as sustainability and anti-plastic sentiment rises. However, these bottles have a thin inner layer of plastic to provide a moisture barrier and resistance to other environmental factors, thus making the bottles not entirely free of plastic.

This is where the Kagzi Bottles are unique. The bottles are made using paper waste, which is currently being sourced from a company in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. This waste paper is then mixed with water and chemicals to break it down and get a mixture called pulp. This is then moulded into the desired shape of two halves of a bottle.

Following this step, the halves are then spray painted with a solution that mimics the water-resistant properties of a banana leaf. Finally, these two halves are then glued together.

“This is the first time that an Indian company has been successful in making such a bottle and we were very proud of the work being done. We wanted to showcase it as an Indian product and for consumers to immediately connect it to its Indian roots,” says Samiksha.

With an initial investment of Rs 12 lakhs, Kagzi is currently producing bottles only for shampoos, conditioners and lotions. These bottles are cheaper than plastic and are priced at Rs 19 to Rs 22. While each bottle at the moment takes two days to make, with more orders they now produce 2 lakh bottles per month.

Doing away with plastic for good

Samiksha believes that these compostable bottles have the potential to replace plastic as a packaging material in the future.

“One person uses an average of seven plastic bottles per month only for toiletries. Kagzi bottles could be an alternative for all types of packaging not just toiletries but beverages, liquids and powders too,” says Samiksha.

They are working towards creating bottles for food and beverages and plan on setting up manufacturing units in four cities across the country.

Even when it comes to her everyday life, she tries her best to make sustainable product choices like opting for bamboo instead of plastic. As a mother of two young children, she ensures that they know the importance of using sustainable products.

Samiksha signs off with a message for everyone, “We need to get conscious about what we are doing to the environment. I think it is the need of the hour to shift towards more sustainable alternatives even if this means a compromise in style.”

Edited by Yoshita Rao

With an aim to solve the problem of lack of electricity in many Indian homes 22-year-old Ashutosh Vashishta has innovated a table that generates electricity. He is a final-year student of the National Institute of Design, Haryana, and studies Industrial & UX Design.

“The idea for designing this table came to me after regular visits to my maternal grandparents’ village in Uttar Pradesh. These areas had no electricity connection and people would struggle to finish their household chores or study after sunset,” says Ashutosh.

This problem is not limited to his grandparents’ village. In fact, around 23 million homes in India do not have access to electricity. This means that after sunset, students living in these areas cannot study, or have to use a candle or lamp to do so.

To tackle this problem, Ashutosh designed the 3D model in January 2020. This idea went viral on social media, and this year, he finished a working prototype of the table.

Simple yet brilliant

Ashutosh says has been interested in design and aesthetics since his childhood. Whenever he was faced with complicated processes he would think of user-friendly solutions through the power of design.

That is exactly what helped him design Ujala (meaning light in Hindi), the self-sustaining study table.

“Once the 3D design went viral on social media, one of my professors asked me to design a proof of concept. However, before I could begin any work, the lockdown was announced and I could not procure the materials required,” says Ashutosh.

In June 2020, he began designing the prototype with help from a close friend who is a mechanical engineering student. He spent Rs 1,500 to design the electricity-generating parts.

“The system works on the simple principle of electromagnetism. On creating a continuous movement, electricity is generated, stored in a battery, and used to power a led lamp,” says Ashutosh, adding that his friend helped him with engineering the electrical boards.

It took him two days to design a seesaw-like pedal from wood, which would be placed under the study table. This is connected to a battery that powers a LED light placed on a bamboo stick.

“I chose a bamboo stick to support the light, because it is a good conductor of electricity. Moreover, I wanted to use locally available resources and support rural artisans,” says Ashutosh.

To test his system, he approached Darbari Lal DAV Model School, Delhi where he graduated from. Once the school agreed to his request, he was provided with a study table to fit his system.

“The system worked. The rhythmic movement of pedalling, not only improves a student’s focus but also provides light to study. One minute of pedalling, amounted to 10-15 minutes of lighting,” says Ashutosh.

For the future

While the system was tested on a single table from a modern school, in rural areas there may not be tables. Students gather in a commonplace, sit on the floor and practise community learning.

“For this, I have designed a 3D model of a circular table. It will be made by placing each table at an 18-degree angle from the next. Each will have its pedal and LED light. This also creates ample space in the centre for the teacher to move around and teach the class. However, to bring this design to life, I will require external funding as I have to design the tables too,” says Ashutosh.

If you wish to help Ashutosh or know more about his work, you can reach out to him here.

Dr Priyadarshini Karve was born in Pune but spent her childhood in Phaltan, a small town about 100 km from her hometown in Maharashtra. Walking or cycling her way to school and back home, she passed through lush green sugarcane fields, a popular crop in the region.

Besides enjoying the scenic view, she also happened to see the lifecycle of a sugarcane crop from its plantation until the post-harvest waste management. She also witnessed the farmers casually burning the dry leaves and organic waste after the harvest, releasing toxic smoke into the air.

“The dense smoke polluted the air, spread throughout the vicinity and affected the breathing and visibility of villagers and animals,” Dr Priyadarshini says, who always wondered about potential ways to treat the agriculture residue in an eco-friendly way.

In 1991, she returned to Pune to pursue her graduation and post-graduation in Science to further pursue her PhD. During all the years of her education, her quest to find solutions to waste management continued.

“I wanted to convert agricultural waste into coal, but the physics department didn’t offer the facilities for my research. So, after I submitted my thesis in 1997 to the University of Pune, I started working on the same,” she tells The Better India.

An opportunity arrived the same year after she was awarded the Young Scientist Scheme offered by the Department of Science and Technology of the Central Government. The scheme provides a grant for the researchers to innovate, gain experience and increase their prospects in receiving better job opportunities.

Dr Priyadarshini bagged the opportunity to innovate technology that converts agricultural waste into biochar briquettes. The process involves biomass gasification with a controlled air supply that allows volatile gas to burn off, leaving behind near pure carbon — biochar. The research project also led her to develop a stove that cooks a rice-based meal for a family using just 100 grams of biochar briquettes.

The chain of technologies won her the international Ashden award, from a London-based charity that advocates and promotes research on sustainable energy, in 2002.

The biochar making unit, as well as the cookstove, have since then undergone several improvements. The present design, known as Samuchit Trashflasher Kiln, has turned revolutionary in managing garden waste in urban areas. Their Samuchit Steam Cooker Stove, on the other hand, is smokeless and far more efficient than any traditional firewood stove.

Though she tasted success through her innovative designs, a series of struggles went behind finding the right formula with the right target audience.

‘Why Use Biochar When There’s LPG?’

Narrating her journey into the innovations, the 49-year-old says, “In rural India, the waste biomass is widely used as a fuel in traditional stoves but is highly inefficient. The idea was to develop a high-performance fuel and a stove designed specifically for its efficient use.”

Dr Priyadarshini worked as a part of Appropriate Rural Technology Institute to initiate the research in the late 1990s. “We successfully converted the sugarcane farm waste into biochar and compressed it with a binder to produce biochar briquettes.”

However, the product did not find many takers. “The sugarcane farmers did not opt for labour-intensive practices to deploy workforce and convert the waste into coal briquettes. The socio-cultural dynamics did not make it a feasible business model. Also, since 1965, the urban population switched from charcoal to LPG [liquefied petroleum gas] cylinders for cooking. As the rural population aspired to an urban lifestyle, shifting from biomass to biochar briquettes was not aspirational,” she says.

She adds, “The rural population was sceptical about buying an expensive stove that was priced close to an LPG cylinder and cooking range offering smokeless burn. Moreover, they asked us why we were promoting the stove when we were using LPG cylinders to cook in our homes.”

Dr Priyadarshini became a part of the academic study on biochar initiated by the UK Biochar Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2004. The trials aimed to explore the potential of agricultural use of biochar in India, the Philippines and Cambodia. It was a period when many results were coming from across the world on how farmers can increase their crop yields by adding biochar to the soil, she says.

“There were only a handful of people working on biochar at that time. This project allowed me to interact with this research community and gave me insights into further improvements into our technology and also into uses of biochar beyond what we had envisaged till then,” she shares.

In 2006, Dr Priyadarshini started working on climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies concerning urban India through her social enterprise, Samuchit Enviro Tech. With much apprehension, she decided to market the biochar kiln as a waste management unit for gardens. “The issue of urban waste from leaves in the gardens was persistent. Over the years, the local bodies tightened the noose on open-air burning of garden waste owing to air pollution. City dwellers opted for composting the waste. But the method was time-consuming, and especially in the winter season, far more waste was being generated compared to the composting capacity of individual gardens,” she adds.

The original kiln was better suited for the agricultural operation and required modifications to suit an urban garden application. Priyadarshini explains, “The current kiln is double-walled and has strategically located holes on it. The first layer of dry organic waste is lit and covered by a lid. The air from the holes enters the chamber, initiating the natural draught gasification process. The heat from the first layer percolates to the other layer, drives out the volatile gases (which cleanly burn off), and converts the waste into biochar. The product obtained is 30 per cent of the total carbon in the biomass, while the remaining releases in the atmosphere without causing pollution,” she explains.

