1. VOICES Cover by: Mrs. Radha Harish, IITK E-magazine of the
Alumni of IIT Kanpur Issue 4: July 2014
2. 2 VOICES E-magazine of the Alumni of IIT Kanpur Issue 4:
July 2014 Contents :Editorial Arun
Srivastava.............................................................................................................3
This is not the end, take another road, if it suites you Arun
Srivastava (BT/EE/67xxx)........................... 5 - .
............................................................................................................................................9
-
..........................................................................................................................................................12
+ - .............13 -
...................................................................................................
15 S-O-M-E-O-N-E : Navneet Kamal (ME,Y12)
............................................................... 16
EARTH SCIENCES - A NEW STREAM of STUDY AT IITK
.......................................... 18 TECHNOLOGY: TOILET
WITH A PURPOSE
................................................................ 21
BUSINESS: Healthcaremagic In $18.5M Cash-Cum-Earn Out
Deal..................................................................24
Book Review: Game of Chess ... 26 STARTUP IN THE INCUBATION CENTER
AT IITK: Weaving a World of Nano Fibres Sandip Patil (PhD/IITK)
.......................................................................................................................................................................27
INVENTION IN THE INCUBATION CENTER AT IITK: A PROLIFIC
INVENTOR,Jitendra Bhardwaj (MT/EE/Y3xxx)
..........................................................................................................................................................30
ECOLOGY BUSINESS IN THE INCUBATION CENTER AT IITK: Habitat Mapping:
Feel the Ecosystem- Veerender Kumar [M Sc (Int)/Econ/Y7xxx)..34
STARTUP IN KOLKATA:Ecofriendly E-Waste Disposal - Abhinav Prateek
(Y8/Mech/Y8xxx)
.............................................................................
38 - (BT/EE/
67xxx)......................................................................................................40
ARTIST ON CAMPUS: Some Paintings by Mrs. Radha Harish .....
.................41 July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of
IITK
3. 3 : Editorial VOICES gets more poems than anything else,
from the alumni and the current students at IITK. This trend is a
mystery. At best poetry is appreciated in occasional recital. It
surely makes it easy to express the most intense feelings in the
quickest way. Other means would take much longer and therefore more
effort to achieve the same result. It is akin to expressing a
natural phenomenon in a mathematical equation, perhaps. And
engineers are used to it? Think. The poem by Dr Sunita Jain has
deep fear, anguish, and anger, and it shames every male to live and
tolerate what is seen every day in the news. The fear is not
limited to the victim it transcends to impact the listener. The
current students have brought in freshness to our collection of
poetry this time and it is a great way to connect. In this issue
the current scene at IITK gets more space than entertainment and
nostalgia. It is not by design, but by the nature of contribution
received. The talent is showing and it holds promise of a better
future. We have a new stream of study in the Department of Earth
Sciences. A revolutionary toilet system has been successfully
launched. It should be of great help in the rural India as well as
in small towns and public places with the advantage of generating
Organic manure and safe fertilizers out of waste which was a
problem of disposal until now. It also saves about 60%water per
household. Get inspired by Kunal, a millionaire amidst us. Nanotech
shows new products for healing wounds quickly in a safe and
non-intrusive way. We have a prolific inventor who works tirelessly
through the nights to create excellent gadgets. The range is from
hollow ring drums to virtual keyboards projected almost anywhere in
any size. Meet Jitendra. Habmap monitors and transmits real time
data of environment for those who care and soon there should be
plenty. The way we are destroying this planet, we will require
better information about our environment first hand rather than
depend on a municipality to voice our concern, and take
precautionary steps to safeguard our health and survival.
Ecofriendly Electronic waste disposal is a new business line riding
on the back of Moores law. The technology that moves fast also
generates hazardous waste in the same proportion. Now it is a
business opportunity. And, best of all, VOICES discovered an artist
on campus; enjoy and appreciate the paintings of Mrs Radha Harish.
Thanks to all the contributors for bringing out one more issue of
VOICES. Arun Srivastava July 2014 July 2014 VOICES emag of the
alumni of IITK
4. 4 V O I C E S C O N N E C T S BEEN THERE DONE THAT SHARE
YOUR CREATIVITY AND EXPERIENCE WITH ALUMNI AND IITK E X P A N D
YOUR UNIVERSE Everything printable (except politics) is welcome. If
you can talk about it, you can also write it for sure: Happenings
in halls of residence, mess, lectures, tutorials, play grounds,
cultural clubs and festivals, interaction with faculty, issues in
senate, outings in Kanpur, vacation, journeys, exams and quizzes,
creative explosions, eccentrics Vs. genius, and current happenings
on the campus, the list is endless, and so must be our collective
memories. Let us share them. The emagazine is in English and Hindi.
email ID and phone number (If available) of the contributor will be
printed with every entry for continuing relationships. Please send
your original writings, poems, photos, drawings, etc. to:
[email protected] with a CC to: [email protected] Due credit will
be given for each piece to its author. If the matter was published
elsewhere previously, the writer should mention it along with a
statement that there is no copyright issue if it is republished in
the AA e-magazine. Responsibility for ensuring originality and
correctness of information remains with the author and the Alumni
Association or the editor will not be a party to the views or
matter submitted for publishing in the VOICES. Submissions should
be in plain text or an easily editable format. Photographs and
sketches should be submitted in the jpg/jpeg format. Old issues of
VOICES can be read at: VOICES-1
http://www.iitkalumni.org/Voices_Jan2013.pdf VOICES-2
http://www.iitkalumni.org/VOICES%20II.pdf VOICES-3
http://www.iitkalumni.org/Voices%20III%20desk.pdf July 2014 VOICES
emag of the alumni of IITK
5. 5 This is not the end, take another road if it suites you
Arun Srivastava (BT/EE/67xxx) The best place for you is the place
that inspires you to do what you really want to do. This is not the
end, take another road, the one less traveled, if it suites you.
