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"The Second People’s Festival of Innovation: Part-II November 28th - December 2nd, 2023, India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi
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"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, as well as the diversity across the country. Innovations from the Himalayan and Northeast states often remain unseen simply due to their distance.
The Festival was organized with the support of Dr. Renu Swarup, former Secretary of the DBT, Dr. Swati Basu, former Scientific Secretary,
O/o PSA, Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director of IIC, Dr. Taslim Arif, CEO, C-CAMP & Dr. Anamika Dey, CEO, GIAN. 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 second part of this series, we present the stories of 25 grassroots innovators.
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"Walnut Peeling Machine
Zaheed Rafiq Ahanger (Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir)
Problem Addressed: Walnuts are dehulled manually by striking the hard shells with a bat, which is both labour intensive and time-taking. As a young child, the innovator observed that the hands of his grandfather, who was a traditional walnut farmer, would stain red for two weeks after the peeling process.
Technology: Walnuts are loaded through a hopper at the top, and cleaned nuts fall to the bottom while shells are expelled separately. The machine can dehull about 100 walnuts in one minute, or a quintal in an hour.
Societal Impact: This innovation discharges dry shell waste that composts fast, while other dehulling machines require water and generate slurry. The walnut season lasts for just 40-60 days. This machine allows walnut farmers to hasten their harvesting.
Current Status: After working on his design for five years and incurring heavy out-of-pocket R&D expenses, the innovator has sold three machines. Currently, about five percent of walnut kernels break along with the hull. He is looking to solve this issue and improve the machine. He is waiting for the next season to conduct further trials, for which GIAN is providing support. He has made many more innovative solutions for automating house functionalities and also in agriculture.
Crimeria Apple Variety
Abas Ganie (Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir)
Technology: The innovator has developed the Crimeria apple variety by grafting a branch from a Crimson apple tree onto a Bulgaria apple tree. Crimeria apple trees bear larger and more fruit than Crimson. Their taste and colour are superior to Bulgaria. Crimeria apple trees bear fruit within one to three years of planting. A single tree can yield about 200 kg of apples after five years. The trees begin flowering by April, and produce fruits by August.
Societal Impact: Farmers earn well from the in-demand Crimeria apples that sell at Rs. 90-200 per kg. The innovator claims that this variety is not disease-prone and reports minimal use of pesticides. The dark red juicy apples are valued for their attractive appearance, and used decoratively in some homes.
Current Status: The innovator has guided many farmers within the district about grafting. He is also testing whether it may be suited to growing in Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. He is yet to register it under PPV&FRA. GIAN is helping him gain markets outside Kashmir. He envisions a website for the transaction of ideas between innovators country-wide, to facilitate collaboration for problem-solving.
Automatic Feeding Machine
Nabajit Bharali (Dhemaji, Assam)
Problem Addressed: Individuals with motor impairments, loss of hand function or quadriplegia struggle with feeding themselves. This basic need is inadequately addressed by existing assistive devices.
Technology: The automatic feeding machine detects a face within about a six-inch range via sensors. A gear motor guides a spoon to scoop up the food placed on a plate. An activated sensor will carry it to the mouth of the user, and stop when they move out of range. A controller circuit regulates speed for smooth operation.
Societal Impact: This innovation is, fully automatic, requiring no switch or assistance. It works on either current or battery. The innovator claim it to be more portable, frugal and user-friendly compared to its counterparts.
Current Status: The innovator is seeking support to refine the design and scale up. Based on feedback about the prototype, he made it foldable and used one motor instead of two. This has reduced the cost of production. He was recognized by the Honey Bee Network and NIF for innovating an electric chair bike for disabled persons, and an automatic reeling and spinning machine.
Suneel S1 Walnut Variety
Suneel Singh (Kisthwar, Jammu and Kashmir)
Problem: Indigenous Kashmiri walnut varieties have steadily lost their market to imports. Fewer farmers engage in cultivation due to the challenges involved in harvesting, having to climb heights of 50 - 60 feet. Though efforts have been made to conserve endemic varieties, low yields have deterred farmers.