The foldable design allowed it to be dismantled and stored in a dry place during monsoon months. This concept is becoming popular. As the target clientele changed to urban households, the design has become more attractive and compact. It costs Rs 7,000, and nearly 10,000 kilns have been sold so far.

The biochar briquettes serve as a smokeless fuel and, if added to soil, makes it more fertile benefitting the urban and terrace gardeners. It further helps the fight against climate change by locking 30 per cent of the carbon in the garden waste, which otherwise would return to the atmosphere, the expert says.

Dr Priyadarshini says that she has now developed a deodoriser and a soap made from biochar. “The demand for such products is growing and is becoming a source of awareness,” she adds.

A Steam Cooking Stove

The innovator attempted to market the product through her company in 2006. But the rural population did not pay any heed. “In 2010, the company almost reached its closure owing to the shortage of funds and lack of sales. Reaching the rural population was futile as it was difficult to ask them to shift to a cooking concept that was entirely new,” she says.

There was, however, a demand from a small section of city folk, who were interested in charcoal-based cooking but did not want to use wood or charcoal that leads to deforestation.

Dr Priyadarshini modified the steam cooker, made it compact and used stainless steel instead of mild steel and introduced it in the urban market. “The stove cooked a meal for four people, including rice, dal and a vegetable, using a meagre 100 grams of charcoal or biochar briquettes and a glass of water. The fuel burns out in 30 minutes, and the food cooks in the steam and heat remaining from the burning,” she adds.

Watch how garden waste is converted into biochar

“There is no pressure cooking, and therefore this comes with the benefits of cooking on a low flame that includes retaining taste, nutrition and using renewable energy for cooking. The 100 grams of biochar briquettes in the stove does the job of 4-5 kilos of firewood,” Dr Priyadarshini says, explaining the efficiency of the stove.

The environment-conscious enthusiasts appreciated the product. “The company has sold about 60,000 stoves so far with the maximum buyers from South India, Konkan, Goa and urban pockets like Mumbai, Pune and others. It costs Rs 3,500 and has no maintenance except for changing the fuel grate annually,” she adds.

Meera Rotti, a homemaker and a user of the stove in Bengaluru, says, “Priyadarshini was my Physics teacher, and I have been learning about her innovations since 2002 when she won the award. I bought the charring kit that converts my garden waste, twigs, branches, areca nut leaves and coconut shells into carbon in 15-20 minutes, solving my waste management issues.”

Meera adds that she is also a fan of the cooking stove and uses it daily. “I cook dal, rice daily for our three-member family in an attempt to reduce dependency on LPG. The requirement of a cylinder has reduced from 2.5 months to 3.5 months with the use of the cooking stove,” she adds.

Urging the use of energy-efficient technologies, Dr Priyadarshini says, “We need more technologies that act as a carbon sink and capture carbon in terms of waste management practices. Using biochar can save on LPG, a non-renewable fossil fuel source, and help us go carbon negative.”

To order biochar or steam cooker, call 9226894206.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

In May 2020, as India grappled with the second wave of COVID-19, Pabolu Mohan Aditya, a mechanical engineering student at SRM University, Andhra Pradesh, came across people who could not afford protective medical gear. He saw policemen in his neighbourhood with just a simple face mask having to work for over 12 hours every day to ensure COVID-19 restrictions were followed. Watching them at work, despite a serious threat of infection, he was determined to create a face shield that is affordable and easily available.

“During the start of the pandemic there was a huge demand for protective gear like PPEs, masks and face shields but because of the pandemic, supply chains all over the world were disrupted, leading to high prices for the limited gear available. That’s when I decided to do something to help,” the 21-year-old shares with The Better India.

At the same time, he was determined to create an alternative that would not add to the pollution that plastic waste was creating due to the pandemic.

Research shows that face shields, in addition to wearing masks, are up to 98 per cent effective in preventing the spread of the virus. However, another study confirms that approximately 3.4 billion single-use face shields have been discarded daily as a result of the pandemic.

With these considerations in mind, in April 2020, he began working on an eco-friendly design for the face shield.

Being a mechanical engineering student, he used computer programming and product design to come up with an eco-friendly prototype. With the help of his family, he then approached a manufacturing company near his house to use their machinery for the production of the mask.

After testing the prototype on friends and family, he began distributing them to frontline workers such as doctors and police officers in the city. He also approached his teachers at college to get feedback and improve the design.

Durable, reusable and biodegradable

At first glance, the face shield looks similar to the plastic ones found in the market but it has several other benefits too. It consists mainly of three parts — the headband, the protective film and the elastic thread to hold the headband.

The headband is made using 3-ply corrugated cardboard, which makes it durable, lightweight and easily degradable. Additionally, the front of the headband is frayed which makes it easier to wear. The shield also comes with an elastic thread so that the headband can fit different sizes and is adjustable. This makes the face shield comfortable to wear over long periods of time.

The transparent visor is made of a thin layer of 175-micron reusable plastic and is equally effective as the existing plastic face shields. To produce the visor for the face shield he used specific software.

“I designed the transparent film for the visor using computer-aided design (CAD) software and manufactured the headband by inputting the CAD model in the computer numerical control (CNC) machine. This machine cuts the cardboard and transparent sheet into the required design and then the product is assembled,” Aditya explains.

In addition to all the materials being biodegradable, the shield comes with an interlocking mechanism, which increases the lifespan of the product.

“In case any component of the shield, say the headband, gets damaged, this mechanism allows one to detach the protective film from the headband easily and reuse the film on a new headband. This helps increase the lifespan of the product and helps reduce the waste generated,” the young innovator says.

What it takes to win a patent

In June 2020, on the advice of the college administration, Aditya applied for a design patent so that he could commercially produce the biodegradable face shield. He took out time to learn the process and conditions to apply for the patent and was supported by the attorney of SRM who answered all his doubts.

“It is quite tough to get a patent. Until last year, I was completely unaware of what it meant. Patents are granted for products that fulfil specific requirements like novelty as well industrial application, so I made sure my product has all these features that set it apart from existing products,” says Aditya.

While the existing face shield costs around Rs 150, Aditya’s shield costs only Rs 15. Moreover, the time taken for its production is less than two minutes and it is cost-effective. “I had heard of methods like 3D printing being used for producing face shields but in a country like India, this is not feasible as it is expensive and takes a long time to manufacture one face shield,” he says.

The entire face shield takes about three months to decompose thus helping combat plastic pollution.

After waiting patiently for over a year, in May 2021 Aditya was awarded a design patent for his eco-friendly face shield.

So far, he has made and distributed 500 shields to cops and more than 150 to doctors across the city. He plans to begin commercially manufacturing the face shields in the coming months.

The face shield is not his first shot at creating an innovative product. Aditya, along with some friends, had previously converted a 10-year-old internal combustion bike into an electric vehicle. He is currently working on creating beds for COVID-19 patients using reusable materials — a project he calls “building blocks for beds”.

“The pandemic has taught many of us how to think out of the box and come up with unique solutions. It is extremely important for people to continue to innovate and discover new solutions so that we can bring about a change in society,” concludes Aditya.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

Growing up in the southern coastal state of Goa, Sachin Kochrekar spent his childhood amid lush green hills, pristine beaches, and breathing in the fresh air blowing from the sea. However, over the years, he watched as his city began to choke due to increasing air pollution.

In 2020, global CO2 emissions reached 31.5 giga tonnes, with fossil fuels contributing 34.1 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions. Noticing this trend, Sachin was determined to do his bit to protect the environment.

More than five years since he moved from Goa, he has successfully come up with a method to convert these harmful CO2 emissions into fuel and help bring down the carbon footprint. Interestingly, his innovation mimics nature’s process of creating energy— photosynthesis.

In a conversation with The Better India, the 31-year-old scientist explains how he developed this method, and how exactly it works.

Recycling a harmful gas into a desirable fuel

After completing his post-graduation in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Mumbai in 2012, Sachin went on to join the Department of Applied Chemistry at Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune.

In 2017, he came across a Materials Chemistry Research Group at the University of Turku, Finland, where he joined the PhD programme at the university.

“I have always been motivated to give back to the environment and help create a sustainable future. When I heard about this university, where there was an ongoing project about electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide, I knew it was the perfect opportunity for me to contribute something to the environment in my own way,” Sachin says.

Since moving to Finland over four years ago, Sachin has been studying the method of electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide. It is a method by which CO2 emitted by burning fossil fuels is broken down into smaller parts that can then be used as a clean source of energy.

“There is an urgent need to find an alternative source of energy and reduce our carbon footprint. While renewable energy like solar and wind are good alternatives, they are not available instantly and at all times. However, carbon dioxide is one of the most widely produced greenhouse gases, as fossil fuels are a major source of energy right now. Using carbon dioxide to produce energy is one of the many ways in which we can reduce its emission in the atmosphere,” he notes.

“After capturing the carbon dioxide, using an electrochemical reaction, the CO2 molecules would be broken down to create fuel, which can be used to power automobiles or any other machinery. This process helps close the carbon cycle and can turn 50% of the harmful emissions into fuel,” Sachin explains.

Using existing systems

While there are existing methods of producing renewable energy, these require setting up new infrastructure, which is costly.

