The Young Rural Entrepreneur Who Is Helping Hundreds Of Farmers With His Low-Cost Innovations

The real heroes live among us, but they often go unnoticed till their efforts are finally recognized. They don’t make a fuss about how difficult life is, rather they find solutions to those same problems that are driving everybody crazy. They don’t look for excuses behind a failiure, rather they work extra hard to make sure they overcome the challenges.

Santosh Kaveri from Belgaum (Karnataka) is one such hero. He would walk 10 kms every day to attend school. The weak economical condition of the family did not stop him from dreaming big and making a difference. He started working at the farm at a very young age but made sure that his studies weren’t affected. He would get up early to work at the farm before attending the classes and managed to get himself into college.

Always wanting to be an entrepreneur, Kaveri enrolled himself for LEAD programme at Deshpande Foundation to bring his ideas to shape.

“I always believe that problems give me an opportunity to innovate and help others,” says Kaveri. He had an agricultural background and always noticed various problems which the farmers faced from the grassroot level, thinking of ways to help them through his innovations.

Brake System For Bullock Cart

Even today, many farmers use Bullock cart to transport goods from one place to another. Most of these carts do not have a proper braking system and are mostly stopped manually, which is painful for both the ox and the laborer. Previously, the carts were controlled by using a rope which was inserted in the nose of the bull and it was very painful to the animal.

Kaveri came up with a simple innovation to control the cart without harming the bulls. The brake liner is attached to the thread which is controlled by the driver. The brakes are in driver’s hands and work in a similar fashion to those on a bike.  The driver can control the brakes even by sitting at a height of 5 feet. This system comes in handy at the time of loading, riding on steep slopes, going uphill and turning at a short radius.

See how it works-

Carrot Cleaning Machine

Ever since he was a child, Kaveri saw the struggles the farmers had to face to clean the carrots and make them look appealing to the customers. Cleaning one quintal of carrots required the efforts of 12 people. “I started thinking about the problem and then we noticed a washing machine and thought that the same concept can be applied to develop a carrot cleaning machine too,” Kaveri says.

Kaveri had no experience in engineering but had a strong determination to innovate the machine. After 11 failed attempts, he finally managed to develop a Carrot Cleaning machine which could clean one quintal of carrots in just 15 minutes with the help of only two people, which is far less effort required than the manual cleaning process.

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The machine runs without electricity and requires very less water.  The cost of the machine depends on the capacity. One quintal capacity machine costs around Rs.6,000-Rs.7,000. The machine is now helping hundreds of farmers across 10 villages.

“This innovation has changed my life. Earlier I was just Santosh, now many people know me,” he says.

Hot water without geyser

Another of Kaveri’s inventions helps us save the amount of gas we consume for our everyday needs. The Eco Hot Water Coil, is a stovetop which performs two functions at a time. It boils water for cooking and simultaneously collects it for bathing. The device is already functional in various HOSTELS in and around Belgaum, and they claim that this machine saves them around Rs.1,000 per month. “I want to adapt this technology to domestic use,” Kaveri says.

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He was awarded “Best LEADer” by Ratan TATA in 2013.

“I have learnt a lot in this journey, the confidence that I have gained is precious. I would like to take this to the next level and develop more such machines to help people at grassroot level,” he says.

While most of us just wait for a college degree and work experience, this guy has proved himself without such luxuries. Kaveri’s story clearly teaches us a lesson. A lesson of dedication, hard work and self-belief. More such changemakers, and we will see a totally different, undiscovered side of India!

How Rickshaw-Puller Dharamveer Singh Became A Successful Entrepreneur Through #Innovation

You might have heard stories of real hard work and determination being the cornerstones of success. Here you get to meet Dharamveer Singh Kamboj, who will confirm that belief for you. Read how he went from being a rickshaw-puller in Delhi to a successful entrepreneur with turnover of Rs. 40 lakhs, through sheer brain power!

“Sangharsh hi sabse badi kaamyaabi hai. Agar badhna hai to peecche mud kar nahin dekhna hai.”

(The strength to struggle is the greatest success. There is no looking back, if you want to move ahead in life.)

This is not just some idealistic romanticisation, but a truism by which Dharamveer Singh Kamboj lives by. Born in 1963, Dharamveer is the youngest among five siblings. Always inquisitive by nature, his mother also inculcated in him a love for nature. He learnt about herbs by a holy man who visited their village, and while working as a rickshaw-puller in Delhi, where he used to ferry passengers dealing in herbs.