Technology: The innovator has developed from a single plant through bud grafting, which has an almost 98% success rate. He grafted a branch of the mother walnut plant onto more than 10,000 plants employing organic methods. Each plant yields roughly thrice the normal, 120 - 300 kg of walnuts in a season. The dwarf variety only grows to 20-30 feet, produces uniform sized walnuts, and is pest and disease resistant.
Societal Impact: Wild hard-shelled walnuts come in irregular sizes, affecting their market grading. The Suneel (S1) walnuts are of uniform size and good quality, fetching farmers Rs. 400 per kg hulled, and Rs. 1,000 per kg for kernels. The innovator has reduced the height of trees, thereby reducing risks to farmers.
Current Status: The innovator is registered with the National Horticultural Board, and may register it under PPV&FRA. He has sold plants to farmers in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and the Northeast.
Improved Hydro Screw Turbine Generator
Khursheed Ahmad Malik Itoo (Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir)
Problem Addressed: The innovator observed the inadequacy of reliable electricity infrastructure in the Kashmir Valley, despite abundant flowing water. Dams are expensive to build and maintain, and can lead to displacement, unequal resource access, and ecological harm.
Technology: The innovation is an ultra-portable floating turbine-based hydroelectricity nano generator. It automatically adjusts frequency, voltage, and load output based on water flow and level. It requires no infrastructure, only flowing water sources. The turbine capacities range from 1 KW to 500 KW.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that the technology could boost economic activities and generate employment by offering efficient and sustainable power generation. Installation costs are low, and require low maintenance. Himalayan states and areas with ample rivers could benefit a lot from it.
Current Status: The innovator has registered a startup, Valley Hydrotech through which he proposes to begin manufacturing. One generator has been installed at Anantnag, giving 4.5 KW output. The innovator was previously scouted by GIAN when he invented a valve for his school water tank, and has now received technical and marketing support from the Honey Bee Network.
Easy-Go Walnut Washer
Naik Qayoom (Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir)
Problem Addressed: Washing walnuts is labour intensive and time-consuming. Within 15 minutes, 10 kg of walnuts can be washed manually but some still remain unclean. A few farmers have tried acid washing to bring a shine to the shells, but this adversely affected the taste of the nuts.
Technology: It uses a single-phase motor, connected to a pulley belt system. This drives wire-threaded brushes along a shaft deep cleaning walnuts in a five to seven-minute wash cycle. The machines are available at different capacities. The highest capacity models deep clean 480 kg per hour with 95% efficiency.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that his washer minimises water usage to just 20 L per cycle. It reduces exposure to harmful chemicals used in traditional walnut processing. It is also inexpensive compared to other options available in market. The innovator was mentored by GIAN while still in school, and believes that successful innovators can share a roadmap with budding innovators.
Current Status: He modified the machine to tilt and release walnuts stuck in the outlet hatch. In this first year, the innovator has sold ten machines - five large, five small - on a trial basis, and is collecting user feedback. He has priced the models at Rs. 18,000-22,000. He is seeking funds to establish a manufacturing unit. He was felicitated at Expo Jammu with the Best Startup Award.
Advanced Portable Bukhari
Towseef Ahmad and Rafiq Ahanger (Kishtiwar, Jammu and Kashmir)
Problem Addressed: Traditional bukharis (heating systems) may cause lung infections, breathing problems, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Their cost and maintenance prove challenging, with charcoal or fuelwood being burnt inefficiently.
Technology: Firewood is placed on a preheating tray to dry for cleaner burning, and ignited through a door above. The room is heated evenly, from 0 to 20 C within five minutes.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that the advanced portable Bukhari remains warm for a longer time using less fuel. This three-in-one model is capable of burning charcoal, wood, and waste oil, the latter being almost smokeless.
Current Status: They were awarded by the NIF for their previous innovative bukhari, which has been improved in this version. They established Rafiq Innovations Pvt Ltd. for manufacturing and marketing their innovations.
Herbal Medication for Diabetic Wound Healing
Haken Naseer Ahmad (Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir)
Problem Addressed: Traditional medicinal knowledge becomes the only option in remote locations due to unavailability of modern medicine. The innovator, a traditional healer, would often meet people who had resigned themselves to suffering the pain of chronic wounds such as diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, and arterial ulcers.