This is where Sachin’s innovation comes in – it captures the already-existing carbon dioxide and converts it into fuel.

“I appreciate new alternatives like electric vehicles. However, it is extremely difficult for a country like India to provide electricity to charge cars when we cannot even ensure electricity for everyone’s homes, especially in rural areas. This project ensures that we do not have to invest in a new system as the infrastructure already exists, because industries and automobiles use fossil fuels,” says Sachin.

Many sources of CO2 emissions, such as existing power plants that run on natural gas and coal, will continue to function this way for the coming years. Sachin says that considering the continuing dependence on fossil fuels, this method holds great promise as it closes the carbon cycle and uses existing systems. Through this project, existing emissions are diverted and recycled before they reach the atmosphere.

The way forward

After over four years of conducting research, Sachin’s efforts finally paid off. In May 2021, he won the Millennium Pitching Contest, a competition for doctoral candidates with the task of solving the most pressing challenges of our time.

As part of the prize, he was awarded €10,000.

“Winning was both inspiring and amazing, since the level of the contest was so high. It still feels a bit unreal and it’s hard to put my experience into words. Scientists are always working behind the scenes and rarely get noticed, but contribute so much to society and development. It was great to showcase my work and see it recognised,” says Sachin.

He plans to come back to India and spread the knowledge that he has learnt. He hopes to continue his research and believes that it is only a matter of time before his innovation can be used as a source of energy.

Sachin says he is constantly looking for ways in which we can save the environment and create a cleaner and greener planet. Apart from his research work, he has been advising and working on a response project with the Government of Finland on reducing carbon footprint and helping them achieve carbon neutrality.

Edited by Divya Sethu

Did you know that more than 1.7 million Indians are homeless, leaving them without access to clean drinking water or proper sanitation facilities? Perala Manasa Reddy, a 23-year-old engineer, witnessed this firsthand when she was pursuing her engineering from Lovely Professional University, Punjab, and decided it was time to find a solution.

“I saw many families living in temporary houses made of steel sheets and large plastic covers. Some would live in bamboo or prefabricated houses made from shipping containers. These do not provide any safety against the heat in summer, or floods during the monsoon,” says Manasa.

She began studying various low-cost housing options and came across Pod-style homes built from sewage pipes, first made in Japan and Hong Kong. In March 2021, after returning to her hometown in Telangana, she approached a manufacturer of sewage pipes and began purchasing other materials including doors and window frames, as well as bathroom and electrical fittings to convert the pipes into homes. By the end of March she was able to launch the first OPod.

While the image of living in a rusty, old sewer pipe is what may first come to mind, these OPods are not only equipped with basic necessities such as a bathroom, kitchen and bedroom but also come with a stylish lounge area.

Watch this video to know more about how Mansa has been transforming sewage pipes into dream homes.

Indians with upper limb amputations have found hope in KalArm, a fully functional, 3-D printed, lightweight, EMG-sensor embedded and affordable bionic hand developed by Makers Hive, a Hyderabad-based assistive-technology startup.

Named after Former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the device has been designed to address the concerns of millions in need of prosthetic assistance.

The KalArm comes in different palm sizes (small, medium and large) with forearm sockets that vary from one user to another, who are also given the option to customise colours of outset shells/panels. This mobile app-enabled and customisable bionic hand is equipped with a host of impressive features.

Founded in 2018 by Pranav Vempati, Harsha Reddy Ponguleti and Suren Marumamula, Makers Hive was established with an objective to build products that would solve real world problems. Speaking to The Better India, Pranav describes the journey and philosophy behind establishing the startup and developing the KalArm.

He says that while studying Electronics Technology at the Loyola Academy in Hyderabad, he learnt more from collaborating with his peers on projects ranging from robotics to creating an auto-stabilisation gimbals than he did in the confines of a classroom.

That spirit of collaboration was taken to the next level while working for TCS Ignite, an R&D and L&D division of the Tata Group, in Chennai. There, he had the rare opportunity early in his career to work with around 600 employees across 24 different projects related to subjects including drones, robotics, virtual reality and artificial reality.

“Working there early in my career gave me the opportunity to transform ideas into proof-of-concepts and eventually convert those into products,” says Pranav.

While he was in Chennai, one of his mentors was the famous agricultural scientist, M S Swaminathan, the Father of the Green Revolution.

“Spending time with Swaminathan sir brought about a paradigm shift in what I wanted to do. Before meeting him, I harboured ambitions of going abroad, settling down there, earning a fat paycheck, and working on some interesting projects because societies in the West are far more technologically advanced. Swaminathan sir explained the concept of brain drain and inspired me to stay back and work for greater technological advancement back home. The objective behind staying back was to reduce that gap in technological advancement between the West and India,” he recalls.

Researching on what problems he could solve, Pranav found that there was very little product innovation in the healthcare system, especially in the disability space. Making matters worse, the advanced robotics and bionics available for people with disabilities was financially out of reach for most. He wanted to bridge that gap.

Inspiration came from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and cardiologist Dr B Soma Raju, who developed the famed and affordable ‘Kalam-Raju-Stent’ for coronary heart disease.

“I was also inspired by entities like the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which are able to perform disruptive innovations while spending only a fraction of what advanced organisations like NASA do. I decided to take up a project where not much innovation has happened in India, but significant progress has been made in the rest of the world. I took up a problem statement like amputations of the hand and wanted to build an affordable solution,” he recalls.

Finding people who share the same vision and passion is probably the hardest part of any startup origin story. Fortunately, Pranav discovered co-founders in Harsha and Suren with complementary skill sets.

Suren comes from a manufacturing background, while Harsha is proficient in matters of sales, strategy and tapping into different revenue streams. Pranav, meanwhile, comes from a background of actually building products, while the company Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chanakya Gone, looks after their day-to-day operations in terms of product development, compliance, IPs, etc. Today, they’re a team of 20 people with expertise in core engineering, software development, product design and systems architecture, amongst others.

Making it affordable

Most households in developing nations cannot afford advanced prosthetics, particularly those related to the hands because of the high degree of complexity involved in making them. After all, compared to legs, your hands have a lot more functions to perform.

“These advanced prosthetic bionic hands cost as much as Rs 35 lakh to Rs 60 lakh in developed nations. In countries like India, most households cannot afford them. So, I looked into what price points people were already accustomed to here. A single function myoelectric hand would cost Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh in the open market. My objective was to create an advanced bionic hand that would cost close to this amount,” says Pranav.

That was his team’s problem statement. How did they achieve it?

Bionic hands work on something called EMG (electromyography) sensors, which measures small electrical signals generated by your muscles when you move them. When an average human thinks about moving their hands, motor neurons from the brain carry messages to muscles of the hand and forearm.

“For amputees who don’t have hands, we have something called flexor and extensor muscles in our forearm. We place a pair of these sensors on these muscles and try to interpret what the person is trying to do. We place a pair of EMG sensors there, which will send instructions to the bionic controller in the wrist area on what kind of functions it needs to perform. Rather than using existing components in the market, we built and tested EMG sensors, bionic controllers, linear actuators inside the hand, thumb mechanism, finger mechanism, wrist mechanism and every other component on our own. We also applied for a lot of IPs in the process. We were able to bring down the price significantly to somewhere between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh, which is ten times more affordable than any advanced bionic hands with similar features,” explains Pranav.

Of course, not many can afford this amount as well. So for this, Makers Hive is trying to tap into CSR funds. The startup is also in conversation with State and Central governments on getting these bionic hands added to certain schemes so people can avail of government subsidy to buy them.

The KalArm is powered by a 2850 mAh (milliamp Hour) lithium polymer battery which can sustain almost 14 hours of continuous usage. However, the battery is still too bulky for the team’s liking and they’re looking to cut down the size by about 30%, which would bring down the battery life to about 9 hours. The startup will provide an adapter to charge the bionic arm overnight, which can fit in any household socket. Another fascinating feature of the KalArm is the mobile app that Makers Hive have developed to complement its functioning.

“The hand works standalone without the app, but we wanted to build a product which is future-proof. In other words, just like you update your phone with new features, we’ve created an app connected to the bionic hand using bluetooth to send new firmware updates. The app can also be used for performance monitoring. We have created multiple nodes in the bionic hand right from our EMG sensors, battery, bionic controller to the individual actuators. These nodes continuously track the health status of these components and inform the user. Serviceability is a major aspect in a medical device,” he explains.

In the current ecosystem, if there is a problem in any advanced prosthetic hand on the market, users have to take it back to the seller and he/she will further ship it to the main company for repairs. “We can check the health status of the device and its components on the app itself. If these problems can be fixed just by a software update, we send a software patch and the user’s hands will start functioning properly. Only if there are major repairs to be made will the device reach us,” adds Pranav.

The KalArm comes with 18 pre-defined grips (hook grip to hold an object, pinch grip and tripod grip, among others) and 6 custom grips, depending on the user’s specific needs, which they can configure using the app. In rural areas, if people struggle to operate the app, they can approach the seller themselves to configure new grips and add them to the bionic hand.

“I was blown away by the responsiveness of the Makers Hive team when I approached them for their Bionic Hand. While trying it on, I was surprised to see how light the product is. I started to realise that I could do some everyday activities on which I had already lost hope,” says Ravi Bonka, a Hyderabad resident who is currently equipped with KalArm.

