Creativity and innovation play a significant position in fixing challenges and enhancing lives, whether or not it’s a easy, low-technology chilly storage unit or soy wax candles held in lovely pottery jars. India’s rating within the World Innovation Index (GII) has improved constantly over time, and in 2024, it ranked thirty ninth out of 133 economies.
Right here we describe 4 fascinating progressive ventures from Northeast India, identified for its wealthy biodiversity and tradition. They vary from the straightforward to the subtle.
These ventures are featured within the guide ‘Folks’s Pageant of Improvements – 2023’. The pageant was collectively organised by GIAN (Grassroots Improvements Augmentation Community), Ahmedabad, based by Prof Anil Gupta, and C-CAMP (Centre for Mobile and Molecular Platforms).
1. Scented soy wax candles in Longpi jars
The traditional craft of Longpi black pottery has been given a contemporary twist by the Manipur-based enterprise ‘October Pumpkin,’ which makes use of these handcrafted jars for scented soy wax candles. Soy wax, a renewable and biodegradable plant-based product, stands out for its eco-friendly properties, in contrast to paraffin wax, which emits dangerous toxins.
The enterprise has been chosen by BITS Pilani for Rs 15 lakh funding underneath the ‘Womenpreneur for Bharat 2.0 program’.
“Longpi pottery is a standard craft practised by the Tangkhul tribal group in Manipur’s Ukhrul district,” shares Rinchon Kashung, co-founder of October Pumpkin. “It’s comprised of a novel paste of floor serpentine stone and brown clay, each discovered solely on this area. The pots are crafted by hand, sun-dried, after which fired. They’re polished with pine leaves to realize their distinctive sheen. Not like different pottery, this course of doesn’t use a wheel, making it extremely labour-intensive.”
Rinchon and her husband, Aleks Vashum, based October Pumpkin in 2019.
“We have now offered over 7,500 items throughout India,” says Rinchon, a first-generation entrepreneur from the Tangkhul tribe. “I’ve realized the artwork of pottery-making myself. Every Longpi jar takes a couple of week to craft, with spherical and cylindrical shapes being the preferred for candles.”
Her mission goes past promoting merchandise. “I purpose to advertise sustainability whereas creating employment alternatives for the artisans who make these jars, particularly ladies. Thus far, we’ve got impacted 300 artisans from Longpi village,” she shares.
The model title ‘October Pumpkin’ has a private contact. “I wished a reputation that felt near my coronary heart. I used to be born in October, and pumpkin occurs to be my favorite vegetable,” shares Rinchon with amusing.
Soy wax candles burn 50 % slower than paraffin wax candles, making them less expensive regardless of being barely pricier. The soy wax used is sourced from Gujarat, the place purified soybean oil undergoes hydrogenation — a course of that introduces hydrogen to transform the liquid oil into stable wax.
“Many candles within the Indian market endure from ‘candle tunnelling,’ the place the wax burns inconsistently, leaving a round pit across the wick,” she explains. “Our candles are totally examined to stop this situation, and we additionally educate prospects on correct burning strategies.”
“All our scents are crafted utilizing perfume oils which can be rigorously examined and sourced from corporations dedicated to utilizing non-toxic chemical substances,” she provides. “These oils are blended into the wax at a exact temperature. Every scent is designed to evoke particular feelings and experiences. As an illustration, a few of our fashionable ones embrace ‘Forest,’ ‘Stroll Across the Bakery,’ and ‘Within the Library.’” She provides with a smile, “‘Within the Library’ even captures the nostalgic scent of previous books!”
The corporate has confronted challenges corresponding to courier transportation glitches and packaging points. They pack their candles in Longpi jars utilizing eco-friendly supplies like paper and cardboard containers. Massive Longpi jar candles, containing roughly 1 kg of soy wax, are priced at round Rs 3,500.
October Pumpkin has additionally participated in two pop-up stalls at Nagaland Home, New Delhi, underneath ‘Dwelling & Coronary heart’ — a collective of Northeast ladies entrepreneurs based mostly within the nationwide capital.
2. Zero-energy low-cost chilly storage items
Farmers in Meghalaya’s West Khasi Hills battle with warehousing, storage, and logistics. The shortage of inexpensive, energy-efficient storage options for vegetables and fruit usually leads to important post-harvest losses and lowered incomes.