Technology: He has developed various herbal formulation for treating chronic wounds.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that his treatment has shown better wound healing properties than framycetin sulphate-based standard ointments. It is highly effective and heals normal wounds uniformly within five to ten days. He practises from his home and also at an Unani hospital in Kulgam. He charges only for medicines and waives off his consultation fees so more people are able to avail of his treatments.
Current Status: A review of patent and non-patent literature indicates that the formulation is unique. Validation tests conducted at Anand Pharmacy College, have shown significant wound healing activity. More research is being undertaken as required by statutory regulators. He has partnered with GIAN to advance his innovation, and is also looking for government support.
Herbal Medicines
Abhikesar Khatiwara (Gyalshing, Sikkim)
Problem Addressed: The innovator, a traditional herbal healer, observed that synthetic additives in modern medicines may cause side effects. Lack of local health infrastructure forces people to travel long distances for treatments that are costly and sometimes ineffective.
Technology: His treatments mainly involve at-home processing by drying, crushing, juicing, and grinding plants to innovate Ayurvedic and other herbal remedies. He tailors his medicines to better address every patient’s symptoms.
Societal Impact: The focus of the innovator is on pervasive ailments of his region namely, gastric illnesses, blood pressure, diabetes and internal ulcers, though he has also developed remedies for chronic piles, pneumonia, Bangla Bimari (red watering eyes), throat aches, migraines and various common ailments; he claims his treatment of piles and diabetes are more effective than the standard medicines. He was invited by the Saudi Arabian government to live in the country for a year and share his expertise in herbal remedies and agriculture.
Current Status: He has added his own formulations to the 108 collected by his father, with a 70% success rate. Though he has no medical training, he is certified in post-harvest technology, organic farming and mushroom cultivation. In collaboration with GIAN, he assists a few SHGs as a food technologist. Their products were featured at the Tikjuk Traditional Food and Arts Festival 2023.
Mini Maize Grinder and Grain Mixer
Panthong (Kiphire, Nagaland)
Problem Addressed: Many small and marginal farmers cannot afford even basic machinery to ease drudgery. Machines for milling and grinding grains are bulky and with high fuel requirements.
Technology: Grains are turned to powder by a powerful grinder and mixer. The grinder is able to powder and sieve maize meal. The mixer can also process rice, buckwheat and various millets. These mini machines are powered by a one HP motor and Both machines process around 50 kg of grain in 15 minutes.
Societal Impact: As informed by the innovator, many people have stopped using the community mill, instead they prefer these portable, easy-to-use, and safe alternatives. Approximately 200 people have benefitted.
Current Status: The innovator has sold 22 grinders and 18 mixers. GIAN is providing design and technical support, and helping him seed funds to manufacture more machines.
Pineapple Peeling Machine and Shredding cum Peeling Machine
Imkongsunep (Mokokchung, Nagaland)
Problem Addressed: In Nagaland, families manually process horticultural produce for home consumption, fodder, or small-scale businesses. However, the dearth of efficient processing equipment may hinder the development of these enterprises.
Technology: The pineapple peeling machine features a lathe-like rotating rod to secure the pineapple while a sharp, adjustable blade peels it. His previous innovation, the tapioca shredder has multiple blades to shred peeled tubers fed through a hopper. The shredder would also work for pears and bamboo.
Societal Impact: After word spread via social media, the community often visits him to use the machines. As per the innovator, there is high potential for such affordable and compact innovations. The innovation raises capacity of shredding from two quintals manually to 50 with the machine.
Current Status: In 2015, he began innovating the pineapple peeler at the behest of the Nagaland Horticulture Department, who had previously recognized him. In 2023, he was awarded at the Rashtrapati Bhawan by the NIF, which has applied for a patent on his behalf. A pastor by profession, he would like to leave commercialization to others, and would consider sharing benefits for his designs.
Channel Making Machine
Bilal Ahmad Ahanger (Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir)
Problem Addressed: The traditional ways of molding iron sheets into roofing are typically manual, or require channel beam machines. These machines are labor-intensive and require significant investment
Technology: The innovator has developed an efficient, low-cost machine for creating channels in iron sheets. It uses iron rollers with circularly molded channel spans that bend iron sheets at specific points to form channels. It can create two channels on 30 metres of sheet per minute.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that this innovation is significantly less labor-intensive, needing only three operators who need not have specific skills. It is portable, adjustable, affordable and ideal for even small-scale fabrication units.