Meanwhile, Gayathri, another user, adds, “I’ve been associated with Makers Hive since Day one. We have learnt and evolved everyday. This hand feels great because I always wanted one that would help me carry out a lot of daily tasks. I was waiting for such an arm.”

Testing for global standards

It took the Makers Hive team about two and a half years to develop and test the KalArm. Although it’s a low-risk medical device, they had to ensure it is not merely compliant with Indian medical standards, but can be sold in any part of the world.

“We started testing our components in-house as per US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Union’s Conformitè Europëenne (CE) and other global standards. For example, our bionic hands shouldn’t emit harmful radiation or be affected by radiation from external forces. So, we followed a global standard called IEC 60601, which is a series of technical standards for safety and essential performance of medical electrical equipment published by the International Electrotechnical Commission,” Pranav claims.

For biocompatibility tests on skin sensitivity, irritation or cytotoxicity tests, the startup followed the standard of tests called the ISO 10993. This set entails a series of standards for evaluating the biocompatibility of medical devices to manage biological risk. In this manner, they have also conducted their stress test, load test and other mechanical tests.

“We are currently in the process of finishing our Conformitè Europëenne (CE) certification, which companies need to sell medical devices in the EU. In another six to nine months, we hope to obtain approvals from the US FDA as well. Meanwhile, under the supervision of certified prosthetists, we tested these bionic hands on multiple users from different age-groups, genders, locations (rural or urban), and circumstances in which they lost their arms,” he adds.

Looking ahead

The startup launched KalArm on 3 December 2020 on International Day of People with Disabilities. Although they have received hundreds of pre-orders, setting up their assembly line in Hyderabad has been a cumbersome process thanks to COVID-19. Setting this up is taking time because the founders want to ensure they have all the quality controls and checks in place. While they have a lot of orders today, delivery will only start three months from now.

Meanwhile, they are in the process of concluding their Series A round of funding. Looking ahead, the future looks hopeful, particularly for amputees who can now access this advanced bionic hand.

(Edited by Divya Sethu)

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After working for a decade in the Middle East, USA and South America, Deepthi Nathala came back home to Hyderabad in December 2018. Upon arrival, however, she realised that her body could not adjust to the environment. Suffering a mild headache and skin irritation during regular drives in the city, Deepthi realised she needed some protection from the burning rays of the sun, excess dust, air pollution and germs. (Image above of Deepthi Nathala, the innovator behind Hecoll fabric, who is standing on the extreme right with potential customers.)

While travelling, she saw women wrap dupattas (long scarves) and handkerchiefs around their head and mouth to protect themselves. With some free time on her hands, this nanotechnologist who graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M), decided to conduct some tests on dupattas and handkerchiefs sold in the market.

She found that the material used to make these items only offered a dismal 10% to 15% protection from pollution and UV rays. Existing solutions like a hand sanitiser, N95 mask and sunscreen also generate a lot of plastic waste. In addition, used N95 masks should be treated as biomedical waste. You can’t throw them into any ordinary dustbin. Sunscreens, meanwhile, are effective only for a couple of hours upon application.

After months of research, she developed a fabric called ‘Hecoll’—abbreviation for ‘Healthy Cover For All’—which blocks 99% UV rays, filters 95% pollution and inhibits viruses and bacteria upon contact—under her venture, Dibbu Solutions Private Ltd. With eco-friendly cotton at its base, she figured out a method to bind the fabric with ‘bodyguard molecules’, that could filter particulate matter, block UV rays and kill viruses/bacteria upon contact.

Cotton as a fabric alone cannot fight off these viruses or block out UV rays but there are cavities in the fabric that can be filled up with ‘bodyguard molecules’.

These bodyguard molecules come in three forms:

a) Extracted from plants like turmeric and neem, these are nonpolar molecules that have germ-killing abilities and UV ray absorption capacities.

b) Metal components like nanosilver and nano copper also possess germ-killing properties and UV ray absorption capacity. After all, we store water in copper vessels and use copper instruments for treating wounds, among other medical uses.

c) Going beyond plant and metal-based ‘bodyguard molecules’, one can even employ certain chemical compositions using nanotechnology to fill up those cavities.

“As part of our research and development, we explored all three options. If it weren’t for the pandemic, we would have carried on with our intensive research parallelly for another year or two at least. In our first production cycle, we developed a special kind of cotton fabric in two types—nano copper and a [not-to-be-revealed] nanochemical composition,” says Deepthi, founder of Dibbu Solutions, speaking to The Better India.

The fabric can protect people from various kinds of viruses like H1N1 and Covid-19 and bacteria like salmonella and E.coli, respectively. It also protects from pollen and filters out polluting gasses like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Meanwhile, it also blocks 99% of the UV-A and UV-B rays and filters out 95% of air pollutants.

Certifications for the same have come from agencies like the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (​NABL), Bombay Textile Research Association (BTRA), South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), Nelson Labs and Bureau Veritas, amongst others.

Her venture uses this fabric to make antiviral face masks, headgear for children and adults, baby wraps for newborns, fanny bags, caps, hats, and items to prevent hospital acquired infections like patient gowns, doctor coats, bed sheet linen, surgical gowns, etc. Consumers can find these items on Amazon, Flipkart and on their own B2C channel (website). The venture was also empanelled by several State governments for their effective face masks.

Another fascinating aspect about the Hecoll fabric is that it’s eco-friendly. One of the biggest concerns emerging out of the recent pandemic is the indiscriminate use of surgical masks, N95 masks and PPEs resulting in a biomedical waste surge. Unlike items that are hard to dispose of, you can take any Hecoll product, cut it into small pieces and mix it with your kitchen organic waste. Within 14 weeks, the Hecoll fabric will completely decompose.

“During the first wave, our antiviral face mask attracted a lot of demand. However, in the past few months, demand for our patient gowns have really gone up from different states. But we haven’t really done anything in terms of marketing to promote ourselves,” she says.

Going Through Life’s Challenges

Before launching Dibbu Solutions in July 2019, Deepthi endured her fair share of obstacles. Losing her mother at the tender age of 8, she grew up in an environment marked by what she calls “unhealthy competition and limited resources”. Like most middle class youngsters in a city like Hyderabad, the dream was to get admission into one of the IITs.

Although she successfully got into IIT-M, studied electrical engineering and worked for global MNCs spanning a decade from 2007 to 2017, there were difficult challenges along the way. This included an unsuccessful marriage, which took a real toll on her mental health.

“My unsuccessful marriage taught me the importance of self-care and mental health. Fortunately, I had a support system of friends and college batchmates to help me get through this rough patch. Also, even before my unsuccessful marriage, I had found purpose in travelling. My work and solo-travelling took me to 23 countries. During my travels, I interacted with a variety of communities, cultures, culinary styles and governments. However, whenever I would talk to people, they would more or less say the same thing about India — while many thoroughly enjoyed their visits, they also complained about the toll pollution, poor hygiene in public spaces, germs, heat and humidity would have on their health. While I would listen intently, little did I know that one day these interactions would also inspire my current venture,” she recalls.

Despite her extensive travels, she would often have to get back to a 9-6 job, which became more repetitive and mundane as the years rolled on. She recalls working in certain places only for the “few lakhs a month salary deposited into my bank account”. There was no passion or purpose behind working for global MNCs beyond a certain point.

Deepthi finally came back to Hyderabad in December 2018 and immediately began working on her vision for a product that would address growing air pollution, heat and the health problems associated with them in Indian cities. Before she incorporated Dibbu Solutions in July 2019, she conducted a lot of research and sought validation from multiple sources.
From conducting multiple surveys about the feasibility of a headgear made of biodegradable material, figuring out techniques to develop Hecoll to seeking advice from her professional mentors abroad and professors at IIT-Madras and Anna University, she did the work.

“It also requires a lot of mental fortitude to filter out unsolicited comments and criticism from the community and relatives around you, since I’m a woman starting my own venture. There is a lot of extra noise that comes with being a female entrepreneur in India,” she adds.

Nonetheless, it didn’t take long for her business to pick up. Although they had never intended to make antiviral face masks initially, they received a request from the Central government to stitch masks. The venture began stitching masks but gradually ventured into other products like patient gowns, amongst others, in the medical industry.

Employing Women & LGBTQ Community

Another fascinating element of Deepthi’s venture is her emphasis on employing cis-het women, particularly housewives, farm hands and housemaids and members of the LGBTQ community, especially transgenders. This decision came from the lack of diversity and representation she witnessed while studying engineering at IIT-Madras and working in the oil and gas sector in places like the Middle East and California.

“However, my work and travels have also helped me interact with people from the LGBTQ community, who occupy influential and respected positions outside India. Through my research and experience, I came to understand the hardships they went through, particularly in India. If members of these communities can thrive in other countries, why can’t they be given the space to do so here? Meanwhile, I have also observed how women who don’t earn or generate an income as much as their husbands suffer mental abuse at home. I wanted to change that and create opportunities for them,” she claims.

Another interesting facet of her venture is an emphasis on employee well-being. Besides training in stitching, modules for work from home, quality testing with market professionals and conflict resolution assessments, there is a major emphasis on mental health.

