Indian innovators driving the country forward
Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 23:08 IST   |    14 Comments
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Indian innovators driving the country forward
Bangalore: Innovative ideas are not a new thing for Indians, especially with India's premiere institute like IITs churning out batches of sharpest minds around. Many innovators have been trying to simplify some process or change something traditional with the help of latest technology. One such example can be taken of Pradip Sharmah who has collaborated with IIT Guwahati to design lighter, larger and more stable rickshaws, about 5000 of which are currently plying on the roads in Assam and other states. Sharmah has also worked with the Centre for Rural Development to approach insurance companies and banks to provide rickshaw pullers with social security and financing options. "We provide them with a comprehensive package that includes the newly designed rickshaw, the insurance, two sets of uniforms, a license from the municipal corporation, a photo ID and a pair of Hawaii chappals (slippers)," he said to Live Mint. "The best part is we are not doing this as charity. Nothing is given free. These rickshaw pullers pay us 25 a day as rent, but this leads him to become an owner of that asset in 15-18 months time." Creating something innovative for Rickshaw pullers is just one example. Sharmah has also been involved in designing better carts for vendors, like those selling vegetables. He is currently collaborating with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's Central Mechanical Engineering Rickshaws Institute based in Durgapur, to create solar battery operated rickshaws. "We are running a couple of these on trial in Chandi Chowk," he says. "We will do field tests and then give feedback to these technical institutes." Another example of great minds doing something good for the community is of Hilmi Quraishi, who is using mobile telephony to bring public health messages to the masses. He does this through developing games that raise awareness about AIDS and tuberculosis amongst other conditions. "We can raise the standard of living of the marginalized and underprivileged by providing the right kind of information and content on mobile phones. There are people in rural areas who don't have access to television or even newspapers, but have mobile phones," he says.