“A small undertaking could make a giant distinction,” says Binolin Syiemlieh, centre supervisor on the Nongstoin Social Service Society (NSSS), the non-profit driving this innovation. “We have now arrange easy, small-scale, zero-energy storage items close to farmers’ fields to protect their produce. Thus far, three items have been constructed in numerous villages, every costing Rs 1.64 lakh.”
“The NSSS works for the welfare of the group in a number of areas like farming, psychological well being, and little one companies. I’m concerned in tasks for farmers. I mobilise farmers and likewise assist them entry help from authorities and personal companies,” she says.
Curiously, the concept for these storage items got here from the farmers themselves. Struggling to retailer their produce, they confronted losses even earlier than reaching the markets, compounded by low costs. Whereas the undertaking started in 2019, its progress was delayed as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
NSSS oversees the development of those items by hiring contractors, utilizing domestically out there supplies like burned bricks, river sand, bamboo poles, CGI sheets, iron nails, cement, and pebbles. Every unit can retailer as much as a tonne of produce, preserving it for one to 4 weeks. Remarkably, the items are fast to assemble — taking only a day or two — and require no upkeep. Farmers can use them freed from cost.
“We fill the hole between two layers of the construction with river sand and pebbles. This sand is watered twice a day. This retains the produce cool. Every unit advantages over 120 farmers,” says Binolin.
These chilly storage items, although rooted in scientific ideas, contain no elaborate know-how. They’re managed by the Village Government Committee (VEC), guaranteeing equitable entry for all villagers whereas maintaining produce clear and contemporary.
The undertaking is funded by the Meghalaya Basin Administration Company (MBMA), a not-for-profit organisation dealing with externally aided authorities tasks. “This initiative is supported by the World Financial institution underneath an innovation fund that helps enhance or scale up options. It’s a part of the Neighborhood-Led Panorama Administration Mission, which focuses on addressing pure useful resource administration points,” says Wankit Swer, basic supervisor at MBMA.
“Our farmers are smallholders with restricted manufacturing. After assembly their very own wants, the surplus is offered. With out correct storage, they usually resort to misery gross sales of perishable gadgets. These chilly storage items forestall such gross sales and supply a greater answer,” he explains.
3. Anti-microbial cloth comprised of banana fibre
Nagaland-based enterprise Hengna & Maben Non-public Restricted is making outstanding progress in harnessing banana fibre. “Our banana fibre undertaking is a part of the ‘Runway India’ division of our firm,” says Main Tanay Maben, co-founder of the enterprise. “We’re presently within the analysis and growth (R&D) part, engaged on producing cloth from banana fibre, which boasts anti-microbial properties.”
The anti-microbial properties of banana fibre, derived from pure compounds within the plant, create a protecting defend on the material, inhibiting the expansion of micro organism and fungi. This cloth is predicted for use in medical textiles, and efforts are underway to combine extra useful properties, corresponding to water resistance.
Banana fibre can be an eco-friendly different to polymer-based materials, as it’s biodegradable. Furthermore, banana crops require minimal water and chemical inputs, together with pesticides and fertilisers, making them a sustainable possibility in comparison with water-intensive cotton, explains Main Tanay.
At the moment, the corporate produces handicrafts and packaging supplies utilizing banana fibre. With the aim of building banana fibre as a signature product of Nagaland, it has educated 700 artisans throughout Nagaland and different Northeast Indian states to create handmade gadgets from the fibre.
The founder, Nengneithem Hengna, who brings 13 years of expertise within the handicrafts sector, started working with banana fibre in 2019. She experimented with totally different grades of fibre, braiding strategies, and stitching strategies. She met Main Maben throughout COVID aid efforts, and so they found shared objectives. This collaboration led to the official incorporation of the corporate in 2021.
“Banana is a zero-waste money crop which yields a wide range of merchandise and by-products inside a 12 months of planting. It grows properly in gently sloping terrain and is low-maintenance. Additionally, banana fibre is a really versatile fibre,” says Main Tanay. “The coarser kind can be utilized to make coasters whereas the fragile selection can be utilized to craft jewelry and hair extensions.”