“Parallelly, we put them through a lot of assessments regarding mental health, which they initially resisted. They would say, ‘Why are you asking me if I am happy, content or not, when my parents or husband have never asked me this’. We have worked out these assessments with psychologists, psychiatrists and spiritual counsellors from a variety of organisations. In addition to competence, we check on their mental health, physical health and their conflict resolution and stress management capabilities, etc. If they are very far from the standards expected, we don’t employ them any further because this is a startup with limited resources. But if they are off by about 40% from the standards expected, we arrange modules and sessions to help them improve. The process of setting up these systems was hard. It challenged my mental health as well, but now I’m very confident in our workers,” she claims.

Although she had about 140 employees across 3 states on her payroll, the second wave has affected operations, and as a result, she has pulled back her operations to Hyderabad only.

The challenge before Deepthi and her team is scaling up operations and obtaining a genuine foothold in the Indian market, particularly since she’s a first generation entrepreneur.

“Finding co-founders to lessen the burden of establishing a venture like ours was a challenge. But we have brought on board a co-founder who will oversee design and strategy, and another to oversee business-to-customer (B2C) operations. We are currently being incubated by the Telangana State government. Long term, our success will come from exports since markets in Europe, US and the Middle East are more quality-sensitive than price-sensitive. Meanwhile, in about three or four months, we will be ready to raise funding from venture capitalists as well. Thus far, we are a bootstrapped venture,” she says.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

As India continues to record over 45,000 COVID-19 cases every day, it is imperative that we stay vigilant and continuously monitor our health. To speed up the testing process in rural areas and to make it easily accessible for them, the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) has launched a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kit that gives results in five minutes.

What’s more? The indigenous test kit costs only Rs 50 and does not require any lab facility to acquire the results.

“The widely used method for detecting Coronavirus is the RT-PCR test, but it is a time-consuming process. This test kit provides quick results that can be identified with the naked eye. However, this test kit cannot be used by patients at home and requires the assistance of a lab,” says Dr Dinesh Kumar, the Assistant Director of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) who is the co-researcher for the project.

In an interview with The Better India, he shares the workings of this new testing kit.

A Simple Test With Quick Results

Dr Dinesh who specialises in medical diagnostics, along with Professor Harpal Singh of IIT-Delhi’s Biomedical Engineering department, worked on this research project for one year. After developing the kit, a series of tests were conducted at several diagnostic labs across Delhi to check its accuracy.

Finally, the research findings were sent to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for approval and patenting.

These kits are designed in such a way that results are provided within five minutes after taking the test at the patient’s home or in the laboratory premises.

“The test kit comes with nasal and throat swabs and a tube filled with a liquid. Once the swab is placed inside the tube, it reacts with the liquid. Within five minutes, if you notice a particular change in colour of the liquid, the results are positive, and if they do not change, it is negative. These results can be inferred visually, and they are 99.8% accurate,” says Dr Dinesh.

However, he explains that if the patient is experiencing symptoms but the results are negative, a further RT-PCR test is required.

Not A Self-Test

Though the testing process is simple, Dr Dinesh says it will not be provided to patients to administer the tests by themselves. While there are kits that allow patients to take tests at home, the researchers do not recommend it.

“According to government guidelines once a person takes their COVID-19 test, the results are to be recorded in a database. This is to keep track of the number of tests being conducted. Secondly, a lab technician’s expertise is required to take the swab tests in the right manner. Finally, proper disposal of the swab samples is key and this is done only at the lab level. Improper disposal bears the risk of contamination to others. ” says Dr Dinesh.

Currently, the RAT test kit developed by IIT-Delhi is ready for technology transfer to be manufactured and distributed widely. Dr Dinesh confirms that two pharma manufacturing companies are in the process of taking the technology.

If you wish to know more about this, you can refer to the official press release or visit IIT’s official website.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

In India, 77 million people suffer from diabetes, which is the second-highest in the world. It is recommended that such patients wake up and test their blood sugar levels using a glucometer every day.

The process involves pricking your finger at the tip and placing a droplet of blood on a strip. This is then inserted into the glucometer, which tests the sugar level. While the process is simple, the strip used to collect blood is expensive, made of plastic, and is non-biodegradable.

However, Preethi Ramadoss (34), a PhD scholar from Chennai’s Anna University, has innovated a self-adhesive and biodegradable material to detect blood sugar level from body sweat.

“The glucose detecting patch is made of biodegradable polymer derived from plants and wood. When buried under the earth, it disintegrates within 15 days,” says Preethi in an interview with The Better India.

A natural semiconductor

In 2015, along with her guide Dr D Arivuoli, Preethi was researching for another project regarding biodegradable sanitary pads. She was developing super-absorbents through combinations of several cellulose derivatives. During this time, she created a material that was not suitable for the sanitary pad.

Since Preethi is an eco-conscious person, she decided not to discard the material. “I wanted to study its properties and check if it could be used for any other research work. Initially, I would play around with the material as it was soft and transparent. However, when I put it over my mobile phone’s screen, the touch was activated and I could click on icons. This made me realise that the material was a semiconductor,” says Preethi. She then carried out further experiments to test its conductivity rate.

Once she was convinced that it was a semiconductor, she replicated the material two more times. She also put it through conductivity tests to further prove that the material was a semiconductor.

“As a biologist, I wanted to use this material in a similar field and thought of innovating a biosensor. Biosensors are widely used for taking blood sugar tests. Upon conducting some tests with an electrochemical analyser (lab-level version of a glucometer), I concluded that the material could detect and monitor glucose levels as low as 0.4 millimolar through sweat produced in the body,” says Preethi.

Apart from detecting glucose levels in the sweat, the patch could also detect ethanol levels as low as 0.34 millimolar. This means that this sellotape-like strip can be used to check for alcohol levels in drivers without having to check their breath, which is otherwise an unhygienic method.

Cruelty-free tests

To check the strip for biocompatibility, Preethi cultured human cells in the laboratory. She says that this had to be because a non-invasive biosensor developed in the USA had to be withdrawn after launch as many users complained about skin irritation.

“Usually, researchers use fetal bovine serum extracted from pregnant cows to grow cells and test for biocompatibility. However, using another ethical process, we collected blood serum safely extracted from human beings. This method is also cheaper and animal cruelty-free,” says Preethi, adding that the cells were allowed to grow on the strip and then monitored for any adverse effects.

It was proved that the material is safe when in contact with human skin.

Currently, Preethi hopes to transfer this technology to an organisation that is willing to develop portable electrochemical analysers and distribute the technology on a large scale.

You can reach out to Preethi through her email, preethiramadoss@gmail.com

Three engineering students from the Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, have successfully come up with an innovative device to keep riders safe while also assisting in navigation.

Milind Manoj, Pradeep Parthasarathy and Riya Gangamma participated in the Indian Innovation Design Contest, an initiative of the Government of India, in 2017.

Here, the trio presented their retrofitted device — NAVisor, that currently only fits a full-sized helmet with a chin guard and guides the user on their journey. The device connects to a mobile app via Bluetooth and directs the rider with LED illuminations and earphones attached inside the helmet.

The Smart Augmented Reality helmet for Enhanced Safety and Driving Assistance (SARmet) was one of the 10 winners of the competition. In 2018, Milind and his friends launched the startup PupilMesh to develop the device further and commercialise it.

Explaining the operational aspects of the device, the 23-year-old says, “The device syncs with MapmyIndia, a tech company offering digital maps for navigation to direct the user. If there is a left turn round the corner, the red LED lights on the left illuminate and vice versa.”

Milind, the young CEO of the company, says the lights are bright enough to guide riders through the journey and not distract or affect their vision. “This was one of the challenges we faced while building the device when at times the lights were too bright or too dull. Making the device of the correct size was equally challenging, as it could not be bulky or affect one’s visibility,” he adds.

“A refined product was conceived after 12 engineers worked for two years to build a one-dimensional augmented reality (AR) device that remains in the field of vision and works efficiently in all weather conditions,” Milind tells The Better India.

The device weighs 7.8 grams with a 750mAh lithium-polymer battery that charges in two hours and lasts up to a minimum of three days. The lights come with automatic brightness adjustments that change according to the weather conditions.

Other features of the NAVisor include music and talk time up to 11 hours, 300 mW speaker power, 105 dB microphone sensitivity and noise control.

Check out the video of how NAVisor works.

Tejas SK, a marketing professional, has used the device for over three months. “It has made my riding experience better. The device has been useful in rainy conditions, as it is not possible to risk removing phone from their pocket to search for directions at a time like that. Also, during long rides, navigation apps drain one’s mobile battery too,” he says.

He adds that the NAVisor helps to save one’s phone battery. “The audio module enables you to answer calls without accessing your cell phone.”

Over 100 users have tried the device, which costs Rs 3,500. The startup has received 40 pre-orders so far, and aims to reach 100 by July 2021.

With funding of Rs 20 lakh from IIM-Bangalore, it also received support from Texas instruments and SINE (Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) and IIT Bombay.

“The devices will be delivered to customers by September this year,” Milind says, adding, “I hope the device helps to reduce road risks and make navigation easy for all.”

To pre-order NAVisor, contact 9632004920.

