The Story of Mansukh Prajapati and the MittiCool Fridge
For Mansukh Prajapati, growing up in the western Indian city of Morbi meant rising before dawn for a nearly ten-kilometer walk to gather clay for his family's pottery business.
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| Affordable Innovation: Indian Start-ups Creating Practical Solutions at Low Cost |
"My father was a potter," he recollects.
He often awoke to the rhythmic sound of his father working at the potter's wheel. "My mother and I would get up at four in the morning and walk for miles every day to collect clay."
In the 1970s, clay pots used for storing water were a common fixture in Indian homes. However, the income derived from making pots was meager, and the profession also carried a social stigma.
"Nobody wanted to marry their daughter into a potter's family," Mr. Prajapati explains. "They feared she would be burdened with relentless labor."
At the age of thirty-one, a natural disaster proved to be a turning point for Mr. Prajapati. The devastating earthquake that struck Gujarat in 2001 destroyed his family home and left a heap of broken clay pots scattered in the courtyard.
Mr. Prajapati quotes a local reporter who wrote that "the poor people's fridge is broken."
"Clay pots keep water cool during the summer, so they function just like a fridge," Mr. Prajapati says. "That thought stuck with me. So, I decided to construct a fridge out of clay that requires no electricity."
Without formal training, Mr. Prajapati started experimenting with designs and materials.
"I initially tried to replicate the design of modern fridges, but nothing was successful," he states. "At one point, I had accumulated $22,000 (£17,000) in loans and was forced to sell my house and small workshop. But I was determined to keep going."
It took four years of diligent effort and refinement to develop a functional design – a compact clay cabinet featuring a water tank on top and storage shelves below. The cooling mechanism relies on water slowly permeating through the cabinet's porous clay walls, naturally lowering the internal temperature through evaporation.
Mr. Prajapati asserts that it can preserve fruits and vegetables for at least five days, entirely without electricity.
He named his invention "MittiCool," combining the Hindi word for clay ("Mitti") with "Cool." Priced affordably at $95, it is now distributed through 300 stores across India and exported to countries including the UK, Kenya, and the UAE.
"Refrigerators are a distant dream for many low-income families," Mr. Prajapati reflects. "And such aspirations should be within reach."
"Frugal Innovations": Practical Solutions Driven by Necessity
Mr. Prajapati's invention is indicative of a burgeoning wave of grassroots entrepreneurship in India, often spurred by necessity.
Professor Anil Gupta, who heads the Honeybee Network – a platform dedicated to supporting such ventures – characterizes these as "frugal innovations."
"It's fundamentally a mindset," says Prof. Gupta.
"Frugal innovation is about making solutions affordable, accessible, and readily available. Many of these innovators may lack formal education, yet they are effectively solving real-world problems."
Quantifying the number of such businesses is challenging, as no in-depth study has been conducted.
Prof. Gupta emphasizes that these start-ups are crucial because they generate employment in rural regions and initiate a cycle of positive economic change.
For instance, Mr. Prajapati now employs 150 individuals in his workshop and has diversified into cookware, clay water filters, and is even experimenting with clay-based housing structures.
Bijayshanti Tongbram's Innovation from Lotus Stems
In a similar vein, another start-up with ambitions for broader impact is led by Bijayshanti Tongbram in the northeastern state of Manipur.
She resides in Thanga village, situated near Loktak lake, one of India's largest freshwater lakes, where lotus flowers flourish abundantly.
"People in my village utilize the petals of lotus flowers for religious offerings," she explains. "But their stems often go to waste, and I wanted to change that and create something sustainable."
As a botanist by profession, Ms. Tongbram devised a method to extract silk-like fibers from lotus stems. She now oversees a team of 30 women in her village who spin these fibers into yarn and weave them into distinctive scarves and garments.
"Producing one scarf takes two months and requires around 9,000 lotus stems," she notes.
Ms. Tongbram provides the women with a monthly payment of $80.
"This is more than just fashion," she comments. "I am providing the women in my village with an alternative to fishing and enabling them to earn income."
Like many small business owners, she aims to expand her operations and explore new markets, potentially internationally. However, she faces a significant hurdle: "Funding is the most substantial challenge," she states.
Funding Challenges
Professor Gupta from the Honeybee Network agrees on this point.
He clarifies: "While government schemes and small grants are available, rural entrepreneurs often lack the knowledge or resources to effectively access them."
He added: "Even venture capitalists, who typically focus on IT innovations, seldom invest in these types of start-ups due to the higher transaction costs involved."
Girish Badragond's Device for Visually Impaired Farmers
Nevertheless, the spirit of innovation persists. In Vijaynagar, Karnataka, Girish Badragond is developing a device intended to assist blind and partially sighted farmers.
His invention, described as a "smart farming stick," employs soil sensors and weather data to provide users with guidance on crop conditions and harvesting through audio messages and tactile vibrations.
"There are many visually impaired individuals in India who wish to farm but cannot rely on others for guidance," Mr. Badragond explains. "This device will help them achieve independence and empower them."
He has sourced the necessary mechanical components from various suppliers and is hopeful of gaining support to commercialize his project soon. For now, he is presenting his prototype at government exhibitions.
"It's currently just a prototype," he says, "but I am optimistic that people will support my efforts to make a difference in the lives of others."
