Grassroots Technological Innovations

Promotion and Start-up

Conference on Innovations in Agricultural mechanization – Development

of linkage among R&D - Industry – Farmers

Prof Anil K Gupta

National Innovation Foundation ,
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
Honey Bee Network
founded in 1987-1988

A nameless, faceless innovator or traditional knowledge

holder comes into contact with the Network and gets an identity.
Dimensions of Inclusion

– Spaces
– Sectors
– Seasons: stable to fluctuating
– Social segments
– Skills and knowledge

Inclusive Innovation
 1988-89

Honey Bee Network

1993
Society for Research & Initiatives
for Sustainable Technologies &
Institutions (SRISTI)

1997
Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network (GIAN)

2000

National Innovation Foundation – India (NIF)

GOLDEN TRIANGLE for rewarding CREATIVITY

Innovation

Enterprise
Investment
 National Innovation Foundation – India (NIF)

Functions

Scouting Value Addition Enterprise

& Product & Business IPRs Dissemination & Information
and
Development Development Management Social Diffusion Technology
Documentation

Scouted more than

2,25,000, ideas, Over 1000
innovations, projects
traditional supported for 193 projects Filed 750 patent applications in the
knowledge validation/ value supported under name of innovators/ knowledge
addition Micro Venture holders in India, 8 in USA, 27 under
practices (not all
37 Community Innovation Fund PCT (37 granted in India and 4 in
unique, not all workshops/
distinct) from over US)
micro incubator Transferred 89 27 applications under PPV&FR Act
585 districts of the support in 19 technologies to
country 16 Trademark and 14 Design
states licensees
registration applications
 Innovations in farm mechanization:

• Higher the variability in soil, crop, and climate conditions,

greater is the need for granularity in Farm machinery
• At present, there is a big gap in the mechanical devices
lacking feedback control systems: whether it is depth
sensor for seed and fertilizer placement or moisture sensor
induced actuators for drip/sprinkler irrigation. The very fact
that in Haryana and Punjab, farmers are using low tech
cycle based seeder to maintain depth shows the effect
deeper seed placement has on tillering and thus the yield
• The tools and techniques used by farm workers have remained much less
advanced. Manual tools/devices for sowing, inter-culture, picking of both
hybrid as well as rainfed cotton/bolls, harvesting need urgent upgradation.
Without improving productivity of workers, we cannot substantially
improve the wages and thus the income of the farm workers

• Those activities which involve women seem to have undergone much

slower technological transformation, be it manual transplantation of
paddy in a back-bending posture with feet in water; tea leaf plucking with
movement of hands against gravity and thus causing the pain and fatigue,
collection of deadwood and its carriage for household energy use,
 Hand Operated Water Lifting Device

Innovator : Mr. N Shakthimainthan, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu

• Consists of 2 pairs of chain and

sprocket (gear ratio 1:2), impeller
pump and pipes.
• Discharge, irrigation capacity and
delivery head of this device are 20-
22,000 l/h, 0.03 ha/h and 0.5 m,
respectively.
• It can be used for low head (upto 1 m)
and high discharge application
• Can be used for transferring water
from canal to field, from one field to
other field
• Can also be used for draining out
excess water from field
• By change of impeller can be used for
drainage of wastes

Small but useful for increasing

productivity of manpower, can be
manufactured locally.
 Few Variations of
Bullet Santi / Handio
 Standards for promoting GRI

• Fifteen thousand Santis, handios,

sanedos in Saurashtra are “illegal”
though highly legitimate
• Testing and creating standards for
Farmers’ innovations:
Promote Local artisan /Grassroots innovators

Need of ENCOURAGING usage of 2nd hand components:

Barriers in using reused components

• Lack of standardization of reused components
• Ensuring and warranting the performance of reused components
• Lack of detailed knowledge of the product’s properties and in-use history
(this may be important, for example, if the component has been subject to
fatigue loading)
• Quality assurance of reused products
• Assured availability of supply, etc

• Clearing house
Promote Local artisan /Grassroots innovators
 ODH Facility (Loan against stocking of second hand components):
Cost of machine can be kept low if components are purchased in bulk,
however small fabricators can not afford the bulk purchase due to
limited sell.

 Workshops of Railways (400) should be made available to local

fabricators for developing components of machines (Announced by
Ministry of Railway)

 Provision of warehouses/clearing houses for sell of certified parts for

use by local fabricators

 Encouraging development of small tools /manual machines (for farm

operations requiring high degree of control and low power inputs): It
will increase productivity of manpower and reduce drudgery
 1

Examples of Successful Start-ups by Grassroots Innovators

 Groundnut Digger
Innovator : Shri Sanjay Kumar Tilwa, Rajkot, Gujarat

• The groundnut digger dig out and uproots the groundnut plant. After passing
over vibrating conveyor, clean groundnut is collected at the rear of machine or in
the box attached at the rear of machine.
• It can be joined with any tractor having 35 HP and above.
• Using this machine, the cost comes to less than 50 percent of manual
harvesting.
• This machine has field capacity of 1.5 Acre per hour.