Genesis of the Multi-Purpose Machine

In 2004, Dharamveer got the opportunity to visit aloe vera and amla processing units in Rajasthan, along with a group of farmers, through the Department of Horticulture, Government of Haryana. He got interested in the business. However the exorbitant cost of machinery deterred him.

Instead of backing out, he decided to develop his own machine. In April 2006, Dharamveer was ready with the first prototype of the machine, which was used mainly for extraction of aloe vera juice. He further modified the machine and transformed it into a multi-purpose machine for processing several herbs and farm produce.

Multi-Purpose Processing Machine

The multi-purpose processing machine is a portable machine, which works on a single phase motor and is useful in the processing of various fruits, herbs and seeds. It has features like temperature control and condensation mechanism which helps in the extraction of essence and extracts from flowers and medicinal plants.

The machine is a cylindrical container made of food grade stainless steel having an opening (with lid) at the top to feed the herbs, and an outlet at the bottom to collect residue. It is powered by an electric motor whose power depends on the capacity of the machine. It is also equipped with an oil jacket outside the main chamber to prevent direct heating of the herbs.

This machine is unique as it has the capacity to process a wide variety of products without damaging the seed of the fruit or vegetable. It can be used for processing mango, amla, aloe vera, tulsi, aswagandha and flowers like rose, chameli, lavender.

The multi-purpose machine is available in two models with juice extraction capacity of 50 kg/hr and 150 kg/hr.

Innovation Diffusion

Dharamveer is supported by NIF-India and GIAN North for value addition and business development under the Micro Venture innovation FUND (MVIF) support. A patent application has been filed in his name for the multi-purpose machine. NIF-India has also engaged a designer to improve the usability and aesthetics of the machine.

Relying primarily on word-of-mouth, Dharamveer has sold his machine in many states of the country and also exported one to Kenya. He has given employment to over 2 dozen women in the village who engage in producing and selling processed amla and aloe vera products made by using the multi-purpose machine.

Through his sheer hard work and determination, Dharmaveer has gone from being a rickshaw-puller to a successful entrepreneur with an annual turnover of 40 lakhs. He was awarded the NIF-India Haryana State award for his innovation.

Dharamveer is one among 5 members who have been selected for the inaugural “Innovator in Residence” program of the President office launched by the Honorable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee on his birthday on December 11, 2013. He is currently staying at Rashtrapati Bhavan from July 1 to July 20, 2014 and is being mentored by the office of the President House!

Here’s a video that takes you through Dharamveer’s success story:

India’s First Children’s Hospice Is Filling The Last Days Of Terminally Ill Children With Happiness

Worldwide, around 10,000 people die every day due to lack of clean drinking water. The situation is alarming, but bio-sand filters offer a simple and affordable solution. This low cost model purifies water, is locally manufactured and can also help the local community with various livelihood options. And, all of that in just Rs.3,000! Read along to know how it is done.

Water borne diseases are the number one  cause of deaths worldwide, with WHO and CDC estimates pinning 3.5 million deaths every year to contaminated drinking water. In India alone, around 2,000 people die every day due to lack of clean drinking water, and out of these, children under the age of five are most vulnerable.

Most villagers consume unsafe drinking water on a daily basis. Some of these families opt for boiling the water prior to drinking which can be costly. Those who can afford it, buy bottled water to reduce the risks of such diseases, while economically and FINANCIALLY weaker people continue to consume impure water which eventually causes disease and death.

In dry regions like Rajasthan, we see a trail of women walking several kilometres just to get a bucket of water. And even that water is not potable by international standards. Don’t you think a necessity as basic as drinking water should be easier to avail? Isn’t clean drinking water a right, and not a privilege?

A Canadian scientist, Dr. David Manz, invented and designed an amazing tool that could solve this problem. He developed a low cost Bio-sand Water Filter that effectively removes all the dissolved particles and pathogens from the water. This slow purifying process manages to remove up to 98% of bacteria, 100% of viruses, 99% of parasites, protozoa, amoebae, and worms, 95% of heavy metals, and with a slight modification, 93% of arsenic. It manages to eliminate illnesses such as Typhoid, Cholera, Hepatitus A, Rotavirus, E-coli bacteria, and other dysentery causing organisms.

