The Innovators
Driven by out-of-the-box ideas, these creative entrepreneurs have come up with futuristic projects in the fields of science, technology and fashion
ROSHAN SHRINIVAS CHUMBALKAR
19, First-year student, RMD Sinhgad School of Engineering, Pune
Designed a prototype of a solar-powered bicycle
Roshan Shrinivas Chumbalkar came up with the idea of designing a solar-powered bicycle while he was on a break after his Class 10 exams. “It has always been my dream to build something using solar energy. As time went by, I was inspired to build a solar-powered bicycle that could change the way people commute short distances,” he says. After joining RMD Singhad School of Engineering, he had a better understanding of how solar energy works, which helped him to develop the bicycle. The cycle which he uses to travel to nearby places weighs 14 kg along with two solar panels fixed at the rear-end. “The bicycle gets charged with the help of solar panels fitted on the it and it can ride up to an infinite distance at the speed of 30 km per hour. At night or during cloudy days, it can go up to 30 km with a back-up battery,” says Chumbalkar, a mechanical engineer student. “Apart from the solar source, the bicycle also has an option to peddle when the battery is low—a major hindrance in using electric bicycles,” he adds. The prototype of cycle has been appreciated by the Design Innovation Centre (DIC) of Savitribai Phule Pune University and the institute is working towards commercialisation of the design and further manufacturing. “I have designed it to make it available for daily wage workers who have to use cycle to work and back home,” he says.
ANSHUMAN PANDEY, 22 and ADITTHYA RAMAKRISHNAN, 22 Alumni, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai Started Next Tech Lab
During their internship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the MIT Media Lab, US, Anshuman Pandey and Aditthya Ramakrishnan got intrigued by the anti-disciplinary nature of research culture followed there. Inspired by Ghananian diplomat Kofi Annan’s hope for a reverse brain drain, a couple of months later, we penned down the initial concept of Next Tech Lab for the Indian academic environment. Firstof-its-kind, it is a student-run, multi-disciplinary lab housed at SRM Institute of Science and Technology. Members of the lab work on projects spanning from machine learning, artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, cryptocurrency and Internet of Things (IoT).
SIDHANT MINOCHA 28, Alumnus, Pearl Academy, Noida Started Sedhantik, Ethical lifestyle brand
Coming from a family of textile traders, Sidhant Minocha’s knowledge of fabrics began right at home. “I made my first sketch when I was in Class 3,” he says. Turning his childhood pastime into a career, he launched his own self-funded brand, Sedhantik. The idea for an ethical lifestyle brand came to him during his research trip from college to Paithan and Yeola villages in Maharashtra. He works with indigenous craftspeople from different parts of India who micromanage respective craft clusters and develop products for his brand. Minocha is inclined towards the Art Deco style and weaves them into his scarves, pocket squares and shawls. Aiming to hit the racks of bigger luxury stores by creating products which are modern in terms of aesthetics and indigenous in terms of techniques, he says that creativity is one of the pre-requisites for designers, especially at the time of conceptualisation.