Edited by Yoshita Rao

Chennai-based startup Torus Robotics is developing Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) for the Indian Army. These vehicles can be operated like robots and can be used from a safe distance.

“The electric-powered vehicles are designed to detect, identify and dispose of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). They can be operated from a safe distance of up to 1 km. The same ground vehicles can also be used to scout locations and collect information,” says Vignesh Kandasamy, co-founder, in an interview with The Better India.

He is one of the co-founders of the startup along with Karthikeyan B and Vibhakar Senthil.

Developing defence solutions in college

In 2012, Vignesh met Karthikeyan B and Vibhakar Senthil, the other founders of Torus Robotics, while they were all pursuing their B.Tech Mechatronics at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai. In their first year of college, they enrolled themselves in a robotics programme.

“In this course, we were required to identify existing problems and innovate solutions for them through robotics. Since the three of us shared a common interest towards the Indian Army, we began our research in the defence sector,” says Vignesh.

In the initial years of the course, the trio developed miniature robots that would help in surveillance, and designed a single-seat solar-powered vehicle.

“Our projects were selected for several college-level competitions, of which we won a few,” says Vignesh, adding that this prompted them to start a company of their own after graduating in 2016.

However, the trio needed time to figure out what solution they would develop, alongside figuring out how to rope in private investors. So to ensure the trio was upskilled to run a business, SRM University offered them a Masters in Business Administration course with a full scholarship.

“Until 2018, we were doing the MBA and on the side, we were meeting experts who would give us an idea about the ground-level problem faced by the Indian Army,” says Vignesh.

A solution to detect threats

By the end of 2018, the trio got in touch with experts at the Army Design Bureau, a government body. This organisation was set up to consider immediate requirements for the Army and have solutions designed through startups or private players.

“With the organisation’s help, we began understanding the problems faced by the Indian Army in detail. This included having to carry heavy loads up high altitudes, looking out for infiltrators, detecting IEDs and more. Soon, we also received a direct project from the Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It was to develop a solution that could scout locations and conduct surveillance for unidentified objects,” says Vignesh.

The team began developing the UGV early in 2019 and by the end of that year, officially registered their company, Torus Robotics, which is headquartered in Ambattur, Chennai.

One of the main challenges the team faced was procuring parts for building the vehicle. Most of them had to be imported from other countries. This was not only a time-consuming process but also an expensive one. To avoid extra costs, all the parts for their vehicle were manufactured individually in Chennai.

The device is an electric terrain vehicle with a robotic arm. This can pick up unidentified objects like suitcases or bags and analyse them for IEDs.

“Once the final version was finished, the device was submitted to the DRDO to conduct further tests on its performance,” says Vignesh, adding that after passing all the necessary tests, the device was displayed at the annual Aero India exhibition held in February 2021.

At the event, the team signed an MoU with the Government of India to develop an upgraded version of the UGV, which will be deployed at India’s border. This terrain vehicle will be equipped to ease the burden on jawans by carrying heavy loads. The UGV will be designed to carry the equipment that 10 jawans are required to carry to higher altitudes.

As a part of expanding their business, the team is also developing batteries for electric vehicles.

If you wish to know more you can reach out to them at – torus@nandan.co.in

In May 2020, Nitin Ghule, a farmer from Nashik, Maharashtra, was preparing his agricultural land to cultivate monsoon crops. He planned to grow tomatoes, chillies and marigold, but realised that he had no access to labour to tend to his seven-acre land.

So he decided to spread mulching paper instead. This is a thin sheet made from polyethylene that is used to cover the soil and helps retain moisture, as well as maintain temperatures at the root level for improved microbial activity.

“But the process requires around a dozen labourers and rolls of mulching paper. It will also take 1.5 days to cover one acre of land. The COVID-19 lockdown meant that I could not source labour and taking a risk with a small number of workers was not recommended,” Nitin tells The Better India.

“If the land is not ready on time, it affects sowing and further leads to a late harvest. This, in turn, delays the farm produce before it reaches the market. It also decreases the income, as the demand has reduced by this time,” he explains.

To overcome this problem, the 28-year-old built a mulching paper spreader from scrap material, which does the job at one-third labour and requires half the time.

A small innovation becomes a big hit

Nitin says he tried to use a tractor and other equipment to spread the mulching paper. But the experiment failed and caused the paper to tear in the process.

He then found some spares in his backyard and approached a friend, who owned a workshop, with a prototype design.

“I bought some wheels and joints from a hardware shop and welded the pieces together according to my understanding. Within 15 days, the first design became ready for trials. But it did not work efficiently and needed improvements,” Nitin adds.

Nitin says that he made a device that needed two persons to operate. “I fit blades in the front and rear that spread the soil as the device moved. The blades in the front would spread the soil. The mulching paper would roll out simultaneously over the soil with its forward movement. The blades at the rear would cover the soil and set the paper underneath,” he explains. However, the rear blades did not perform well and needed reworking.

“I had used moulded scrap pieces and realised I needed a new design altogether. After a few iterations, I got it right,” Nitin says.

The device cost him Rs 7,000 to build. “I did all the welding work to save on labour, and incurred some expenditure in purchasing other parts,” he says.

Nitin says his final innovation was cost-effective and became a hit among other farmers.

“Usually, to spread the mulching paper on one acre of land requires 12 labourers, whose wages cost Rs 600 each. With their food expenses, final wages can amount up to Rs 8,000. However, I am offering the device at Rs 10,000, which is a one-time investment and requires only two labourers. The device can be folded and stored in a shed and has no costs apart from maintaining the tyre pressure. Moreover, spreading mulching paper with the device over one acre requires about eight hours, as against 1.5 days required otherwise. It is a win-win situation in all aspects,” he says.

Nitin adds that the machine eliminates the increased dependence on labourers. “If a farmer lives in a joint family or with members who can help him operate the machine, he would not require any external help to handle the machine,” he adds.

Nitin says he created a video and uploaded it on social media platforms, which made his device an instant hit. “Enquiries started pouring in, and I have close to 100 orders for now,” he adds.

He aims to come up with more innovative ideas to make working easier for farmers. “I am glad that I could solve my problems and now can help others in the process too,” he adds.

Edited by Divya Sethu

Two engineers came up with a unique project for their Master’s course in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management at the TERI School of Advanced Studies, Delhi. Souryadeep Basak, an electrical engineer from Kolkata, and Lavkesh Balchandani, a mechanical engineer from Indore, developed a solar-powered hydroponic fodder unit that can generate 50 kgs of fodder per day. Their hydroponic fodder unit could cost farmers approximately Rs 15,000, including solar panels, control systems and other inputs.

Running on a DC (direct current) system, without an inverter, the unit directly employs solar power without rising costs for converting DC energy to AC (alternating current). Requiring 95% less water than traditional fodder production, this unit takes just eight days from seed-to-feed with zero down-time owing to the soilless nature of this enterprise.

Moreover, in a given month, this unit needs just 0.5 units of electricity, utilising energy-efficient cooling strategies.

To facilitate the process of automation, the fodder unit employs a microcontroller that interfaces with a network of actuators and sensors. When temperatures spike beyond a certain pre-decided point set by the farmer, the unit’s smart cooling system powers the installed sprinklers and fans.

They claim that the system smartly leverages simulation and passive solar strategies to establish a standard design applicable to all the five major climatic zones of India and in accordance with the National Building Code.

Building The ‘Rack-Like Structure’

Souryadeep left behind a well-paying job at a consulting and accounting giant, while Lavkesh switched engineering streams to pursue a course in renewable energy. Despite coming from different backgrounds and cities, they shared a common desire to address the problems of climate change and unsustainable farming practices.

“We first conceived this idea sometime in April 2020 during our second semester at TERI. We had enrolled into the Efficiency for Access Design Challenge, a global, multi-disciplinary competition that empowers teams of university students to help accelerate clean energy access funded by UK aid and the IKEA Foundation. We won the bronze medal in the Grand Final. At the initial stage, the idea was quite different. It began as an idea for growing exoctic vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers in a rural setting because we thought these are high value crops and rural residents would directly benefit a lot. But we were chastened by our mentors for not factoring in the supply chain challenges involved in distributing such produce. That’s why we settled on fodder, a key component where centres of production and consumption coincide in rural areas,” says Souryadeep, speaking to The Better India.

In other words, it started off exclusively as a hydroponic farming project. This idea of a hydroponic fodder unit only crystallised sometime in November and December 2020.

“Before even conceptualising this system, however, we were working on different lighting solutions for hydroponics. We did some research and development, optimised lighting schedules, spectrums and colours that would be most conducive for growth. That process took place sometime between July and August 2020. After we perfected the lighting schedule, we grew a batch of lettuce. This was done to understand the efficacy of hydroponics. We remember growing lettuce throughout the Delhi winters, which are harsh. Last year, there were a lot of hailstorms as well. I had set up the hydroponics unit on the rooftop of my flat. That was a test to see whether our system could withstand difficult climatic conditions,” he notes.

They set up a working prototype after the first wave of the pandemic and the final fodder unit, which both of them developed, was completed just when the second wave of COVID-19 hit India. One square metre on the unit is enough to feed two cattle daily. On an average, each of these cattle require 5 to 6 kg of green fodder, depending on their respective weights. In other words, about 12 kgs of feed comes from 1 square metre, claims Souryadeep.

