In the dusty, colorful, concrete small town of Morbi, India innovation is blossoming in the fertile soil of frugal technology. Mansukh Prajapati and Bijayshanti Tongbram are making the most of their unusual backgrounds and experiences. Through their hacks, they are creating sustainable solutions that address the problems they experience every day and help them uplift their communities.
As Mansukh Prajapati tells it, he was born into a family business that revolved around clay. He had to go on a six-mile hike to collect clay for his family’s earthenware pottery. This transformational trip to Europe influenced how he taught the material and its limitless possibilities. When a crippling earthquake in 2001 destroyed his family house, suddenly Prajapati was surrounded by shattered clay pots. This painful turning point inspired a mission that would mark his career.
After four years of trial and error, he created a sculptural, new-wavish clay cabinet that acts as a refrigerator without requiring any electricity. This invention can preserve fruits and vegetables for at least five days, making it invaluable for families who cannot afford traditional refrigeration.
“Fridges are a dream for many poor families. And such dreams should be within reach,” – Mansukh Prajapati.
Prajapati’s dedication has transformed this workshop into a successful social enterprise. Today just over ten years after launching his business, he’s grown to employ 150 people and has branched into cookware, clay water filters, even clay homes. His dedication to bettering the community is clear as he simultaneously pushes the creative envelope while offering steady, high-quality jobs to members of the community’s galley.
Alongside this, Bijayshanti Tongbram has been carving out her own path of invention. By nature, a botanist, she has developed an ingenious process for extracting silk-like fibers from the fibrous stalks of the lotus plants. These stems are typically discarded during the lotus flowers harvest. Today, Tongbram leads a team of 30 women in her village. Together, friends and fiber enthusiasts, they spin the finest fibers into yarn and weave delicate, beautiful scarves and garments.
“People in my village use the petals of lotus flowers for religious offerings. But their stems often go to waste and that’s what I wanted to change and thought of doing something sustainable,” – Bijayshanti Tongbram.
To make just one scarf, it takes almost 9,000 lotus stems and two months of labor. Despite the challenges, Tongbram ensures her team members earn $80 a month, providing them with income and a sense of purpose beyond traditional roles in fishing.
Both innovators point to the power of a frugal innovation approach to solve these everyday issues. Professor Anil Gupta emphasizes this point by stating, “Frugal innovation is about making solutions affordable, accessible, and available. Many of these innovators don’t have formal education but are solving real-world problems.”
Prajapati’s journey has not been without obstacles. After all, he once fought and defeated a crippling $22,000 debt. To keep going, he was forced to sell his home and studio. Despite this, he was not discouraged, motivated by a dream to bring core technologies within reach of poor families.
“A local reporter wrote that ‘the poor people’s fridge is broken,’” – Mansukh Prajapati.
His early efforts to build a clay fridge were copies of contemporary designs without producing the needed outcomes. Through perseverance and ingenuity, he refined his concept to create a functional product that reflects the needs of low-income families.
Tongbram’s invention is based in both environmental conscience and in empowering the women in her community. Whether it be through outreach or policy advocacy, she believes that her work is a chance to change the conversation on traditional gender roles.
“This isn’t just about fashion. I am giving women in my village a chance to do something other than fishing and earn money,” – Bijayshanti Tongbram.
Both Prajapati and Tongbram represent the kind of resilience and ingenuity that is sparking sustainable development in rural India. Their stories illustrate how humble beginnings can lead to impactful innovations when coupled with determination and a commitment to community welfare.