Login Register
Follow Us

Giving wings to young talent

As the high winds of entrepreneurship blow across the country, there is no dearth of innovative ideas and smart solutions with business potential.

Show comments

Geetu Vaid

As the high winds of entrepreneurship blow across the country, there is no dearth of innovative ideas and smart solutions with business potential. Youngsters from smaller towns and cities, too, are not lagging behind in the start-up  race. The final award ceremony of the Start-up India Punjab Yatra 2019 held in Mohali last week reflected this as enterprising youths from all across Punjab gathered on a common platform to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship. Here’s a look at some of the ideas that won accolades for the budding  entrepreneurs.

A clean sweep

The genesis of many a successful business ideas is personal experience. This, indeed was the case with Arshdeep Singh, a student of Plus I at Govt. Senior Secondary School, Mallawala, Bathinda. As he commuted to his school each day the stink and low hygiene levels of public washrooms were constant irritants and this led him to look for a solution. Hence the idea of a low-cost self cleaning toilet, that won him first prize worth Rs 40,000 in the Social Sector category. The toilet that effectively uses a smart sensor system that automatically cleans a toilet after use is currently in prototype phase. “The system installation will cost Rs 5,000 “, says the young man who is looking for local civic bodies to come forth to try out his prototype so that it can be installed at small bus stands and other public places like markets etc. 

The design of a gesture control wheel chair by Jagnoor Singh Sandhu, a student of Major Ajaib Singh Convent School, Faridkot was awarded the third prize in the social sector category.


Value addition

Edutech is one of the most happening areas in the start-up domain. No wonder then that Dipanshu Bajaj, Ankit and Nikhil from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar won the first prize in the IT Sector + Digital Marketing and E Commerce category for their interactive textbook idea. “ Most students are not able to visualise the different concepts mentioned in traditional textbooks. Our concept is to add this visual  element to textbooks so that students can get added information as well as visual explanation of different chapters and topics”, says Dipanshu. 

Building on waste

Optimum utilisation of agri waste is the need of the hour and with stubble burning worsening air quality in the state, Pawanpreet Singh, a student of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, offers a solution through eco board furniture. “Paddy straw left behind after harvesting and other such agri waste can be compressed and treated chemically to make “wood like” board that can be used to make furniture items. This will serve the dual purpose of saving trees and using stubble that is generally burnt and causes air pollution”, he adds. However, setting up this unit will require heavy investment and the team of young entrepreneurs are looking for some seed funding to make their venture a reality. 

A paddy transplanter that can save labour cost for farmers was another idea that impressed the jury and won a cash prize of Rs 20,000 for Mohit Dhaiya a student of Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar.

 
The nourishing dot

“A small bindi that married women put on their foreheads can go a long way in ensuring their health was an interesting concept and we are glad that we could make it a reality,” says Amit Sharma from IST College, Moga. The project that won Amit and his team the first prize in the healthcare category will help fullfill nutritional needs of pregnant women at a nominal cost.

Not a kid’s glove 

Age is not a limiting factor when it comes to innovation and invention. This was authenticated fully by the first prize winning entry of Mohit Grover, a student of DAV School Kot Kapura, in the manufacturing category. The young lad impressed the jury with his Smart Glove for speech impaired people.

Show comments
Show comments

Top News

Most Read In 24 Hours