He adds, “It’s a rack-like structure. Maize has a crop cycle of eight days, which means from seed-to-feed, you only need eight days. The fodder unit has eight racks/levels. On day one, we plant only on Level One and on the second day you plant on Level Two and so on. On Day eight, once you’ve planted the top shelf, your bottom shelf is ready for harvest. This ensures a continuous supply of fodder. According to my calculations, if you want a unit which generates 50 kg of fodder per day for 10 units of cattle, it will come around Rs 15,000 which includes your solar panels, control systems and other input costs.”

A Three-Pronged Approach

Souryadeep and Lavkesh had a controlled experiment planned for their hydroponic fodder unit in a couple of villages across the Sunderbans in West Bengal but the pandemic proved to be a dampener. However, they are very keen on working with the farmers since real-time testing on the ground would lend more credibility to the idea.

“We’re still in an R&D stage. Having said that, this doesn’t mean our claims are unjustified. Our confidence in this unit is bolstered because the ideas executed here have backing in scientific literature set in Sub-Saharan countries, the Middle East and Indian settings as well. There is a lot of great research happening in hydroponics fodder. We leaned on scientific literature and what evidence previous researchers have published,” notes Souryadeep.

But the hydroponic fodder unit is not merely the end goal for these innovators. It’s part of their three-stage modular solution based on the principle of hydroponics that they believe can empower rural communities engaged in farming.

First Stage: Focus will be on the fodder unit. They’re not taking a profit-oriented approach. It’s there to maximally utilise the resources available to rural farmers and give them a base income by taking fodder generated by the unit, raising the productivity of their livestock and economising benefits.

After the farmer saturates local demand for green fodder, what they can do is supply fodder to different parts of India to reduce the country’s 284 million tonnes shortage in green fodder, according to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.

Second Stage: To build a mushroom cultivation unit, which employs biomass (straw, hay) that is now unutilised as a consequence of the fodder unit.

“Depending on the time of year, different mushrooms may be successfully sprouted within smart grow units. One could grow medical and gourmet mushrooms. To ensure a greater shelf life they could be sun-dried, which reduces pressure on the supply chain. Moreover, these items have a high value market. Once this process generates enough income, the farmer can proceed towards the classical greenhouse approach to hydroponics,” notes Souryadeep.

Third Stage: The third stage is a greenhouse for exotic vegetables, herbs, flowers and other horticultural produce that require an established supply chain.

“These three stages allow us to approach villages that don’t have access to markets or electricity. Once this hydroponic fodder unit is set up in the middle of nowhere, you can empower the entire village through this model, which can become a hub for business activity, attract investors and develop communities around them as well,” Souryadeep says.

As of today, various private ventures have reached out to develop and access their fodder unit. Meanwhile, the innovators are also trying to reach other private investors to further scale up this project.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

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In the 1960s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) developed Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy to help astronauts recover from debilitating space missions. It is a non-invasive and painless therapy that sends low-level magnetic frequencies into the body to heal muscle, bones and organs and enhances the healing process.

This therapy is different from traditional laser therapy, given that the electromagnetic fields can be directed towards the injured areas directly and it has no side effects.

While this therapy is used to treat humans, Parth Electronics Pvt Ltd, a Gujarat-based company, has developed a machine that uses the same technology for healing animals.

Started in 1980, the company has been building cost-effective technologies in various spaces like smokeless cooking stoves, home security systems, wind and solar hybrid systems and more.

In 2017, Mathura-based trust Barsana approached Shreelal Jha, founder of the company, to explore the PEMF technology. Shreelal took the opportunity to develop an indigenous device, thus adding one more feather to his innovation’s cap.

Touted as the first exclusive made-in-India model, the therapy device has treated over a hundred animals admitted at the veterinary college of Anand Agricultural University (AAU).

It is designed to suit Indian animals at 1/5th price of its European and American counterparts. Shreelal Jha spent 4-5 years developing the device along with his sons, Harshvardhan and Sarth.

“We have used this physiotherapy instrument for the treatment of wounds, fractures, paraplegia and in pain management. This modality is very useful in the treatment of veterinary patients, including dogs, horses, cows, donkeys, etc. PEMF stimulates the cells so that oxygen, water, and nutrients flow to the body. We have treated 100 animals with this device and the recovery rate is faster. We have not observed any side effects so far,” Dr Pinesh Parikh, Head Researcher of Veterinary Trials at AAU, tells The Better India.

While the AAU has given a nod to using the device, the Jha family is awaiting a safety certificate from Sardar Patel University.

The company has built two instruments — PEMF-PET for animals weighing less than 100 kilos like dogs, rabbits, cats, etc and PEMF-TAME for large animals like cows and horses. The average cost of the TAME device is around Rs 5,00,000 in international markets but the Jha family is selling it for Rs 1,02,000. The smaller device is priced at Rs 28,000.

“As per our research, the therapy instrument designed for humans is often used for animals as well. Both our portable devices have been designed exclusively for animals. The programming, microcontroller and interfacing of analogue technology were done by Harashvardhan, who is presently pursuing a PhD from Sardar Patel University. We first experimented with the device on our friends and family and the results were effective. We did field research for two years at various NGOs and healthcare centres. Using their feedback, we built it for animals,’ says Sarth Jha, who has been involved in the R&D of the device.

The device has a detachable battery that can run for 8-11 hours on a single charge. The device has eight different programming options for problems like migraines, open wounds, injuries, etc, and depending on the frequency, the user can select a button.

“Besides being made-in-India, the device helps speed up treatment by 50 per cent. We have received orders from a Dog Hospital in Junagard and VCARE (Vadodara Center for Animal Rescue and Emergency). This device can reduce the dependency of animals on drugs and help them live longer,” adds Sarth.

Edited by Yoshita Rao 

For pet parents, a major concern while going on long walks or travelling with their fur baby is having to carry separate bowls to serve them food and water. This could add to luggage weight and occupy a lot of space. Some parents carry boxes with lids. but find it uncomfortable as there is a possibility of leakage.

Two years ago, 14-year-old Dia Sheth, a resident of Mumbai and her family got a shih-tzu puppy. Whenever she took him for walks, she noticed that the dog would get breathless and stop walking because he was tired. So Dia had to take him for walks only around her apartment society so that he could access drinking water whenever he got tired.

“Even when we would go on road trips out of Mumbai, we had to make several stops for my dog to take a break. After speaking to several other pet owners, I realised that even they were facing the same issue. So, I decided to innovate the Slurrp-y, a travel-friendly and leak-proof water bottle for pets,” says Dia, a Class 9 student of DY Patil International School, in an interview with The Better India.

Being a part of Young Entrepreneurship Academy, which helps students become young entrepreneurs, she not only innovated a solution but has also made a business out of it.

An innovative solution

In 2018, Dia surveyed 120 pet parents. She realised 97% of them could not travel with their pet because they were worried about spilling food and water in their cars.

“Some had found solutions provided by foreign brands but did not purchase them because they were too expensive. So I decided to innovate a feeder which would fit in their handbag or backpack like a water bottle,” says Dia.

First, she drew the model on paper. Then with help from her father, who is an engineer, she was able to work with manufacturers who could replicate her design.

“The first few prototypes had to be rejected because they were either too big or not convenient for dogs to drink from. So my mother, who is a fashion designer, helped me redesign the bottle’s shape,” says Dia, adding the final prototype was designed within six months in 2019.

The Slurrp-y has two variations, one which supplies only water and the other, the Slurrp-y plus, which also has a compartment to store food.

“Both the bottles have a stopper, which allows and stops the flow of water into the bowl-like attachment, from where the pet can drink. To prevent wastage, after the pet is finished with drinking, any leftover water can be transferred back to the bottle. Sometimes, due to drool or dirt, the water may get dirty after your pet drinks from the bottle. To avoid this from mixing with the water, there is also a carbon filter between the bottle and cap,” says Dia.

The Slurrp-y bottle can hold 400 ml of water while the Slurrp-y plus bottle holds 150 ml of water and 150ml of food.

Delivered up to 400 orders

The first sale Dia made was at the YEA trade show organised in Mumbai. Here, she sold a few pieces and her project was chosen among the top three in her school. She was even selected to showcase her product at a trade show in Rochester, USA but it was cancelled owing to the pandemic.

However, this did not stop her from expanding her business.

“I took my business online and raised awareness about the products through Instagram. Apart from this, pet stores like Heads Up For Tails, Mumbai agreed to stock the bottles,” says Dia, adding that she has sold up to 400 bottles till today.

If you wish to place an order for the Slurrp-y connect with Dia through her Instagram page.

Anand Pandey, an engineer from Sultanpur village, Uttar Pradesh, did not want to be part of the rat race and decided to earn his living through his innovations. Now, at the age of 31, he has won a couple of awards while also earning in lakhs.

“I have always been interested in experiments. My mother often tells me how I would always do something with electric bulbs and other appliances as a kid. As a result, I got many electric shocks too,” Anand says with a hearty laugh.

He adds, “The reason I have always been in the top ranks is because of my interest in education and my parents’ support. They would wake me up as early as 4 am and make me tea. I would study and then go to school.”

