Published by Jaico Publishing House
A-2 Jash Chambers, 7-A Sir Phirozshah Mehta Road
Fort, Mumbai 400 001
www.jaicobooks.com
Akshat Agrawal
INDIAN INNOVATORS
ISBN 978-81-8495-659-7
First Jaico Impression: 2015
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Dedicated to my teacher, Shri Vineet Swarankar, without whom I could not have achieved what I did
Gurur Brahmaa Gurur Vishnu
Gurur Devo Maheshwarah
Guru Saakshaata Parabrahma
Tasmai Shri Guruve Namah
Acknowledgements
This book would not have been possible without the cooperation of all those who have been featured herein. Each one of them showed great support and encouragement for the idea and generously gave their time for the interviews, despite busy schedules. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for honestly sharing their stories with me.
I especially thank Mrinmayee Bhushan for penning a section on the patenting process, which can be of immense use to budding innovators.
Personally, it has been a very rewarding journey for me, because I learned something from each person I interviewed for the book.
I also thank my friends Ankit Mittal and Himanshu Gupta for their valuable feedback and my publishers for putting their faith in me.
Last, but not the least, I thank my parents, who have supported me through thick and thin. Their unquestioning support has been my pillar of strength.
CONTENTS
1. Anirudh Sharma Haptic Shoe for the Visually Impaired
2. Hemanth Satyanarayana Augmented Reality-based Virtual Trial Rooms
3. Mrinmayee Bhushan Nanotechnology-based Herbal Hair Removal Crme
4. Shyam Vasudev Rao Preventive Eye Care Device
5. Mansukhbhai Prajapati MittiCool Refrigerator
6. Nelvin Joseph Artificial Intelligence-based Power Saver
7. Nitin Joshi Non-intravenous Chemotherapy
8. Prateek Bumb and Aniruddha Sharma CO Removal Technology
9. Priyanka Sharma Ultra Low-Cost Immuno-sensor Biochip for Detecting Environmental Pollutants
10. Sachidanand Swami Interactive Touch Surfaces
11. Sriram Kannan Location Tracking without GPS
12. Abhijeet Joshi -Implantable Biosensor for Diabetes Monitoring
13. Ganesh and Pragyanandesh VORWIS
14. KK Plastic Waste Management Road Construction Using Plastic Waste
15. Team Papyrus Efficiencia Environment-Friendly Paper
16. Science for Society CareMother Testing Kit and Digital Platform for Providing Pregnancy Care
17. Chinmay Deodhar Dual-Purpose Laparoscopic Surgery Instrument
18. Arunachalam Muruganantham Low-Cost Sanitary Pad Making Machine
19. Innoz Offline Internet on Mobile Phones
20. IdeaForge Netra UAV
Appendix l: Patent and Prosper
Introduction
A discussion with an acquaintance in the US veered toward Indian engineers. My acquaintance stated that he respected Indian engineers, but didnt believe that any significant product-oriented research was taking place in India. There were no path-breaking, scalable products with global appeal coming out of the country, he said.
Over a period of time, I have realized that he is not alone in that belief. Many others are also skeptical about Indias position on the innovation map of the world.
Undoubtedly, India lags behind several Western countries in innovation. According to the Global Innovation Index 2012, prepared by INSEAD in association with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), India was ranked 64 among 141 nations surveyed. However, there is a growing tribe of men and women in the country who are devoted to product-oriented research with exemplary success.
In the process, they are also shattering the stereotypical image of Indian innovation, that of jugaad, that is, modifying or adapting Western technology to meet the demands of the price-sensitive local market.
Economic growth in a country usually leads to growth in innovation, as there is greater demand for better products and also greater competition to supply those products. As more players try to benefit from the existing opportunity, they are compelled to innovate in order to differentiate their products from those of their competitors.
Thus, economic growth leads to innovation and innovation, in turn, leads to further economic growth.
Unfortunately, our society does not encourage creative thinking to the same extent as in the West. Choosing an unconventional path is less likely to be appreciated. This attitude inhibits the process of innovation in our country.
In order to foster an environment for innovation, it is extremely important to highlight the success stories of innovators. This would help them garner much-needed attention and appreciation and also motivate the next generation to follow in their footsteps.
This book is a small effort in that direction. It chronicles the journey of a few innovators who toiled hard to make great products from scratch, despite facing greater challenges as compared to their western counterparts. This book is a celebration of their indomitable spirit.
The men and women featured in this book are from various parts of the country, belong to different age groups, have different educational backgrounds from PhD degrees to little formal education, and have worked in a variety of research areas. What unites them is their passion for what they are doing and their undying faith in their idea, despite numerous challenges. They represent a facet of new India the India that refuses to accept defeat and is hell-bent on proving its potential.
Their stories also provide useful insights into the process of innovation the challenges involved and the institutional support available in the country.
This book is a salute to the spirit and willpower of these innovators, and it will surely bring about a change in the innovation landscape in India.
People who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do."
Steve Jobs
Haptic Shoe for the Visually Impaired
When one thinks of an innovator, the image that comes to mind is of a dedicated, academically inclined person, following a planned path with clear goals. Nothing could be further from that image than Anirudh, with his boyish looks, cool hairstyle and flashy goatee, ready to venture into the unknown with fervent optimism and addictive zeal.
Anirudh was born into a middle-class family in Delhi. His father, a farmers son, had migrated to Delhi from rural Rajasthan to obtain tertiary education. He was the first in his family to do so, and went on to become a professor at Delhi University. He has always been a strong influence in Anirudhs life.
Anirudh admits that he was a troublemaker since early childhood and always had an insatiable urge to know more about everything around him. He would often dismantle a working radio to find out who really made that noise? and earn the ire of his parents. He once used his compass to dissect a cockroach, because he wanted to see what a cockroachs stomach looked like and then terrorized his friends with the same. He was blessed with a creative mind, but would rather use it to plan the next big toilet bombing than toward cracking the next big exam. As can easily be guessed, this did not earn him any kudos from the teachers or the principal at school. Parent-teacher meetings were probably the toughest part of his school life, with an average report card and an above-average list of pranks to discuss.