That includes going out of the institute if it repels you, or you
think there are other places better than this one. Who said it is
the only place to be in. No it is not, if you think so. And it is
ok. The best place for you is the place that inspires you to do
what you really want to do. If there is little or no clarity on
that issue then it is best to continue being here. Failures are
essential part of life Failures are essential parts of life. They
can be academic, emotional, or professional. Take them in stride.
Professional failures are much more painful than the other ones.
Their impact on life is much greater in terms of money, prestige,
relationships, and confidence. Nevertheless when they occur, one
has no choice but to wade through them. I know from my own
experience it is something one cannot eliminate from one's life.
There is no way, since one cannot control the whole world, its
politics, and its economy. I changed my job in my late forties to
join an MNC with a great promise for growth. One year later the
Indian power sector started failing in execution due to various
reasons, and without control. The 12 fast track large projects
which attracted a lot of MNCs into India slowed down to almost a
halt. MNCs are not used to that kind of uncertainty and they
decided to close operations in India. I had to look for another
job. It was not a personal mistake yet I was stuck in it. I
activated all contacts and I was saved, but I landed into a field I
had no experience of. Only due to my confidence in getting the hang
of anything I picked up in a short time I succeeded in the new
venture. That confidence always emerges even from my poor grades at
IITK. That is the advantage of continuing at IITK. Sometimes
important decisions have to be taken with only a part of the
required inputs. It is unfair, that's why life has pain, but that's
not the end. Kishore Biyani of Future Group says failure should be
celebrated because: "Growth of entrepreneur at a national scale has
the potential to create disproportionately large number of jobs,
create wealth and fuel development. It can usher in a new wave of
growth and It is the freedom from fear of failure that lies at the
heart of entrepreneurship. July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of
IITK
6. 6 opportunities for the country. But for that to happen, we
need to gain another freedom. It is the freedom from fear of
failure that lies at the heart of entrepreneurship." Do not let it
build up An early sign of a trouble in academic part of life is
missing a few steps in the study of a course material. If left
without an immediate clarity, it builds on to greater problems
because one feels lost and distracted leading to a failure in exams
ultimately. Avoid this buildup of issues. You have a right to seek
help on course material if it is not clear. Go right up to the
professor for help and do not stop there if not satisfied. Go to
the head of the department if need be. Never live with a gap in
your understanding of a subject, which was your primary objective
of joining a place of study. You have to be clear in your concepts.
Be faithful to your primary resolve of coming to this place against
heavy odds. The system is built to teach you, not to leave you in
confusion or frustration. Communicate, have bosom pals. You have
counselors, take their advice. But, before going to a counselor,
visit the professor whose course is proving to be difficult. Take
coaching for a while on specific concepts and gaps in knowledge. It
is better to be a fool once, than to be so all your life. Go ahead
ask stupid questions, and let him laugh. It is a small price to
become wiser in the long run. Kill your ego, it doesn't help anyone
to have ego with ignorance, in front of a teacher. What do you care
what others say - you should not. Whenever I consulted my
tutors/lecturers on a subject I was saved from an F, and when I
thought I was too smart to do that I flunked. Know your level of
competence and work with it. Never try to copy others. There are
many types of minds/brains. I needed to read the same topic two to
three times because my memory is bad. I took time to realize that
which showed up in the results. Once having grasped I could do well
but I needed more time. That is also a type of mind given to us,
and you have no control over it, yet knowing the limitations one
can work out a strategy to overcome the difficulty. Playing with a
handicap is OK. Everyone has some. When tense moments are there
physical activity helps recharge. Run, walk, or play; an activity
of intense nature can calm you down and increase your ability to
get you out of procrastination, lack of interest, or simple
lethargy. Meditation and pranayam also help. Exploit opportunities
that IITK offers Freedom at IITK is something you will always
cherish and remember. Use it with care and responsibility. The
freedom of thought and life without any interference, with all your
daily needs taken care of by the institute is like living in
heaven. Honestly! You will not realize this until you are forced to
buy grocery for your daily needs, or cook your daily meals. All you
have to do at an IIT is: Do what you came here for. The entire
system is designed to help you achieve excellence in whatever you
want to do. Use that opportunity to its full potential every day.
We develop an analytical mind at IITK which refuses to blink at any
challenge. Ability to take- up any problem, jump-in, learn, and
improve almost anything. We are not limited by subject It is better
to be a fool once, than to be so all your life. Go ahead ask stupid
questions, and let him laugh. July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni
of IITK
7. 7 knowledge. We make a difference within a short time at
work, and get noticed, irrespective of the grades earned at IITK. I
never took up the same type of job ever. All the changes were
independent of the previous experience to a large extent. Do not
try to predict or plan everything I started with electronics
industry, the company closed down, no job, went into maintenance,
shifted to electrical design, drifted into turbines, control
systems, power generation; got bored with design, went into
marketing, the company (MNC) closed, lost job, made it into
marketing of cooling systems (knew nothing about them). Just took
on whatever came my way and delved in with full rigor. Planned? Not
at all. That is not the only way but it works for most of us. The
key is speed of learning we get through the training of minds at an
IIT. Knowing everything and full planning does not work always.
