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The Second People’s Festival of Innovation : November 28th - December 2nd, 2023 | India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi | Part-I |
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"Whether innovation is triggered by a farmer’s idea to reduce drudgery, or through breakthrough laboratory observations on the nanoscale – both have the potential to become solutions that are sustainable, frugal, impactful and scalable. It is true however, that the former, a bottom up innovator faces far bigger and tougher challenges than the lab-based scientists.
The Second People’s Festival of Innovation, organized by C-CAMP and GIAN, with the support of IIC, New Delhi featured over 40 deep-tech bio-entrepreneurs and 40 grassroots innovators. It is a rare platform representing the diversity among innovations at two ends of the technological spectrum. Chief Guest Shri Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary and President of IIC, urged innovators to leave their silos and seek cross-sectoral collaboration. Academicians, business leaders, policymakers and, of course, innovators participated in conferences to discuss the need for long-term interdisciplinary collaboration, participatory policymaking, and mobilizing business and market networks.
The Festival was mentored by Dr. Renu Swarup, former Secretary, DBT, Dr. Swati Basu, former Scientific Secretary, O/o PSA, Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director of IIC, Dr Taslim Arif, CEO, C-Camp and Prof. Anil Gupta joined by Dr. Anamika Dey from GIAN, and a big team from C-CAMP led by Dr. Bhavisha Wala. Not only did they guide innovators in presenting their innovations at the exhibition, but Mr. Shrivastava also set up one-to-one meetings between innovators and policymakers working in the same domain at the end of the Festival.
In the first part of this series, we present the stories of 12 grassroots innovators.
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"Paddy Transplanter
Nishi Biswas
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Most paddy farmers, primarily women, plant seedlings by hand in a painful back-bending posture, with minimal tools. Often the skin on their fingers peels and bleeds from the task, besides ulcers developing on their feet. They cannot afford the expensive tractor-powered machines used by farmers with large holdings. The shortage of labour is sometimes overcome by cooperation between households, but a more sustainable solution is needed.
Nishi Biswas reviewed various designs and made a manual paddy transplanter.
A hand crank powers the chain and sprocket mechanism which moves two fingers. They carry seedlings from the storage tray into the soil. Requiring only one person to operate, it can plant at least two to three seedlings per hill in two rows. The depth is adjustable as is the row-to-row distance up to 25 cm. A boat-shaped float of FRP (Fibre-Reinforced Plastic/Polymer) supports its whole weight, propelling it forward. Powder coating keeps it rust-free.
Nishibhai’s father had faced difficulties in farming, and left their native home in Pakhanjur to raise his children with better opportunities in Bhopal. This inspired Nishibhai to help ease the lives of farmers in some way. The machine saves time and effort and can be navigated smoothly on small plots. Women farmers can easily use it due to its ergonomic handle and lightweight.
The innovator has sold 72 units country-wide. Due to the burden of heavy loans he had taken, the support from GIAN was crucial in enabling him to advance with his innovation. With technical and marketing support under the GRIPP project jointly with Suzuki innovation Centre, he has improved the design and fabrication of the manually operated version of the machine, including two further versions; a motor-operated paddy transplanter and a ground wheel-operated paddy transplanter. Videos of his machine on social media have gained traction. Besides M.P., the machine has been tested in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and West Bengal.
(more info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCOZuLqDtBI)
Zyenika Adaptive Clothing Private Limited
Soumita Basu and Amita Roychowdhury Basu
Kolkata, West Bengal
Dressing is a physically painful and time consuming task for many people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. A frozen shoulder, slip disc, fracture, cancer, surgery, and arthritis, among other conditions, prevent people from being able to wear elegant and appropriate clothing, in turn, requiring them to sacrifice independence and privacy, and lowering their self-confidence.
Zyenika, a startup set up by Soumita Basu and Amita Roychowdhury, designs stylish clothes that make dressing easy, comfortable, quick, and painless. Design (re)thinking takes centre stage, using already available material to deliver different openings and shapes which are more adaptive. The innovation allows people with disabilities and the elderly to dress themselves with dignity.
Zyenika has the potential to help over 435 million people in India who need such adaptive clothes for temporary or permanent conditions. Soumita was a classical dancer who lost her mobility and has since championed inclusive spaces and facilities for all those with disabilities. Through her brand of inclusive and adaptive fashion, she seeks to give them the confidence to engage in wider professional and public spaces.
They retail online through its website (https://zyenika.com). Its brand Care Weaves provides clothes to hospitals, rehabilitation centres, senior citizen care organisations, and other B2B partners. With the support of the HBN, GIAN, NIFT Mumbai, and experts from NID, Ahmedabad, the brand has grown its product line with more innovative adaptive designs. They are now seeking international manufacturing partners.