The banana ‘pseudostem’ is handed by rollers (like within the case of sugarcane) and the mulch is extracted. What stays is the fibre, which is washed, dried, segregated, combed (to get varied grades) and graded, he explains.
Among the merchandise made and offered by the corporate utilizing banana fibre and bark are vases, planters, jewelry, luggage, clutches, coasters, desk mats, wall hangings, lanterns and baskets. The costs of those merchandise vary from Rs 300 to Rs 10,000, says Nengneithem.
“We have now two items in Dimapur and Athibung, using over 30 artisans. We offer banana fibre and bark as eco-friendly fillers for packaging. We additionally use these supplies to package deal our personal handicrafts,” she shares. “As soon as the product is delivered, prospects can repurpose the fibre from the packaging of their gardens, because it supplies worthwhile vitamins for crops.”
Runway India has additionally explored creating paper from banana stem mulch. This paper is used for wrapping handicrafts, in addition to in crafting greeting playing cards and flower bouquets.
Coaching and capability constructing are central to the corporate’s mission. The enterprise has partnered with Assam Rifles to offer coaching to ladies in areas affected by poverty and insurgency. Moreover, it conducts workshops in colleges as a part of the Nationwide Training Coverage (2020) ability growth module.
4. Mild, sturdy bamboo composite boats
Nation boats are vulnerable to leaks and instability, resulting in a number of deadly accidents annually. Whereas fibre-glass boats are a typical different, they’re neither biodegradable nor recyclable, usually ending up in rivers and inflicting important environmental hurt.
In response, Ravi J Deka based Akvotransiro Tech Pvt Ltd in Assam in 2020. His startup goals to revolutionise inland water transport by creating safer, eco-friendly bamboo composite boats, providing sustainable water mobility options.
“The innovation took over two years to materialise. Our boats are made from 85 % bamboo, 10 % polymers, and 5 % fibre-glass. The primary benefit of bamboo composite boats is their sustainability. Bamboo is six instances extra sustainable than hardwood — it’s fast-growing, plentiful, and extremely robust,” says Ravi.
“Bamboo composite boards are light-weight, cost-effective, and biodegradable, with an anticipated lifespan of 10 to fifteen years. Their compressive energy and suppleness additionally present higher shock absorption in comparison with boats comprised of different supplies,” he provides.
Not like conventional wood boats, which require bushes to be felled, bamboo boats depart no such ecological footprint. Bamboo composite boats even have the bottom carbon footprint of any boat-making course of, claims Deka.
“Our bamboo composite boats are 20 to 30 % costlier than conventional wood boats. For instance, a wood canoe for 4 folks prices Rs 60,000, whereas our boats vary from Rs 90,000 for a four-person canoe to as much as Rs 8 lakh for a trimaran. Nevertheless, our boats are half the worth of fibre-glass boats,” he provides.
The method of creating the boats is labour-intensive. The core materials consists of compressed bamboo mat boards, created by urgent layers of woven bamboo mats collectively, that are then joined to kind the boats. Ravi has additionally innovated to strengthen these boards and make them waterproof.
The boats are 40 to 60 % lighter than their fibre-glass or wood counterparts. With bamboo boats, you may obtain good speeds utilizing much less energy, making them extra environment friendly and decreasing working prices, he additional explains.
The corporate was incubated at IIT Guwahati and has developed prototypes of six several types of bamboo composite boats, with patents pending. The smallest boat is a three-person canoe, whereas the corporate additionally manufactures canoes with outriggers — constructions that improve stability and enhance manoeuvrability. The most important mannequin is a trimaran, able to carrying 18 passengers and two crew members.
“There are lots of potential functions for bamboo composite boats,” continues Ravi. “They will function rescue boats throughout floods, transporting folks and aid supplies, notably ingesting water. They are perfect for forest patrolling in shallow waters and marshlands, as they don’t get caught within the mud. They provide an inexpensive possibility for fishermen and may perform as small ferries or water taxis. Moreover, they may play a task within the eco-tourism sector,” he elaborates.
Whereas industrial manufacturing has but to start, the corporate has acquired inquiries from overseas, he shares.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