Tell someone that she will be a silkworm, then a pupa confined in a
small dark sticky space, and before developing into a beautiful
butterfly the eyes will pop out of skin, and let me know of anyone
who would opt for this plan. Confidence of being able to deal with
any situation is required over and above detailed planning. These
institutes develop that ability. Present is temporary, future is
far away, do not try to predict or plan everything. For every turn
there are many endless roads. There will be little guidance later
on but you will have to continue, choose a path and carry on. Just
slog on and you will find rewards of continuing. You will win
ultimately with flying colors. You think 10-pointers have it easy!
With better grades you can plan or select the future career, with
average or low grades you may have to start afresh in whatever
comes your way and then work your way up by hard work. There is no
shortcut to success even with 10 points all along in your mark
sheet. After landing a job you are as good as your results in that
job. The degree provides a first step forward and your journey
begins thereafter to find a vocation of your liking. The quest
continues long afterward for everyone. Very few employers will ask
for your CPI after a few initial screenings. Don't worry too much
about grades but do try to think about what you know, and what you
are studying. Some of the courses may not suit your taste, but we
must pass, somehow scrape through, if you will. It is OK. You never
know, that very course may help in your job, and believe me you
will then find it very interesting. I discovered it with
thermodynamics. I had scraped through it, but I used it the most
later on in my jobs in the power sector. In my time everyone wanted
to do maximum of electronics, including myself. My first job was in
that stream, but the company closed shop soon and I had to drift
into hardcore electrical engineering, and power generation.
Electronics became a hobby, off and on. Learn to manage parental
expectations Deal with parental expectations on a practical
footing. Parents would love you all the same, Present is temporary,
future is far away, do not try to predict or plan everything. July
2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
8. 8 even after a failure. Though they have a right to expect,
they must be told about your limits. They have to press for
performance. What are they doing if they did not do so? Discuss the
difficulties, present problems, predict if you must that it might
not be as good as they thought initially. That type of honesty
reduces the burden on both, and creates space for living a little
differently, and at a pace that feels comfortable and manageable
for you. Money can only buy so much happiness In my working life I
have noticed that money and happiness are not related; satisfaction
and happiness are. Money is a byproduct of doing a job well. There
is no substitute for sincerity and honesty leading to a beautiful
life. If money were all that important, there would be no high
class professors at IIT's. They are all immensely qualified to take
up a cushy job in industry. Yet they are there for their values
based on excellent work and simple life. I salute them. Believe in
your ability, it is proven by a unique entrance test that few can
pass. You are already there. Avail this opportunity and forge
ahead. There is only upside from here no downside. Continue and you
will fly. You may like to watch this hilarious poem on my struggle
with a quiz in the first year at IITK, back in 1967-68:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu0QV2_gLAQ Some Interesting Links:
New website of the Alumni Association: http://www.iitkaa.org A
Story of IITK Saga is underway. You can contribute your anecdotes
to it. http://www.iitk.ac.in/infocell/iitk/newhtml/iitksaga.htm
Directions is a research publication of the Institute:
http://www.iitk.ac.in/infocell/iitk/newhtml/newsletter.htm A Hindi
magazine from campus:
http://www.iitk.ac.in/infocell/iitk/newhtml/Antas/ Newsletters and
magazines from DRPG: http://www.iitk.ac.in/drpg/newsmag.htm News at
IITK http://www.iitk.ac.in/news/ Institute Archives
http://www.iitk.ac.in/infocell/Archive/ Office of Research and
Development http://www.iitk.ac.in/dord/ July 2014 VOICES emag of
the alumni of IITK
9. 9 . ( ) Dr. Sunita Jain was the Head of the Department of
HSS at IIT Delhi, from where she retired as a Professor of English
in 2002. She writes in Hindi and English. Visit her website for
equally engaging poetry and other literary works:
www.padmashrisunitajain.com - - , , July 2014 VOICES emag of the
alumni of IITK
10. 10 - , ' ' '' ( ! ) , ' , ...' - ...' , , - , '' ' ...'