Tested and approved by various governments, healthcare institutions, and research departments, the bio-sand technology has effectively been introduced in over 66 countries. The low cost Bio-sand filter costs about Rs.3,000 and works for 30 years. It is easy to maintain and filters 84 litres of water daily, enough for 10-12 people, or 70 schoolchildren. There are no ongoing costs, no maintenance costs, and no electricity costs.

India definitely needed such a technique that could change the fate of thousands of lives in rural areas. A U.S. based couple Michael Lipman and Cathy Forsberg with Peace Corp and Rotary backgrounds started the South Asia Pure Water Initiative, Inc. (SAPWII) in Karnataka after receiving a start-up grant from a foundation in Connecticut in 2005.

When Shivani Kumar, India Country Representative of SAPWII, visited the rural areas to understand their issues, she was shocked to see the conditions that existed. She saw a pond where children were bathing and then drinking the same dirty water. In other parts of the country, she noticed people defecating in rivers and lakes, and using the same water source for drinking and cooking.

“This might be a common occurrence in villages, but it was painful for me to see and I knew I had to do something about it,” Kumar says. Having spent all her life in the U.S., Kumar was unable to accept the fact that clean drinking water was unavailable to thousands. She states, “After air, we need water. Water is Life.”

The technology was exactly what the country needed. Till date, SAPWII has distributed 12,000 filters, positively impacting 1,50,000 villagers. They run 5-day professional training programmes for NGOs and have developed a network across the country consisting of 90 NGOs in 22 states. Through the network, 25,000 filters have been distributed. “The way to spread this technology quicker and faster is through India’s NGOs. We still have a long way to go,” says Kumar.

How does it work?

The Bio-sand filter is made of locally available cement, sand and pebbles. It consists of various layers of sand and pebbles, and a 2-inch standing water layer known as the “bio-layer”. The dirty water is poured on top, and meets with the bio-layer where bacterial predation occurs. Then the water moves through the filtration sand and, because of an electrostatic charge, viruses adhere to the fine sand and are trapped within. This is known as adsorption. Furthermore, because there’s no food, no light, and no oxygen, further pathogen die-off takes place. The water then flows down into the pebbles and comes back up in an outlet tube, and is stored in a clean water container with a lid to protect it from re-contamination.

“It’s really a case of nature purifying nature. This simple, eco-friendly solution is found within nature itself. I still get amazed!” says Kumar.

To understand the technology better, take a look at this infographic-

NGOs work in different ways. Sometimes they sell the filter to an individual user who then maintains it. Sometimes a villager can receive microfinancing, while others are subsidized from their local NGO. It depends on which model works in a particular village. “The idea is to inculcate the sense of ownership amongst villagers. It should not be treated as charity. When villagers contribute even Rs. 500 towards their filter, they are more likely to value it.” Kumar says.

The challenge

“The biggest challenge has been to spread awareness among people about the importance of clean drinking water. They are accustomed to their lifestyle – even though they spend a lot of sick days, yet there’s a resistance to something new. But we are trying to change that through more awareness campaigns and with the help of media,” says Kumar. SAPWII also conducts sanitation and hygiene education since it is closely related to clean drinking water.

Another challenge of the Bio-sand filter is the heavy weight, especially in mountainous regions. However, mobile units can help address this issue. Plastic versions have their own limitations and don’t last as long, so concrete filters are still preferable.

Scaling up

SAPWII has shown a 300 percent growth this year alone, and demand for these filters is rising. They need more volunteers and training programmes to engage more people. They are also open to suitable partnerships which could help them leave a bigger impact.

“No one person or NGO can bring a change alone. We need to work collectively for the clean water cause, while keeping in mind the revival and sustenance of livelihoods of rural people”, says Kumar. SAPWII has invited professional trainers from Friendly Water for the World (FWFW) to train the NGO’s of India. They are also looking at fundraising to sustain their model.

How you can help?

“Whenever you see a need, just jump in and do it,” Kumar says. Water is a basic necessity and everyone has the right to access clean drinking water. You can help the initiative by being a part of their training programmes, donating filters to a village through their Adopt-A-Village program, or just spreading awareness about the amazing technology that can change the lives of thousands of people in the country.

“The heart and soul of India lies in its villages. Come join our cause or whatever cause touches your heart,” Kumar says. Water is a basic necessity and everyone has the right to access clean drinking water. Let’s help people exercise this right.