Current Status: The innovator has created a working model of the machine without any grant assistance. Two units have been sold with support from the local GIAN team. Despite not having received formal education he is well-recognized for his creative engineering solutions, and many people seek his assistance.
Tractor Harvester with Washer
Yanglem Brajamani Singh (Bishnupur, Manipur)
Problem Addressed: The innovator hails from a humble taro farming family in Keinou village. Farmers here were finding it costly to hire labour to harvest taro. It takes many workers several days to harvest the crop using spades.
Technology: The tractor-mounted PTO-driven harvester hacks the soil with a steel blade that digs out taro corms. The corms are propelled behind the tractor and cleaned by a cylindrical washing attachment. The machine covers one hectare in ten hours.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that a week-long work requiring five labourers can now be done in a day by three. It reduces expenses, and enables farmers to market their produce in time. He has communicated with farmers district-wide about the potential benefits of the innovation.
Current Status: He aims to improve the machine prior to commercialization, with assistance from the NIF which accorded him a National Award in 2023. Currently, he is seeking support to source inexpensive parts for an innovative hydraulic tractor-powered harvester.
Organic Manure to Rejuvenate Mining-spoiled Land
Smt Kyrsiew Ryngkhlem (East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya)
Problem Addressed: Coal mining activities around fertile farmlands in the East Jaintia Hills have resulted in barren landscapes. Traditional livelihoods have been eroded, accompanied by environmental degradation and adverse health outcomes.
Technology: The innovator created organic manure by drying and grinding garden grass, and mixing it in a pit with cow dung and swine manure for thirty days. She added weeds, areca nut husk, and other biodegradable waste and dried the mixture. She used limestone to reduce soil acidity before using the manure.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that the manure improves the water retention and overall fertility of the soil. The fields of the innovator grew vegetables abundantly within three years. In the last couple of years, almost 500 farmers across 300 hectares have reported good results using the manure.
Current Status: She increased manure production with support from the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority and World Bank under the MCLLMP project. She has produced almost two tonnes of organic manure, and sold 1.79 tonnes. She imparts training to VNRMC and VCF members on land rehabilitation.
Low-cost Power Tiller Machine and Thresher
Shri Hejew Klien (Ri-Bhoi, Meghalaya)
Problem Addressed: Expensive agricultural machinery and the burden of fuel expenses limits small and marginal farmers to labour-intensive and sometimes inefficient farming methods.
Technology: The innovator has repurposed scrap to fabricate a thresher that efficiently separates corn kernels from grain heads. He has similarly created a power tiller, incorporating bamboo and salvaged parts.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that his cost-effective innovations drastically reduce the burden on manual labour. With the thresher, two people can accomplish the work in a shorter time frame done previously by seven in a week. The low-cost power tiller effectively replaces water buffaloes traditionally used in rice cultivation.
Current Status: The innovator had initially sold five each of the power tiller and threshing machines. On receiving incubation support under CLLMP, he has upgraded the machines and found a wider market. He recently designed a new power tiller model, and plans to commercialise it with the support of the state Basin Development Authority.
Plastic to Fuel Pyrolysis Machine
Shri Just Synrem (East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya)
Problem Addressed: The innovator is an environmental activist, hailing from a region with plentiful natural resources, but unbridled plastic waste. The innovator also noted that due to fuel being scarce and expensive, farmers struggle to use agrimachinery that could boost productivity.
Technology: The innovation converts plastic waste into fuel through pyrolysis, offering an eco-friendly disposal option and an alternative fuel source. The portable models process 0.5-1 kg plastics,
Societal Impact: In 2019, the innovator first processed white polythene into pyrolysis oil for his own jeep, and later, as substitute to petrol in engines, generators, grass cutters and motorbikes. He received a very positive response upon sharing the news on social media. There is an emerging market, with demand from various individuals and states for pollution-controlling innovations.
Current Status: One machine has been installed in Ziro Arunachal, and other orders are being fulfilled. After testing by the Meghalaya State Pollution Board, he has tried to reduce the dioxin fumes. He is an incubatee under the community-led landscape management project undertaken by the Basin Development Authority. Samples have been shared with the Indian Oil Corporation. A patent is under process.