July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
11. 11 ! - - - - , Sketch Arun (BT/EE/67xxx) July 2014 VOICES
emag of the alumni of IITK
12. 12 ( ) | , ! ! ! - | Sketch Arun (BT /EE/67xxx) ... July
2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
13. 13 (B Tech/ME/62xxx) , , , , || , , || , , , || , , , , ||
, , , || - -- (B Tech/ME/62xxx) , | July 2014 VOICES emag of the
alumni of IITK
15. 15 (CE, Y12) , , , - , , , , - ; , | , | , , , , - , , |
July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
16. 16 S-O-M-E-O-N-E Navneet Kamal (ME, Y12) In this poem, the
poet imagines himself to have grown very old, and his memory is
fading. At this stage of life, he gathers the loved ones once
again. There was someone, who used to sing lores she carried the
heavy load of my daily school scores. I still wonder how much she
cares and the surplus love that she stores. She always cooked me
food but one thing that she bother was in spite of my out bursting
waist, she saw it as light as feather no one but she could care so
much for me yes, you guessed it right, she was my mother. There was
someone, who looks so strict from above but I know from inside, he
was mild as a holy dove he looked after me in all my growing years
and borne all the expenses with never ending love. He was a
teacher, preacher and a friend when I was teen. I tried to learn
from him whatever I had seen he always inspired me to keep working
hard and someday fulfil my all baseless dreams. He was not some God
or the greatest mind either but for me he was the best because he
was my father. There was someone, who grew with me who was my first
friend and who played with me her presence taught me sharing the
love of our mother between her and me. We used to enjoy all day
long and daily watch cartoons on TV these memories bring me smile
when I remember of my sister and me. July 2014 VOICES emag of the
alumni of IITK
17. 17 Later in my life, came someone unique her nature made me
think her some beautiful goddess of Greek. She was the Closest
Friend I ever had in my life she could understand my feelings even
if I didn't speak. Throughout my life, she remained my helping hand
and this way, she taught me the real meaning of a Friend. She would
agree with me even if I acted foolishly thats why her presence made
me feel more lively. We two are still the closest Friends for life
everything is same between us except that we grew old slightly. At
this stage my memory seems to fade away a bit but one thing I
always remember that I called her smiley. There was much more in my
life when I was not old there was much more beauty in nature that I
did behold. But these are a few people who made my life good and
whenever I remember them, I get serenity untold. Sketch Arun (BT
/EE/67xxx) July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
18. 18 EARTH SCIENCES A New Stream of Studies at IIT Kanpur
Prof. Rajiv Sinha, Head - Department of Earth Sciences IIT Kanpur
has created a new Department of Earth Sciences on February 5, 2014
as per the recommendation of the Senate and approval by the Board
of Governors. The primary goal of this Department is to prepare a
new breed of geoscientists in the country who would seek
interdisciplinary solutions to earth science problems. Keeping in
view that Earth Science has developed into a major knowledge domain
of science and technology over the years; it is desirable to
develop the Earth Sciences programme at IIT Kanpur with an
interdisciplinary focus. Several important issues such as climate
change, natural hazards, environmental degradation and resource
depletion have made this science highly relevant to the society,
and we hope to fulfill the aspirations of the earth science
community through the newly created Department of Earth Sciences.
The Department will offer the following academic programmes: 1. PhD
programme in Earth Sciences starting in July 2014 to produce high
quality research students in Earth Sciences. 2. M.Tech programme in
Engineering Geosciences starting in July 2014 to focus on applied
earth sciences and specialized courses in earth surface processes,
climate science and natural hazards. 3. BS-MS programme in Earth
Science starting in July 2015 with a strong emphasis on basic
sciences, computational and engineering sciences, modern analytical
tools, and application-oriented teaching emphasizing Indian case
histories. The details of the academic programme, facilities and
faculty list etc. are available at the web site: www.iitk.ac.in/es
The Department of Earth Sciences at IIT Kanpur would focus on study
of the Earth, encompassing its evolution and internal dynamics, its
surface processes, natural and human-induced transformations of the
terrestrial environment vis-a-vis sustainable development given the
biggest problem we face in terms of rapidly increasing population.
A few highlights of the specific areas of research in which our
colleagues are involved include: River Science, Environmental and
Climate Science, Groundwater Structure and Dynamics, and Natural
Hazards. River Science In spite of the pivotal role rivers play in
sustaining human civilizations, the July 2014 VOICES emag of the
alumni of IITK
19. 19 understanding of large river systems and appreciation of
their multidimensional nature is still fragmentary. Our research in
river science encompasses a wide gamut of topics ranging from River
Dynamics, Flood Risk, and Sediment Flux Measurements. One of our
important activities is to probe the human transformations of large
river systems in terms of river form and processes. We are also
assessing how climate change affects the linkages between the
Himalayan ice sheets and large-river systems. We are a part of
Global Rivers Observatory programme, and the main objective of the
observatory is to understand how global climate change and human
activities are impacting river water chemistry and land-to-sea
transport of dissolved and particulate matter. Environmental and
Climate Science This theme focuses on probing the biogeochemical
cycles of pollutants in the environment by quantifying
anthropogenic element fluxes from mining, human apportionment of
net primary productivity, construction activities, and fossil fuel
and biomass burning, and assessing the extent of environmental
damage. Another focus is on developing new methods that can degrade
toxic inorganic contaminants present in water and soil at heavily
contaminated sites. A recent project involves monitoring of Black
Carbon (BC) in Particulate Matter in the atmosphere from regional
sites in India and to understand its impact on global warming.