India’s First Children’s Hospice Is Filling The Last Days Of Terminally Ill Children With Happiness

Mansi and Abhishek started Happy Feet Home, the first hospice for children in India, a place which fills happiness in the lives of kids with terminal illnesses. “If a child has just a week left to live, we make sure that it is the happiest week of his or her life,” says the Happy Feet team. Know more about their heartwarming work.

Akash (name changed), a 16-year old boy is HIV positive with barely any chances of survival. The disease has made him weak and dull. Last time he attended school was when he was in sixth grade.

He lost both his parents some time back and started staying with his relatives. His weak health did not permit him to attend a school regularly. Waking up late in the afternoon, going out and spending time aimlessly only to return at night to sleep was what his regular day looked like. He had gone into a shell and did not interact much with anyone.

This lifestyle took a complete turn when he first went to Happy Feet Home, India’s first children’s hospice. “He now comes here at sharp 10 in the morning, talks to other children and has even invited us to his house. He has started taking responsibilities and wants to learn new things. He is more active and happier now. The huge positive change in his attitude has been a delight to watch,” says Mansi Shah, co-founder, Happy Feet Home.

There are thousands of children like Akash who suffer from terminal diseases like cancer, HIV, etc. They have little or no hope of getting cured and living a normal life. When the child and his or her entire family are grief-struck, there is a place that is filling a little happiness in their lives. This is Happy Feet Home, a place which is a fun-filled shelter to many such children who have little or no time left to live.

Started by Abhishek Tatiya and Mansi Shah, Happy Feet Home aims to provide a healthy and happy environment to children suffering from terminal diseases. As per a report by International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care, over 400,000 children in India need palliative care. Shah and Tatiya are making the bitter reality of fast approaching death a tad less sad and scary for these children by providing a space where they can come and play with other kids, have tons of  activities to keep them occupied, participate in therapy and counseling sessions to help them cope with their maladies – all this in a safe and vibrant environment, free of cost!

“Happy Feet Home is not a place for dying people. It is a place to celebrate life and fill happiness in the lives of these young ones,” says Tatiya.

The start

Shah had around nine years of experience in the social sector as she worked with various NGOs. When she was working with St. Jude India ChildCare Centre for children fighting cancer, she realized that there are hardly any places or centres for children suffering from terminal diseases in India. She then met Tatiya who had quit his job after working in the corporate sector for five years.

“We were both talking about the situation and we came up with the idea of setting up a place like this. There are many places that cater to the needs of terminally ill patients. But they accommodate both children as well as adults,” Shah says. “Children’s needs are different from adults and there was no place specifically catering to the needs of such children in India. That is when we decided that this is something we have to do,” she adds.

The uniqueness of the idea necessitated a lot of research. Both the co-founders visited many hospitals and other hospices to see how they worked and what all resources were needed. Finally, India’s first hospice for children was set up in Sion in Mumbai six months ago and started with an intake of 35 children on August 14, 2014.

Celebrating life

“The idea is to make the last days of these children as happy as possible. Even if one has just a week to live, we want to make sure that it is the happiest week of his or her life,” says Shah.

The team of five that consists of Shah and Tatiya also includes a nurse, therapists, a housekeeper and interns along with several volunteers who work with them on and off. Happy Feet Home basically focuses on five things:

Activities: Several recreational and interesting activities are planned by the team of professionals to engage the kids. Various props, toys and games are a crucial part of the activities which also help the child to mingle with other children and spend some quality time.

Therapies: Various art, dance and music therapies are an important part of this day-care hospice. These therapies impart a sense of enthusiasm among the children and make them forget their pain as they spend several hours here.

Counselling: It is one of the most crucial services provided by the Happy Feet Home team. Counselling is not restricted to kids alone but is also extended to the family and caregivers to help them cope with the situation and be strong in dealing with grief.

Respite Care – This allows a parent to take some time off and relax, knowing that their child is in safe hands and is well taken care of.

Bereavement Support – This is extended to the grieving families after the child leaves the world. It helps them to cope with the loss and move on in life

“When such news breaks, the entire family goes into a state of grief and sadness. Everyone gives up hope including doctors, the patient and the family. These children have a right to spend their last days with maximum happiness, no matter how long they are going to live,” says Tatiya.

Happy Feet Home has tied up with various experts and hospitals to provide quality psycho-social help to these children.