(more info: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoZAx7AtkvM/)
Automatic Weft-Winding Machine
Prafulla Kumar & Satyawati Meher Bargarh, Odisha
(see HB 28 (2&3):4, 2017)
Bargarh district, Odisha is a hub for Sambalpuri handlooms. Traditionally, cotton thread is wound around two tree trunks or a wooden frame known as phani. This activity causes strain, and inhibits the productivity of weavers. Satyawati devi and Prafulla Kumar Meher had experienced this problem persisting through generations, and adapted a weft winding machine designed by Ram Prasad Meher, another NIF-recognized innovative weaver.
The machines can wind 20 bundles of yarn hourly, and are available in a manual version or with a 0.25 HP electric motor. The machine could benefit over 25,000 weavers of the Bhullia community. It enables production of 25-30 Sambalpuri saris within six to eight hours, earning them Rs. 2,000 daily, surpassing the manual output of two saris a day. It also benefits all others along the supply chain. The machine is operable by elderly weavers and persons with disabilities as well.
About 230 units of the machine have been sold countrywide. The innovator modifies the machine to weave patterns of varying complexities. They are well known for products featuring the Mayursiasan pattern (Shah Jahan’s peacock throne), and Pundavi (a type of jacquard weave), which have generated foreign demand. The machine is foldable and durable. Prafullabhai has been awarded numerous times, including the National Award in 2019, and shares full credit with his wife and source of inspiration, Satyawati devi who has helped women weavers organize into SHGs.
(more info: https://nif.org.in/innovation/automatic-weft-winding-machine/1065)
Hariyali Handi
Nayak Suratanbhai & Nayak Kavliben Chhota Udaipur, Gujarat
(see HB 23(4)&24(1):15, 2012&2013)
Usually, non-stick cookware is coated with harmful substances that leach into food. They have to be replaced as the coating wears off over time. Hariyali Handi’s non-stick coating is derived from lac insects inhabiting Pohim trees. It is made by boiling raw lac twice, till the solution is homogeneous. It seeps into the pores of earthenware, and hardens into a uniform coating.
This is an ancient practice among the Dhanuka, Nayak and Bhil communities of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The natural lac coating is non-toxic, scrape-free, and requires less oil. It has found tremendous demand.
Suratanbhai and Kavliben first mix two to three kinds of clay procured from within their village, which they believe is ‘unpolluted’. The vessels are moulded on a furma, and baked a week later. After colouring, lacquer is applied to the hot vessels. They also sell non-lacquered earthen serving dishes.
About 100 traditional potters create Hariyali Handi ware, selling roughly 2,000 units a year; they are often sold out on the very first day at the annual Sattvik Traditional Food Festival organized by HBN and SRISTI. Their products are marketed by various NGOs and institutional channels, and through door-to-door selling by the communities. GIAN has provided the communities with a machine for more convenient and eco-friendly production and arranged training to improve the design, look and feel of the vessels. There is a high potential to increase their earnings.
Tractor Operated Groundnut Decorticator Cum Grader
Kishan Lal Suthar
(see HB 34(2):17, 2023)
The tractor PTO-powered innovation automates seed separation, cleaning, grading and sorting of groundnuts. An “elevator system” carries pods to a shaking sieve for complete decortication and sorting. The machine saves time and effort. Farmers now save their own dry groundnut seeds, rather than buying damage-prone semi-dry ones.
Having sold 700 machines, of which 150 are tractor-mounted, Kishan Lalji and his four brothers are being assisted in manufacturing and marketing by NIF. He received honours at the National Awards 2023.
(more info: https://nif.org.in/innovation/tractor-operated-groundnut-decorticator-cum-grader-/1137)
G-Villas Pasand-Improved Guava Variety
Ram Vilas Maurya
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
(see HB 34(2):17, 2023)
The G-Vilas Pasand variety bears fruit throughout the year. It is a dwarf variety bearing larger fruits weighing 300 – 400 grams on average, going up to 900 grams. They are sweet, juicy, with creamy white flesh and softer seeds. Fruit bearing starts within a year, and after five years, a single tree gives 50 – 60 kg of fruit annually.
Farmers earn in the off-season, and get a better price for G-Vilas Pasand. Ram Vilasji has sold and gifted seeds to over one lakh farmers in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
He estimates that about two lakh trees of this variety have been planted. The variety was registered by NIF under PPV&FRA in 2021.
(more info: https://nif.org.in/innovation/g-vilas-pasand-improved-guava-variety/1138)
Smart Motorcycle Helmet For Hearing-Impaired
Shaik Rajalipasha
Kothagudem, Telangana
Drivers with a hearing-impairment are more prone to serious road accidents. The hearing-impaired innovator, Shaik Rajalipasha, suffered a fractured hand due to a crash. He also lost a hearing-impaired friend whose motorbike was hit from the rear.
He has designed a smart helmet that senses the sound of a horn given by vehicles behind. This triggers a red light at the front of the helmet, giving the wearer time to react. The helmet also has light indicators signalling that the wearer is hearing-impaired. This assistive device enhances road safety, and helps persons with hearing-impairments feel confident while driving.
He designed the helmet for the state government’s Intita Innovator Campaign, with guidance from the Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC), and is currently seeking further incubation support to manufacture and market the helmets.