Groundwater Structure and Dynamics Groundwater depletion at a very
fast rate is a serious problem in many parts of India. A major
research area at this department involves modeling groundwater flow
dynamics under varying stresses, and to forecast the response of
the groundwater system to plausible future input and output
scenarios driven by changes in the water cycle in parts of NW
India. This multi- disciplinary effort aims to estimate the total
volume loss in groundwater during the last few decades vis--vis the
rate of recharge, and then we would attempt to suggest sustainable
management strategies. Natural Hazards We have a keen interest in
natural hazards particularly in flood hazards and waterlogging, and
we have executed major research projects in these areas. Our new
faculty colleagues plan to initiate major programmes on landslides
and other hazards related to deformation such as earthquakes and
subsidence. Major Facilities in the Department LABORATORY
FACILITIES: Bartington Magnetic Susceptibility Meter Core Archival
and Analysis Facility, Digital Flame Photometer Drill Core Scanner
(DCS) for continuous measurement of magnetic susceptibility and
natural gamma ray Eutech Multi-probe water quality bench meter
Hydrobios Gravity Corer and Core Dredger Leica Optical Microscopes
with modal counting stage Nikon Stereo zoom microscope Resistivity
Meter Sedimentological Facilities Automated sieve shaker Rock
cutter and Thin section preparation units Total Station RTK-enabled
Kinematic GPS, Inflatable boats Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
(ADCP) Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) with graphite
furnace X-ray Diffractometer Water isotope analyzer Quadrupole
ICP-MS Wet chemistry lab UV spectrophotometer Milli-Q system Muffle
furnaces Centrifuge Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Imaging Rover
System July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
20. 20 CENTRAL FACILITIES: Electron Microprobe Stable
isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS) Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM) Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) X-ray Diffractometer
(XRD) wave-length dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WD-XRF) etc.
Deliverables The newly created Department of Earth Sciences aims to
fulfill the expectations of the nation in terms of: Creating modern
and interdisciplinary earth science programmes that will produce
manpower capable of engaging with studies related to earth systems
and sustainability recognizing the increasing complexity of coupled
environmental-social systems Providing a sound, topical background
to students in various aspects of Earth Systems, which will form
the foundation for high-end research and provide a wide range of
employment opportunities. Creating state of the art teaching and
research facilities to provide data/services that are quantitative,
accurate, and verifiable Developing solutions for sustainable
development of earth resources in view of growing demands of a
steadily increasing population. July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni
of IITK
21. 21 TECHNOLOGY TOILET WITH A PURPOSE: POSITIVE ECOLOGICAL
IMPACT Arun Srivastava (BT/EE/67xxx) (With inputs from the
Department of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and
Management Programme) Prof. Vinod Tare (MT/PhD/78/81IITK) Sewer
lines can be history and waste can be manna with a Zero Discharge
Toilet System developed at IITK by a team led by Prof. Vinod Tare.
Instead of the last resort of discarding it away farthest from the
civilization, or inside earth in cesspits within living areas, or
into a river, it can be treated to provide low cost organic and
chemical fertilizers like vermi-compost, nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium, while saving the precious fresh water. It is said that
the third world war could be fought over control of water resources
and this system can help us save from that impending disaster,
because 60% water used in a modern house hold is flushed out of
toilets. It is a complete waste from pumping into a house to
discharge in a sewer line. In a city like London the network of
sewer lines is 20,000 km long and it was necessary to have it after
the great stink of 1858 when the entire river Thames became a
stagnant gutter causing heavy loss of life due to an epidemic of
Cholera. The parliament had to commission the construction of sewer
lines. Between 1859 and 1865, there were 450 miles (720 km) of main
sewers that, in turn, conveyed the contents of some 13,000 miles
(21,000 km) of smaller local sewers. (Source: Wikipedia) The zero
discharge toilet system was successfully employed in the last Kumbh
Mela at Allahabad where it was used by about a million people for
about one month without notice. Cleanliness in the holy place was
taken for granted, but it could have easily become an epidemic of
deadly diseases like Cholera, and Diarrhea if the daily waste were
not handled scientifically and immediately on a continuous basis
with minimum human intervention. The system is based on the wisdom
of isolating water bodies from human excreta. The toilets are
identical to those in conventional water borne system as these are
the most acceptable and known to be This system can help us save
from that impending water resource disaster, because 60% water used
in a modern house hold is flushed out of toilets. July 2014 VOICES
emag of the alumni of IITK
22. 22 hygienically safe. Collection and processing of the
waste, however, is entirely different from the conventional system.
The solid and liquid matters are separated underneath the toilet
seat itself by using a solid-liquid separator. The separator allows
formation of a thin film of water that adheres to the surface of
the separator and flows outwardly while most of the solids
gravitate. The solids gradually disintegrate to form slurry, which
is then fed to the bio-composter. The liquid is clarified adopting
flocculent settling using enzymes and polymers extracted from
naturally available fungi and other microbes. The enzymes and
polymers along with a green edible dye eliminate the foul smell and
improve aesthetics of the recycled flush water. The clarified
liquid is recycled for flushing the toilets; thus avoiding use of
fresh water for flushing while no compromise is made for properly
cleaning the toilet pan. The entire scheme is implemented in a
compact fashion in the vicinity of the toilet avoiding long
distance conveyance of water and wastes. The fecal sludge is
converted into quality organic manure using activated composting
followed by vermicomposting. Nitrogen, phosphorous and potash (NPK)
are precipitated and recovered intermittently from the flush water
to get inorganic fertilizer. The inputs to the toilet system are:
1. Human excreta 2. Wash water 3. Enzymes and polymers extracted
from natural fungi and microbes Edible alkaline dye solution The
outputs from the toilet system are: 1. Vermi-compost 2. Inorganic
fertilizer (NPK mixture) Ecological Sanitation with Zero Discharge
W C Liquid Solid Separator SLURY LIQUID Enzyme + Polymer + Dye
Nitrogen + Phosphorus + Potassium for Agriculture Compost Mixer for
Agriculture Vermi- Composting for Agriculture Wash The zero
discharge toilet system was successfully employed in the last Kumbh
Mela at Allahabad where it was used by about a million people for
about one month without notice. July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni
of IITK
23. 23 Merits of ZDTS: The front end is similar to the
conventional water flush toilets. Simple device to separate fecal
matter from flush water (with urine and wash water). Recycling of
flushed water eliminates use of fresh water for that purpose.