The duo met Dr. Mamta Manglani, Head of Paediatrics at Sion Hospital, who helped them form a partnership with the hospital. Doctors from Sion Hospital have been providing constant support to the team a space in which to operate. Another person they wish to acknowledge is Dr. Muckaden, HoD of Palliative Care Department at Tata Memorial Hospital, who has been providing excellent guidance as the Happy Feet Home team keeps going back to her with all their queries.

Happy Feet Home has managed to spread happiness in the lives of around 85 children so far and they aim to reach out to many more in the future.

“We have children as young as 2 to 4 years old. While they cry and feel restless in hospitals, there are smiles and laughter on their faces as soon as they enter Happy Feet Home. This validation of the change in attitude of these kids is something which keeps us going,” says the duo.

Like any startup, Happy Feet Home too saw its share of challenges. With lack of FUNDS to the uniqueness of the idea that posed several hurdles, the team had to struggle to build everything from scratch.

“We were working with children who were not motivated at all. They had no reason to smile. So, it was important for us to get staff who can manage to remain charged and enthusiastic at all times,” says Tatiya.

The Simple #Innovation That Is Changing The Lives Of Coconut Tree Climbers

Appachan was a school dropout but had a great ability to innovate things that could be used in day to day life. He saw the struggles faced by tree climbers, especially when it came to climbing the tall coconut or areca nut trees. He decided to solve this problem by inventing a simple and innovative tree climber that makes the task of climbing a cake walk

Here is Appacchan’s story and how he invented this

Kerala, which literally means land of the coconut palm, is synonymous with breathtaking back waters and coconut trees . Traditionally professional climbers (thandan) have been engaged by coconut planters for plucking the fruits from the top of the coconut trees.  But with time, the art of tree climbing has lost its lustre and it is now quite difficult to find such professional climbers. Late Mr. M. J. Joseph foresaw this problem and developed an innovative tree climber that makes life easier for the person.

M. J. Joseph, also known as Appachan, was a school dropout but he had an innate ability to be conscious of his surroundings and learn from the environment. He made some other innovative products like the instrument that could squeeze coconut milk and juice from fruits.  But his most popular innovation is the tree climber.

Mr. Joseph developed this device under the guidance of his father. This tree climber helps in climbing tall trees like coconut or areca nut trees.

The Device

The palm climber consists of two metal loops that are meant for holding the legs. They have a handle at the top for hand grip and a pedal base at the bottom. The loops are put around the tree trunk on the opposite sides. The loop on either side is lifted up by the simultaneous movement of the hand and feet. By such alternate motion, one can easily climb a coconut tree in minutes.

This simple and easy-to-use device to climb up or down coconut palm, arecanut or other similar trees is handy for people untrained to climb up such tall trees, enabling to do accomplish the task swiftly and with ease. It can be very useful for even trained people. They can reduce drudgery, and climb faster using less energy. It can be used for gathering nuts or spraying pesticides. It can also be used to climb electric poles with some modifications.

Industry Collaboration

Appachan and his tree climber bagged a prize in the farm implements category in the Second National Grassroots Technological Innovation and Traditional Knowledge Competition, organized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF-India) in the year 2001-2002. Villagers then started calling him ‘the local Spiderman’.

The utility of this device attracted Kevin Davies, a distributor of new products in USA, to place an initial order of 25 units. “The device worked perfectly. I climbed a 40-feet coconut tree very quickly and safely. I am impressed”, he wrote with satisfaction. He in fact, offered to be its distributor for North and South America.

Coupled with some basic safety devices like a harness, this device makes climbing up a straight-trunk tree or a pole quick, easy and safe. The device, with no sophisticated technology, has not only been well accepted in US, but also achieved a whopping success back home. Appachan had a workshop, St Mary’s Engineering Works, where he used to manufacture tree climbers. While he was alive, NIF-India facilitated sale of his climber to customers in USA, Maldives, Thailand, Australia, Brazil, Mexico etc., and is still trying to help his family expand the business.

Inspiration to Innovators

Appachan’s contribution is not only in inventing this particular tree climber but also in inspiring a whole lot of people to improvise, innovate and come up with their own versions of the same. Prominent among them are innovators Mushtaq Ahmad Dar of Jammu and Kashmir, who has developed a smaller pole-cum-tree-climber and DN Venkat of Tamil Nadu, who has developed a seating type tree climber.

