Teenage techie with no degree becomes homebred inventor
BHOPAL: He does not have an engineering degree, and isn’t even qualified for admission into a regular technical college. And yet, at the age of 19, he is already an “engineer for the poor”.
Meet Ayush Semele, a resident of Prithvipur in Bundelkhand who makes a great argument in favour of those who believe that formal education isn’t the only road to success. He indigenously develops all electronic items for daily use – from induction cookers to refrigerators and bladeless fans – and even tutors people on manufacturing them at low prices.
Today, the teenager has a huge fan following on the social media, especially YouTube. The money earned through his social media presence is put into developing more electronic equipment, which is then given to the needy for free.
However, Ayush’s life was not always a success story. Though he had a passion for making electronic gadgets, poor grades in school invited discouragement from his folks. In 2012, when he was 14, constant criticism spurred him to slash his wrists . A year later, he ran away from home for nearly a week to escape the taunts.
“I always wanted to become a scientist, but our education system only teaches us theoretical subjects,” says Ayush. “Whenever I sought practical lessons, I was thrown out of my class. I was criticised for asking questions. No one even tried to understand me.”
However, after the initial setbacks, the home-bred inventor decided to pursue his dreams. He started off by making small toys and electronic items with discarded items, and they were both durable and cheap.
“Ayush is a truly talented boy, and has always amazed me with his knowledge of electronics. His career took off once he launched Sdik Rof – YouTube channel for kids ,” his brother Sourabh said. Ayush’s luck took a turn for the better as more and more people started visiting his page to check his products. Today, Ayush boasts of over 1.40 lakh subscribers, and his videos on making hair dryers and water heaters have scored as many as 25 lakh hits. He has developed around 72 electrical products in the past two years.