Conversion of fecal matter to quality organic manure. Nitrogen,
Phosphorus and Potassium recovery from flushed water. Can be
installed anywhere; no power / sewer requirement for its
functioning. Easy to install, and it can be provided on a mobile
platform to be taken quickly to a place of use. Capital Cost:
$6,500 for a set of four toilets excluding the manure processing
plant. Daily Operating Cost: $0.05/user/day [per use] Success
Indicators: Complete isolation of human excreta from water bodies
(surface or sub-surface) System life expectancy : 25-30 years
Usable water recovered : 70-80 % Fertilizer recovered : > 90 %
of nutrients, and > 40 % organic matter July 2014 VOICES emag of
the alumni of IITK
24. 24 BUSINESS HealthcareMagic In $18.5M Cash-Cum-Earn Out
Deal Kunal Sinha (BT/ME/99) founded HealthcareMagic in 2008.
HealthcareMagics ASK A DOCTOR facilitates a health query, with
attachments of a photo, or a lab report to doctors across the
world. A network of doctors replies in a short time. The service is
on a per usage or subscription basis and it is available on the
web, Android, and iOS devices. They get about 130 queries per hour,
and 70 % are from the US. Employees and their families in companies
like Vodafone, HSBC, McAfee, Akamai, Sapient, ICICI, Airbus, Bajaj
and BMW are benefitted by this service in India. Ebix Inc, an
international supplier of on- demand software and e-commerce
services to the insurance, finance and healthcare industries, has
acquired Bangalore-based Unified Health Solution Pvt Ltd, the
company behind HealthcareMagic. Ebix paid $6 million in cash for
the acquisition with a contingent earn out of up to $12.5 million
payable after two years. VOICES interviewed the team behind
HealthcareMagic: How did you identify the opportunity? The plan was
to start something in education or healthcare. We all have been in
the queues to meet a doctor or confused which hospital to go so we
saw a huge gap in healthcare domain. Then we decided to bridge this
gap by building a platform where people can directly ask their
health questions to doctors, thus HealthcareMagic was born. What
were the risks? The area we are in (consumer driven tele- medicine)
is very niche and we did not know if demand existed. The risk was
running out of cash before we could generate revenue. Who stuck out
the neck and said, "We will do this, will you join?" Kunal started
this wave and Nitesh Pant, Dr. Mazumdar and Shekhar Sahu joined
from day one. What were the constraints and how they were overcome
- financial and technical? In the beginning, we ran the company
from our own funds, but to sustain and grow we needed venture
capital funds. Since Kunals July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of
IITK
25. 25 first company was acquired at a good valuation, he
funded the company and paid salary of the staff for the first year.
Then we got the seed fund from Accel Partners. Technically, the
biggest challenge was to make people aware of such a service, so we
leveraged on creating high quality doctor written and answered
content on our website which helped us grow our website traffic. We
relied on free medium for building our brand; Facebook and Twitter.
We grew to a follower base of more than 12 lakhs on Twitter, which
is the highest in the world for any healthcare company. What was
the turning point in their venture, or when did you get a gut
feeling that it was a great story unfolding? Towards the end of
second year, when we started getting a lot of paid queries (in
dollars and pounds) from the users outside India, we realized that
we have hit a jack- pot. Now, post-acquisition, one may call it a
"story" but it is still on-going and we keep experimenting with new
ideas and new features. What did you do which others in the same
business did not do? What differentiated you from others? We have a
strong network of more than 15,000+ doctors across the globe and
1000+ specialists behind high quality of answers you get with good
customer satisfaction. For example: 100% refund if the user is not
happy with the doctors answer. Technically we got a great traffic
through search engines and today we get around 1 lakh visitors
every day on the website. We have spent a lot of time and money on
technology and mobile apps. How is the competition? Not much. We've
been the first mover's in consumer driven tele-medicine and e-
health. We became a benchmark for companies which started later in
this niche. Now as we plan to go international, competition will be
interesting to watch. Who was the mentor (If there was one)? No one
from the business side; People at Accel Partners helped us in
getting connected with technical people, who helped us in
generating traffic. How many were there to begin with and what was
their contribution. Nitesh Pant and Shekhar Sahu were with me in my
previous company. Nitesh managed company's finance, operations, and
looked after our corporate business. Shekhar created website's look
and feel from early sketches to what you see today. Dr. Mazumdar
was our first doctor to join, and he built our 15000+ strong
network of doctors across the globe. Who left and why? A few people
left along the journey because they found better career options at
that moment. It would have been good had they been with us. They
had a good opportunity to earn money as almost 30% of the employees
in the company made money from the share options. You are an
engineer and your skills are limited to programming perhaps.
Getting domain experts on board must have been a major challenge.