Hailing from humble beginnings, Anand’s father is a farmer and his mother is a housewife. There was a time when they would not have enough food to eat and would sleep on empty stomachs.

Studying hard to secure the highest rank in his government school, Anand secured the first place in Class 5, which was a board exam then.

After completing his Class 12, Anand then prepared to join IIT but failed and then joined Rajarshi Rananjay Sinh Institute Of Management & Technology for electronic and communication engineering.

As he was interested in learning new subjects and innovating, he took up a couple of training sessions to hone his skills. He went to Robosapiens India company in Greater Noida to learn how manual robots work and then went to I Square IT Pune for some training. At the end of his course in 2013, he managed to build a manual robot and also a model of a driverless metro train. He stood first in his final practical exam in engineering.

Anand was also awarded the Innovation Award for the metro train by the then-Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in 2015. Moreover, his innovation was also covered by Doordarshan. He was also invited several times by the TV network to speak as an innovator.

“The award gave me hope that I can do great things in the field of innovation. I got so interested in innovation that I did not look for a job. My mother kept urging me to take up a job because the family’s financial condition was not good. However, I was determined to build my career in the field of innovation and not to settle for anything less,” shares Anand.

Anand remembers the days when his parents had no money to pay Rs 30,000 for his college fees and had to borrow money from a villager. “She didn’t find any transport to reach the college bank so she walked 8 kilometres from our home to the bank to pay the fees. It was raining heavily,” Anand recalls, as his eyes fill up with tears.

Creating Future Innovators

In 2014, he started a training centre in Lucknow to train other engineering students to innovate. It is a summer training course that runs for three months during summer vacation. In his first batch, he managed to gather eight students. Before the lockdown, he had 85 students from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. This earned him Rs 2.5 lakh per session.

Moreover, he also invented a bag that can be converted into a chair. This also earned him huge sums of money. He has managed to sell 1,000 bags so far, with each bag costing Rs 850.

His other innovations include generating electricity from speed breakers and a blood circulator machine that can help people increase or maintain their blood circulation.

Today, he is often invited for guest lectures in various engineering colleges, including IITs where he receives an honorarium. “I could not get admission in IIT but now I am invited as a guest lecturer. It is because I worked hard on myself to learn and experiment with various innovations,” says Anand.

As his training centre was shut during the lockdown, Anand thought of inventing a low-cost machine that can make laddus. “I happened to observe how a mithai wala makes laddus. They were making mithai with little to no concern for hygiene. Their sweat was dripping into the sweets and their hands were not clean. So I thought of making a hygienic and low-cost laddu-making machine that every sweet vendor could afford,” says Anand.

His research showed him that there were a few similar machines available in the market but they were very expensive — costing more than Rs 8 lakh. In the span of one year, Anand managed to make a machine that cost about Rs 3 lakh, including taxes. This was after deducting the cost to manufacture.

“My workers and I were happy when we finally made a working prototype after numerous trials. We celebrated the success with a small feast,” adds Anand. The machine can produce a quintal of laddus in one hour. He invested about Rs 4 lakh and received a grant of Rs10 lakh from the State Government to make the machine.

He made the machine in Kanpur but launched it in his village in Sultanpur so that other children could find inspiration and work hard to do something different in life. He has already received 20 orders for the machine from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jaipur, Haryana and other states.

Anand is currently making improvements to the machine so that it can make rotis and puris too.

So far, Anand has received many accolades and awards. Apart from the award for the driverless metro train model, he has won the Guest of Honour award from BrainFeed magazine in the field of innovation and the Innovator Promotion award from the Department of Science and Technology, Uttar Pradesh Government in 2015. He has also received the Innovation Award in 2016 for inventing green energy from speed breakers.

“The country that fails to innovate either gets destroyed or becomes a slave for others. I have failed many times in my innovations but I did not lose hope. All the engineers out there should be stubborn to do something different and better in the field of innovation instead of getting a job and living an unaccomplished life,” says Anand, who adds that he was always inspired by A P J Abdul Kalam.

His plans include setting up a lab for engineers to come and innovate, hoping that India will soon become “sone ki chidiya (golden bird)”.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

In the remote village of Anumpalli in Andhra Pradesh, an electric tricycle that doubles as a smart kiosk is providing a range of services to residents of the area. These include applications for government schemes, making payments or withdrawing cash, taking printouts, and purchasing necessities through e-commerce platforms, among others.

This initiative was launched in 2019 by two students of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore – Nikhil Mukkawar (30) and Ho Jing En (24).

“We wanted to bridge the gap between villagers and access to information. Most of them are unaware of government schemes and initiatives that they can benefit from. Moreover, to carry out basic monetary transactions or any other work, they are forced to travel more than 10 kilometres. While there are web tools such as applications to help rural people, they don’t benefit them, because they often don’t have the technology like smartphones to access these tools, or they do not know how to use them altogether,” says Nikhil, a native of Andhra Pradesh, in an interview with The Better India.

Nikhil’s aim is to take these services to the villagers’ doorstep and provide them guidance. Today, his initiative is benefitting up to 800 people every month, and the team has launched a second kiosk at Shadnagar village in Telangana.

From project to prototype

Before moving to Singapore for his Master’s in Smart Product Design, Nikhil was working at a company that manufactured agricultural machinery in India. During his brief stint there, he would travel to remote villages in Andhra Pradesh to understand the needs of farmers.

When he interacted with them to understand why they were using bullock carts and traditional farming practices, he understood that the farmers were unaware of government subsidies. Even if they were aware, they avoided applying for them because they had to travel long distances to submit forms and documents.

In 2018, during a college project at NTU, he decided to work on the gap between farmers and technology. He worked along with his classmate Ho Jing En, a friend and resident of Singapore.

“After months of brainstorming, we ideated an electric-powered tricycle with a small kiosk mounted over it. This could be driven to rural areas to provide necessary help,” says Nikhil, adding that their project was named The Kisan Union, and was submitted as a written document.

This project won the Young Social Entrepreneur competition in 2018, for which the duo received a cash prize. Using that, they incubated their startup at NTU and began working on the prototype.

“First, we designed a small-scale 3D model at the university’s lab. Once it was approved, back in India, I approached suppliers in Chennai for raw materials. Finally, a fabricator in Visakhapatnam built the electric tricycle for Rs 95,000,” says Nikhil.

Their prototype was deployed at Anumpalli village, which has a population of 3,000 people, primarily farmers.

Services at the doorstep

By the end of 2019, the team was equipped with a pedal-cum-motor tricycle that could navigate small roads. It was powered by a 48-volt motor and could go 35 kilometres on a full charge.

The kiosk was fitted to the back and operated by a resident of Anumpalli village. Before being hired, she was trained for three months on how to operate the laptop, use Excel sheets, and more.

“We decided to train a person from that particular village so that the residents would trust the kiosk,” says Nikhil.

At first, the kiosk did not have too many visitors. Some curious children would walk up and enquire. On hearing that printing services were available, they would scan or print material for school. Up to three sheets were printed free of charge, and the students were charged a nominal fee for additional sheets.

However, within a week or two, adults, mainly farmers, began enquiring at the kiosk as well.

“To help them access government subsidies, we needed to understand their needs. So we used a form developed by Haqdarshak, a platform that provides information about government schemes. This had 15 questions which helped them understand eligibility for various schemes. After this, the operator provided advice on which scheme to opt for and helped the farmer apply for the same. If the scheme could not be applied for online, the operator would explain the documents that the farmers would need to carry to the nearest government office,” says Nikhil.

The kiosk also allowed monetary transactions such as checking bank balances without a passbook, as well as withdrawing and sending money. This was powered by ApnaPay, a cloud-based solution that also provided the kiosk with a money dispensing system.

“The residents would need to bring only their debit card to use this service,” says Nikhil.

The kiosk is powered by LinQ, which brings several e-commerce platforms under one ambit. This includes Amazon, Redbus and more. Using this, residents could make purchases for mobile phone covers, chargers and more.

“Finally, we partnered with a company named Lensfit which sold good quality eyewear at nominal prices,” says Nikhil.

Apart from this, the kiosk has an intranet service where users can connect to its wifi and access information related to farming.

Dinesh Kumar (28), an engineering graduate, is the operations manager at The Kisan Union. In 2019, he spent two months working on ground after it was launched at Anumpalli.

He says, “Initially the printing services were a hit among villagers because the nearest printing shop was located eight kilometers from the village. Later, farmers began trusting the service as well. After learning about the benefits of certain schemes, they would be overjoyed and spend an entire day at the kiosk until the process was completed. Sometimes, there were college students who visited the kiosk and asked for my help in writing their resumes. I also helped them upload their resume to job portals like Naukri.”

Expanding to other villages

After running their pilot project for a few months, the team noticed that 800 people benefitted every month. This prompted them to launch a second kiosk of the same model at Shadnagar in Telangana.

“By mid-2020 we had launched the second kiosk. It took off well, but owing to COVID-19 restrictions and for safety precautions, we had to pause operations. However, we hope to resume our services in a month,” says Nikhil.

For the future, the team hopes to collaborate with more service providers, and they hope companies will franchise their smart kiosks and empower rural areas across the country.

If you wish to connect with Nikhil, you can email him at nikhil_mukkawar@yahoo.com.