A NOSE FOR INNOVATION
He was in his fourth year of college at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi when he began looking for ways to help his mother who was suffering from asthma. And that became the impulse behind Nasofilters, the nanotechnology-based company he founded with four others from his alma mater. Using technology to tackle air pollution, the company manufactures products that range from nose filters that people can stick up their nostrils (they’re very comfortable) to filters people can attach to their airconditioning units, virtually turning air conditioners into air purifiers. Now, he is taking it a step forward. He is launching nanofibre-layered window nets, a boon for those living in mosquito-ridden cities like Delhi. Prateek officially launched the company in Delhi— where he’s based—in 2018. Today, Nasofilters has around 30 employees, and an annual turnover of a million dollars (Rs 6.5 crore). But the most important part prior to launching was the two-and-a-half years he spent researching and developing the product. During those years, he realised that the number one thing that Indians, and “especially north Indians”, were conscious of was how the product looked. When he first launched it on a trial basis, he noticed that people didn’t like the skin-toned colour of the nose filters. Since then, he has changed it to a darker brown shade. Little things make a difference in how people perceive a company, and his story was no different in that respect.
Today, the team produces nearly 95 per cent of the nose filters in the dark-brown shade (it’s not easy to produce a range of colours in a short amount of time), and a few lighter-toned ones for countries like Spain. The company ships to nearly 32 countries. In India, most buyers are from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
And what is his advice to young entrepreneurs? Begin early. With a hit concept and a successful business, though, Prateek, who turned 27 last month, looks like he’s only getting started.
“WE PROVIDE ONE SOLUTION BUT WHO IS GOING TO ADDRESS THE REAL PROBLEM—A LACK OF AWARENESS OF THE RISKS OF AIR POLLUTION?”