How did you manage to get the domain knowledge of your business
with confidence? We had a doctor (Dr. Mazumdar) in the team from
day one. Moreover, I come from a family of doctors so it made the
understanding easier. Since you are going to sell the business,
what next? July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
26. 26 The future plan is to integrate our online health
services to thousands of hospitals, hundreds of brokerage houses,
and many insurance companies across the globe. Ebix is the world
leader in insurance software and it already has a strong presence
in the enterprise segment. We will be working closely with Ebix to
expand our reach to all major insurance companies across multiple
countries wherever Ebix has operations such as the US, the UK,
Canada, Australia, Singapore and Brazil. Future looks exciting with
interesting challenges to tackle ahead. At the same time we will
keep firing on all cylinders to retain our leadership position in
the B2C segment globally. --xx-- Book Review Game of Chess Author:
Kartik Srivastava (BT/Ch/Y9xxx) The story starts simplistically
with two professors playing chess, but it becomes convoluted when
the game suddenly becomes live and the battle turns real. They try
to figure out why and how it is so, or is it a reality; and in the
process they uncover hidden truths about nature. Where the truth
ultimately takes them is not only unexpected, it is startling and
would leave the readers thinking for quite some time to fully
assimilate its impact. The account of battles makes it even more
engaging with graphic visual descrition and intense logical debates
surrounding the game. At an instance old man II proposes an
experiment to test whether both of them are dreaming is not only
very well thought out but is fully backed by logical explanation
and discussion. Detailed portrayal of battles leaves a lasting
impression. There is convergence of science and psychology in the
story and despite this being a fantasy none of the supernatural
things seem illogical as the characters do not take anything at its
face value unless backed with a logical explanation. Review by:
Anand Maraiya (BT/AE/Y5xxx) July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of
IITK
27. 27 STARTUP IN THE INCUBATION CENTER AT IITK Weaving a World
of Nano Fibres Sandip Patil (PhD/IITK) [email protected]
E-Spin Nanotech Pvt. Ltd. IIT Kanpur Cell: +919451222560 Just like
a spider weaves its web, Electrospinning Station developed at
E-Spin Nanotech enables the production of micro- fibres for a wide
range of applications. Its application is in Healthcare,
Environment and Energy, Electronics and Biotechnology. Nano-fibres
can greatly impact our lives in the years to come and will
definitely prove to be a revolutionary material for the 21st
Century. Improvements in terms of physiochemical properties of a
material including mechanical strength, reactivity, allows exchange
through them (i.e enhanced permeability) while maintaining the
uniformity of layers. This increases mechanical strength,
reactivity, electrical and optical quality, and permeability of
layers. It will find applications in energy conversion and storage,
liquid and air filtration, food technology, healthcare and
environmental protection. In the past decade nano surfaces or
rather nano topography has become a holy grail for tissue
engineering as they create suitable surfaces for biological cells
to sit on them while maturing to repair a damaged part of our body.
There will be no need to take out skin from one part of body for
grafting of a burnt part eliminating another wound and scar. This
product is far superior to normal culture plates as it helps in
mimicking the native environment for cells to grow by providing a
nano-fibrous substrate. The Technology It starts with a syringe
filled with a polymer solution. An electrically charged needle
connected to 10,000 volt power supply is used to draw a fibre onto
a collector. The beauty of this technology is its simple yet
effective use to draw a polymeric thread at nano-scale which can
later be made thick or thin by varying the time and other
processing parameters. The Technology is called Electrospinning.
Nanofibres are so- called because they are extremely thin, in this
case, about half the thickness of human hair, and on a scale
compatible with nerve fibres and blood vessels. July 2014 VOICES
emag of the alumni of IITK
28. 28 Electrospun Nano-Fibre When a material reaches
nano-fibre diameters, it exhibits some properties with greater
advantages in terms of its performance. A material is described as
Nano-material whose at least one dimension is less than 100nm. At
E-Spin Nanotech, the Electrospun Nano-fibre is in the range of ~50
nm to a few microns. Since Nanofibres have exceptionally small
diameters the surface area increases dramatically. These tiny
fibres possess high surface to volume ratio and high surface energy
therefore it is far superior as opposed to the conventional
materials. The Polycaprolactone based nano-fibre system produces
scaffolds of varied geometries and sizes in order to provide
realistic environment for different cell types to latch onto them
in order to create a functional tissue to repair and restore the
native damaged or diseased tissue. Living organisms are made up of
an extracellular matrix. We are made up of fibres and extracellular
matrix (Stephen Badylak). These tissues can be: a) Nervous tissue
b) Skeletal tissue c) Cardiovascular tissue The Current Situation
Since 2008, eight patients have provided excellent results when
surgeons used badly damaged tracheas with man-made nano-technology
versions. Synthetic windpipes are made by growing a patients own
stem cells on lab-made Electrospun scaffold. In future, this
technique can be adapted to create other organs, such as a
replacement esophagus, heart valve, or a kidney. July 2014 VOICES
emag of the alumni of IITK
29. 29 Biological Scaffolds developed at ESpin Nanotech
provide: 3D Fibrous structure that mimic environment found inside
body (in- vivo). Can be made available in same dimensions as
obsolete tissue culture plates. Optically visible in terms of
characterization using various imaging modalities. Can be used as
biological model systems for drug discovery, drug screening, and
market novel biological systems and drugs. Enhances the rate of
research Further, it can also be used for Translational Research.