Turnover: Over Rs 40 Lakh

 Paddy Thresher

Innovator: Md. Faijul Hoque | Morigaon, Assam |

• A whole stalk paddy thresher which can thresh
moist/wet crop
• It has spike tooth cylinder and semi cylindrical
concave. There are 8 spikes.
• The concave clearance can be adjusted by changing
the length of each spike (between 0 and 35 mm)
• There is no sieve or shaker, the grains directly fall
from the concave gap and cleaned by the blower
just below the concave.
• It needs 5 hp power
• Average feed rate : 600 kg/h (Paddy crop). The
machine can support feed rate upto 900 kg/h
(mansuri variety grown in Assam). The
corresponding grain output : 444 kg/h
• Threshing efficiency = 96.56%, Cleaning efficiency
= 89.06%; Broken grain proportion, =0.632% ,
Spilled grain =0.283 %, Blown grain =0.359% and
Unthreshed grain = 1.627%
Turnover: Over Rs 45 Lakh
 Tree Climber
Innovator : Shri Venkat D.N, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
• By up and down movement of upper and lower frame one by one man can
climb on tree. Upper frame is operated by hand and lower frame by leg.
• Simple and easy to climb trees, even by old age and women
• Due to sitting arrangement the climber will not tire
• Climber costing Rs 7000/-.
• Over 1100 units sold in last seven years, including 25 climbers exported in
Australia, Mauritius, Malaysia, Dominica Republic, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia, Iran, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri lanka, France, USA, Fiji
• 400 units sold in 2015-16.

Turnover: Rs 22 Lakh
 Multipurpose Processing Machine
Innovator: Shri Dharamveer Singh Kamboj | Yamuna Nagar, Haryana |
• Capable of processing various herbs
like juice and gel of aloe vera, juice of
amla, jamun, mango, tomato, orange,
etc. and extracting essence of flowers
and other herbs.
• Cylindrical vessel is surrounded by a
jacket of castor oil for uniform
distribution of heat
• Motor speed: 1440 rpm;
Rotor/centrifuge speed: 360 rpm
• Variants 130, 60 and 30 lph capacity
• Electricity consumption : 1-1.5
units/hour
• Over 200 machines sold in different
parts of the country, which have
provided livelihood opportunities to
over 1,500 families

Turnover: Rs 65 Lakh
 Modified Boiler
Innovator: Shri Subhash Ola| Alwar, Rajasthan|
• The modified boiler has a mechanism to recycle used steam so that steam (at
130°C), generated by boiling water in the boiler, returns to the boiler at a
temperature of 90-100°C after transferring heat for the useful purpose.
• Due to the recycling of steam (wet steam) instead of allowing its condensation,
fuel and water requirement has reduced drastically.
• The modified boilers have been installed in food processing industries (mawa
making, jaggery making), textile, plywood, paper, leather and dye industries.
• Using this technology it is possible to save fuel and water consumption
by up to 30 and 80 percent, respectively.
Turnover: Over Rs One Crore
 Biomass Gasification System
Innovator : Shri Rai Singh Dahiya, Jaipur, Rajasthan
• Unique gasification unit and filtering mechanism. The
downdraft gasifier is compact and surrounded by water
jacket.
• Producer gas is cooled by water jacket/heat exchanger,
cleaned by a grit filter and a baffle filter (having perforated
and non perforated plates/baffles surrounded by local dry
grass).
• Ideal fuel: Dry wood (3-5 mm diameter and upto 30 cm
long), coconut shell and coconut husk (MC < 20% db) .
Fuel requirement 1.4-1.6 kg wood/kW-h
• Maximum temperature inside gasifier: 500 °C
• Calorific value of producer gas: 1000-1050 kCal/m3,
Composition: CO 21 %, H2 12%, CO2 15% ; Gasification
Efficiency 60 -70 %, Thermal efficiency: 25%
• Available in capacity 5 -100 kVA, single and three phase -
open and closed (sound proof design, having canopy) as
per the requirement of customer.
• Over 300 units have been sold in different parts of country
and Eight units have been exported to South Africa,
Kenya, Germany, Italy and Singapore.
Turnover: Over Rs 70 Lakh in FY 2015-16
 Bicycle Hoe
Innovator : Shri Gopal Malhari Bhinse, Jalgaon, Maharashtra

• It is a multi-purpose farm implement

fashioned out of inexpensive bicycle
components.
• The main part of the implement
consists of the front portion of a
bicycle. A steel fork is connected to
the axle and the other end carries
different kinds of attachments.
Separate attachments for weeding
and tilling or a harrow are attached to
the working end, using bolts and
nuts.
• A person can weed 0.08 ha per hour. Small but useful for increasing
• It is very easy to operate and is productivity of manpower and
ideally suited to the needs of can be manufactured locally.
marginal farmers who cannot afford
to maintain bullocks.
Sale of grassroots products across six continents
 1

Few More Challenges

Creativity counts
Knowledge matters
Innovations transform

Incentives inspire
( not just individual, but also collective, not just material,
but also non-material)

Join the Honey Bee Network!

For rewarding indigenous creativity and innovation
www.techpedia.in, www.sristi.org, www.nif.org.in
anilgb@gmail.com