Beehives Made of Mud
Smt. Lamuni N. Sangma (North Garo Hills, Meghalaya)
Problem Addressed: In traditional wooden beehives, absconding
rates (the frequency with which a colony abandons the hive) are high. Their honey yields tend to be inconsistent.
Technology: The innovator has developed a unique clay beehive that maintains a consistent internal temperature through all seasons, lowering absconding rates. The mud hives enhance honey production, and prevent damage to combs during harvesting.
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that clay hives are easily built, and make beekeeping more profitable due to enhanced honey yields. The innovation enables more people to establish apiaries, contributing to the preservation of honey bees. Demand surveys and meetings with village headmen have confirmed that these hives are highly appreciated by the community.
Current Status: Since 2008, the innovator has sold 18,000 mud beehives, and shares her method for constructing these innovative hives with other beekeepers and SHGs. Additionally, incubation under MCLLMP has helped her construct shades, design portable beehives, and conduct testing on honey.
Low-cost & Zero Energy Cold Storage
Binolin Syiemlieh representing the FOCUS Project, Nongstoin Social Service Society (West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya)
Problem Addressed: Farmers in the West Khasi Hills face challenges in marketing, including warehousing and logistics. Many cannot access affordable and energy-efficient storage solutions for fruits and vegetables.
Technology: This project involves constructing small-scale, zero-energy cold storage units near fields of farmers using readily sourced materials. These units are each capable of storing and preserving up to a ton of produce for one to four weeks
Societal Impact: The innovator claims that the facilities maintain the freshness and cleanliness of the produce, and regulate prices and reduce post-harvest losses, which may occur due to spoilage, market fluctuation, etc. They are managed by the Village Executive Committee (VEC) under the guidance of the headman, allowing all villagers to equitably access them.
Current Status: The Nongstoin Social Service Society (NSSS), a community organization behind the innovation, plans to form a district-level group of 200 individuals and submit proposals to various block offices. With assistance from the Meghalaya Basin Development Authority, they will promote and implement these cold storage facilities beyond the Mawthadraishan Block.
Automatic Street Lights Control Systems
Raju Mupparapu (Mehboobanagar, Telangana)
Mr. Mupparapu estimated that streetlights left on during daylight hours, waste about four hours of electricity daily in rural areas. He developed a streetlight sensor that employs a light dependent resistor (LDR). When natural light is detected, it can automatically switch off over 30 streetlights in a series. The innovation extends the life of streetlamps and reduces the burden on electricity personnel. A six-month trial in ten villages found that the device reduces electricity bills by approximately 25-30%. Over 500 villages in Telangana have adopted the innovation, installed through his enterprise, Raja Innovatives. He gained recognition from Palle Srujana and Telangana State Innovation Cell. He is receiving incubation support from NIF.
Richa 2000 Pigeon peas
Rajkumar Rathod (Sehore, Madhya Pradesh)
(see HB 33(3-4):22, 2022)
While growing pigeon peas, Rajkumarbhai found an unusual plant. Among other features, its pods grew at the top in bunches. Noticing this feature, he sought to increase the pod bearing and number of branches to improve its yield. The innovator cut the top one day prior to weeding, and repeated the practice of clipping/topping twice at intervals of 45 days. A total of 12-14 branches emerged from the plant. He repeated this for three annual crop seasons, standardising the technique and multiplying seeds to a sufficient number. He has distributed Richa 2000 seeds, and taught farmers how to gain a better yield and higher profits. The innovator claims ordinary varieties lose productivity after being sown once, whereas Richa is productive for at least two years. Depending on soil fertility, it could be kept in the soil for five to ten years. One kilogram of Richa seeds suffices for an acre; the variety produces about 40-50 quintals of harvest per acre over two cropping seasons annually. The seeds have good demand, and more than 50 quintals have been sold, including to farmers and KVKs in Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu.. An NIF awardee of 2007, he has been honoured by three Presidents. While state authorities assisted him in successful PPV&FRA registration, SIDBI and GIAN have provided marketing support. He is currently testing another six differently-coloured varieties of seeds through selective cultivation in different states." |
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Honey Bee, 35(2)1-9, 2024 |
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