He Designed A Shoe For The Visually Impaired That Vibrates To Show Them The Right Path

Around 300 million people in the world are visually impaired and face difficulties every day in activities as basic as walking. Anirudh Sharma and Krispian Lawrence came up with an interesting idea to simplify the lives of visually impaired people. Read their journey of change and how they designed a special haptic shoe line that helps the blind navigate easily.

Imagine a scenario where you have an important interview but you are late. You get ready in a hurry and run to the bus stop, finally catch the bus and manage to reach the office just in time. There is nothing unusual about this scenario, right? Now, imagine the same scenario through a blind person’s perspective. If they happen to be running late one day, there is very small possibility that they would be able to make it to the bus stand or reach office on time.

There are many such small incidents in our everyday life that we might not even notice, but each day there are so many obstacles and little things a blind person has to worry about. Anirudh Sharma decided to do his bit to simplify their lives through his shoe line “Le Chal”.

Sharma along with his friend Krispian Lawrence has designed a shoe that can assist the visually impaired in navigating easily from one place to another. The shoe can be connected to the user’s smartphone through Bluetooth and vibrates according to the directions to the destination.

“I wondered about the daily tribulations of the visually impaired people and thought how difficult it must be for them to do things as basic as walking. That is when I decided to come back to India and launch Le Chal,” says Sharma, who  was a Research Assistant at the Fluid Interfaces Group at MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The Genesis

This Delhi boy never befriended books. It was machines that attracted him and held his attention. As a result, regular bad grades in engineering college made him think harder about the work he wanted to do.

“I was never a ‘book person’. I would open any machine and experiment with it. My attendance in classes was very poor and I almost failed in a few major subjects. But, I knew this was not something that mattered. If I wanted to make it big and bring a change, I had to follow my passion, which was working with machines,” Sharma says.

Sharma’s various projects at college level won him and his team several awards, which gave a boost to his confidence. In one of the tech fests, he was recognized by the head of HP labs in Bangalore. He offered Sharma an internship, which he grabbed with both hands, and left his engineering degree in the middle.

But again, he wasn’t satisfied with just that. He wanted to invent more, experiment more and do more with technology. Fascinated with experimentation, one night he installed a vibrator in a friend’s shoe just out of curiosity and this was the seed that grew into “Le Chal”.

He designed a prototype and went to Hyderabad to set up his own company with a friend. “Le Chal” received instant attention and he was invited by someone from MIT to pursue a course there.

“I was lucky enough to get a seat at MIT in spite of not having a degree. It was my passion that led me here,” he says. After finishing his studies at MIT and working there for a year, he returned to India to give shape to his brainchild “Le Chal” which was officially launched in 2014 and now the shoe line is up for sale.

How does it work?

The haptic shoes for assisting the blind in mobility won him the MIT Tech Review TR35 ‘Innovator of the Year’ award.  The shoes contain an electronic module that includes a vibrating unit, a chip and a removable and rechargeable battery.

The shoes will lead the user to the desired destination by notifying him or her about the turns. A left or right turn would be indicated by a vibration on that particular side of the shoe. The shoes are designed to be used alongside a cane as they do not notify about every obstacle. This is because it would become very frustrating and disorienting for the user to be notified for each obstruction, as the roads in India tend to have many obstacles on the way. The vibration will only guide on the turns and show the route to the destination.

The interesting design of the shoes is a plus point which is attracting a lot of non-blind customers as well. The Le Chal team has also designed Polyurethane insoles which can be used in any pair of shoes, as fitness trackers to record the number of steps taken and calories burnt.

The shoes are currently available in the price range of $100 and can be ordered from their website. “I am a believer of technology and I would like to put this technique out in the open for other people to use and replicate,” Sharma says.

The Future

Sharma’s focus is now on expanding the initiative and creating a good MARKET for the product. He is also leading the MIT Global Startup Labs India initiative to bring young innovators together.

“I like making things and working on the future of existing simple tools that we have today. There are so many talents in our country, I would like to give them a platform to explore, innovate and invent,” he says.

Sharma is also working on a project to develop ink out of pollution. Watch this video to understand his ideas better-

From an “incomplete engineer” to an innovator and INK fellow, Anirudh Sharma sets an example of how passion can take you places. If you actually believe in something, things like MONEY and a professional degree don’t really matter.