They say necessity is the mother of invention, but usually inventing something gets expensive with the research and development that goes into creating something.
But this innovator from India defies this norm and has created some really amazing innovations that not only make the lives of people simpler, but they're also affordable and easily accessible for the masses. And they aren't protected by any patent, free for anyone to reproduce.
Facebook/Uddhab Bharali
His unique ideas are known to be created from materials that we use on a daily basis and has won various awards in India as well as across the globe, including the Padma Shri in 2019. Meet Uddhab Bharali, the Elon Musk of India and our very own jugaad king!
Born in Lakhimpur district of Assam on 7 April 1962, this inventor has created over 140 inventions. Later while studying Mechanical Engineering in Jorhat Engineering College, Uddhab Bharali had to leave his academics mid-way as his family was under debt and financial crisis.
He went on to clear the debt by supporting his father by starting his own business of manufacturing plastic covers for tea-plantation workers. But he didn't want to pay an exorbitant price for the machine that was needed to manufacture the goods (that was priced around Rs 6 lakhs at that time). Instead he decided to make his own machine, which he did, for as little as Rs 67,000.
That started the fire in him to create affordable gadgets for day-to-day use to make people's lives more convenient.?
For farmers working in paddy fields, Uddhab Bharali created an instrument that would help them plant sapling simply using a metal pipe which was welded to an array of forks. He further perfected this and turned it into a seeding machine to allow more saplings at the same time. This invention is patent and copyright free-- just like Elon Musk, who made Tesla's patents copyright free for anyone to use.
Facebook/ Uddhab Bharali
He also created an efficient wood stove costing as little as Rs 600 that let people cook food without burning too much firewood. He saw the plight of areca nut peelers that often got their fingers chopped while extracting the nut out of the shell. To help them, he created an areca nut peeler that peels over 100 areca nuts in a minute.?
One of his crucial works has gone to make specially-abled people independent. He created a series of affordable as well as modular solutions for people without feet or hands to help them eat food, handle a cup and even write, simply using an elbow pad.
He also invented a brick making machine that a specially-abled person can operate simply by using one hand. Another popular innovation of his is a pomegranate de- seeder which is being sold not only in India but across the world.
Image Courtesy: nif.org.in
For his innovations, he has bagged various awards and recognition, including two awards from NASA for his Pomegranate De-seeder (2012) as well as for invention of a detention chair for mentally challenged Person (2013).?
Uddhab Bharali feels helping others is his fundamental right. With his earnings, he is fully supporting over 21 families, which includes widows and specially-abled people that aren't able to earn a living. He wishes to start old-age homes in every locality in the long run. He has also initiated an open fund to help patients in need of finances.