Multipurpose Cot for Bed Ridden Patients
Alladi Prabhakar
Jagtial, Telangana
Many elderly and bed-ridden people are unable to visit a washroom. They rely on caregivers, and may struggle to communicate their personal needs in time, leading to discomfort and embarrassment.
Alladi Prabhakar garu has designed a multipurpose cot made of iron and fiber with safety grills on both sides. Even patients unable to move, can independently adjust the sitting angle with the easy pushback system. The hand shower and wash basin can be used unaided. The built-in commode with a flush and P-Trap system are connected to either a drainage pipeline or chamber. The innovation enables elderly, paralytic, orthopaedic patients, and pregnant women to lead a more dignified and comfortable life. It may reduce the burden on family and caregivers.
He has sold over 5,000 Prabhat Versatile Beds within India, and was recently granted his second patent. Supported by Palle Srujana and the Telangana State Innovation Cell, he is seeking further assistance in marketing. He has over 30 innovations to his name.
Automatic Machine to Make Taper from Cotton
Prakashbhai Rameshbhai Vala Mistry Rajkot, Gujarat
Creating cotton taper, used in candles and other lighting, is painstaking. Prakashbhai made a manual cotton tapering machine, but was unable to use it after losing a hand.
He fabricated a fully automatic cotton tapering machine functional for handicapped persons. It has six motors and a 12 mm iron frame. Four swivels of 25 mm each release four duvets together. A small roller reels cotton into the duvet. In 12 hours, 30,000 pieces of taper are created from three kg of duvet.
The innovator is setting up S.R. Automation, a manufacturing unit in Dasdara taluka. SRISTI is providing him incubation support. He aims to supply 25,000 kg of taper per month. It has countrywide potential as taper is required for many daily use items.
Backhoe Loader in Tractor
Bhaskaran P.
Tamil Nadu
Small farmers cope with delays due to labour shortage, high rent for imported JCB machines, and other challenges in preparing farmlands for the pre-sowing stage.
Mr. Bhaskaran has created a PTO-powered backhoe attachable to 10 HP tractors or higher. It can dig pits, create irrigation channels, and clear large farms of rocks, trees and debris. It consumes up to 1.5 L of diesel per hour for an acre of land.
The machine is affordable, low-maintenance, and modular with spare parts easily available. Farmers, using the innovation like a JCB, have halved their costs to Rs. 600 per hour. He has received a few orders, and will scale up once a patent is awarded. He named his innovation the BSE.
TechRedi
Tejaswi Velugapally and K. Pragnashree (Hyderabad, Telangana)Fresh vegetables on street vending carts decay within two days due to harsh weather and pollution, leading to significant waste. Heavy wooden carts cause the vendor muscle and joint pain. Existing electric carts are too expensive and require a power outlet to charge.
Tejasvi and Pragnya are part of a team of students at Osmania University who have created a food storage cart for vendors that keeps produce fresh and hygienic. The solar-powered storage solution is available as a stationary cart, mobile cart, and cabin-mounting for traditional carts.
It is easily steered, and comes with a solar dryer and compost facility. In conditions of 32°C and 73% humidity, the cart maintains an internal environment of 25°C and 91% humidity. The eco-friendly innovation reduces income lost by vendors due to spoilage, does not cause physical strain, and prevents wastage.
The innovators are recent biotech graduates, and were helped by their university mentors in understanding electronic and mechanical components to build a prototype. In 2022, the innovators won the Smart India Hackathon Competition, and have also been recognised by the herSTART Accelerator Program and Smart India.
They are receiving incubation support from TSIC (Telangana State Innovation Cell). They have tested the cart among street vendors. Feedback collected through a problem statement survey helped them refine the design, which was received favourably. They plan to test their product under different climate conditions across India. Patent filing is in process.
Farmland Manure Spreader
Ashikbhai Gani
Palanpur, Gujarat
(see HB 33(3-4):13, 2022)
Manure spreading, done to prepare the land for sowing, usually requires that farmers hire a service provider with a tractor, trolley, JCB, and labour. Picking manure, placing it in piles, and spreading in the field is expensive, labour-intensive and time-consuming.
(Late) Ashikbhai Gani’s Farmland Manure Spreader is a single-operator PTO-powered trolley attachment for tractors of at least 40 HP, which allows a farmer to uniformly spread manure through remote control. A trolley holds three to four tons of manure depending on whether it is wet or dry.
By use of this trolley farmers save their time, spread manure more uniformly, and reduce labour expenses. Earlier 10 labourers worked eight hours to cover an acre, while the machine can do the same in half an hour.
Ashikbhai’s son, Samir is expanding the enterprise, Greenlandagro Pvt. Ltd., which has so far sold about 300 units at Rs 6.5 lakhs each, including GST. He is getting queries from far and wide for his manure spreader. GIAN is helping him in scaling it up through the Suzuki project." |
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| Volume No. |
Honey Bee, 35(1)9-14, 2024 |
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