WHEN POLLUTANTS TURN TO INK
They are in their early- to- mid- 20s and call themselves a team of skilled engineers and innovators. Their business is to ensure that businesses meet regulatory standards on pollution. In the process, their start-up has developed a device that converts soot, especially the kind spewed by diesel generators or engines, to ink. New Delhi- based Chakr Innovation is led by Kushagra Srivastava, the 21-year-old Chief Executive; Arpit Dupar, the 24- year- old Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer Prateek Sachan, who is 22. After spending around 30 months in research and development, they hit the ground running, launching the company and installing the ‘soot-catcher’ device for the first time at the Dharampal Satyapal Group in April 2016.
“We are also working with central and state pollution control boards for improving air quality,” says Srivastava. Other customers include telecom companies such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and American Tower Corporation, all of whom largely depend on diesel generators for running their mobile towers. Chakr now caters to nine companies and is expecting to earn over `2 crore in revenues in the current financial year (2017/18).
According to Srivastava, the start-up has already chalked out its goal for the next three years. It wants to play a significant role in reducing pollution in Delhi and come up with a technology to control industrial emissions. In this case, the end product will be “a product that has commercial value”, he says. The young CEO also envisions a team of 70 by that time; right now, it has 15 people.
How does Chakr differentiate itself? “Instead of converting one kind of pollutant to another kind, we convert pollutants into something useful like ink. At client site, we place the device close to the exhaust of the diesel generator and it captures all particulate matter,” explains Srivastava. “This reduces carbon footprint and ensures compliance, failing which diesel gensets could get sealed.”
The ink is supplied to local ink manufacturers. The company is also in talks with potential customers like Dell who may use the soot-turned-ink for printers.