Electrospinning Station developed at E- Spin can be used for
research in areas as diverse as: Basic Life Sciences Research
Tissue Engineering Environment related problems (Liquid and Air
Filtration) Aerospace (improved strength of material) Smart Textile
Antimicrobial Properties exhibited by fabricated textile Drug
Delivery Food Applications Coatings for materials to enhance their
function Now they are developing Nano-fibre based coating system
for Cardiovascular Medical Devices like Stents, fabrication of
Graphene- based system for Electronics, and Drug Delivery System
and Polymer based products for advanced cell culture. Other
applications include better devices for energy storage, improved
batteries and solid state electronics. July 2014 VOICES emag of the
alumni of IITK
30. 30 INNOVATOR IN THE INCUBATION CENTER AT IITK What is
Jitendra Bhardwaj (MT/EE/Y3xxx) Up to? [email protected] A
prolific innovator at the incubation center at IITK Our vision and
central idea of work is Next Generation Interaction: Let Technology
Adapt to Us. We are surrounded by gadgets and machines, having a
number of versions with complex and redundant user interfaces which
make them less user- friendly, and consume our time with unwanted
mental-stress during its use. We do not want to refer manuals. Non-
intuitive interface are difficult to remember hence large segment
of consumers move away from such products. Instead of humans
adaptation to machine interface we can make technology adapt to our
way of working to make its application enjoyable. Now- a-days these
technologies are gaining popularity as Natural User Interface (NUI)
in high-end IT products and within the research community. We are
proposing and working on many technical solutions with the aim of
developing intuitive and efficient user interface which can
interpret or translate natural human interactions to machine
commands. Advanced touch technology and gesture based sign
languages could be considered as examples. If we observe nature, we
find that eyes have a major role in sensing during all our
activities. Therefore, we have chosen vision based solution for our
initial product development. Vision based solutions have a great
advantage as they can be operated remotely and compactly, while
promising high longevity and portability. Vision sensors have
advantages over any other sensing methods such that huge amount of
information can be extracted from the same data, and it can be used
for many applications like surveillance, tracking and consumer
feedback analysis etc. By choosing different spectral bands like
thermal and IR we can utilize the same technology for nonvisible
range of applications too. In near future we will include the BCI
(Brain to Computer Interface) technology to increase its capability
and robustness. Currently this is under research and requires
rigorous testing before it can be incorporated in a product. July
2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
31. 31 Through our new touch technology we find a shift towards
betterment in the following areas, 1) Reduction of E-garbage with
energy efficient solutions. 2) Increase in portability and
scalability of product due to virtualization. 3) Avoidance of
redundant learning for new interfaces. 4) Adaptation with existing
and emerging technologies. State of the Art, Demand and Challenges:
Vision based interaction has been of great interest among computer
vision researchers since last two decades, and we find its animated
version in Hollywood Sci-Fi movies. In the last eight years huge
investment has been made by worlds leading IT industries like
Google, Microsoft, Samsung, and Sony in Natural interactivity.
Kinect and PS3 are two iconic products in gamming sector which have
become the highest selling gadgets in recent years. But these
gadgets have limited precision and work in a constrained
environment with customized application hence they are not fit for
applications that demand greater reliability. Moreover, they use
Infra-Red emitters that are potential health hazard for our eyes
and body. We also have IR based solutions, but our main focus and
R&D is on passive sensing which does not require extra energy
source and has better stability in varying lighting conditions. Due
to rapid advancement in processor and display technologies, the
vision based solutions are becoming feasible now. They have a huge
potential to redefine the way we interact in our daily life, and to
transform common household appliances into amazingly smart and
efficient gadgets. Touch based smart phones and Google glasses are
few such segments where the effects of this booming revolution can
be seen. The main challenge involved in current state of the art is
to achieve accuracy in real time and have a stable and robust
solution that can handle variability of the environment. In our
solution we have optimized the energy consumption and compactness
to a large extent which makes our solution unique and ahead of the
competition. Virtual HMI (Human Machine Interface) are good for the
following applications: Where space and weight are issues like in
air and water vehicles, and advertising space etc. Contamination
proof chamber for Bio-tech and medical equipment, and constant
pressure chamber for precision engineering. Entertainment and
Education: E- learning, electronic boards, books, and toys.
Feedback and Virtual Payment system for E-Bazar. Energy sector Some
Products: 1) INNO Boards It is a virtual touch board having a
number of applications, and by connecting it to the internet we can
bring online shopping to any user who does not have a PC or a
smartphone. In education sector it can work as a notice board or a
white board by integrating with a display device like a projector
or a large LED panel. Due to July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of
IITK
32. 32 advancement in display technology requirement of
interactivity will generate a good demand for it in the near
future. . We convert any wall into a virtual E- shop or an
interactive billboard for unlimited advertisments. This novel E-
Bazzar platform system will take the e- commerce to the next level.
2) Amazing Amusement We are introducing amazing virtual instruments
(first of their kind) for entertainment and brand promotion. Its
display is mesmerizing. It can be used as an interactive floor or
table for Android or PC Games. We also serve advance level
engineering and R&D consultancy services in fields of Advance
Robotic applications : Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision and
Mechatronics, IT and Design Solutions. Some Products in Pipeline:
1) Food Processing Sector: Perfect Round Food Shaper. 2) Smart
Gadgets: Fake Currency Detector, and Electronic Piping Bag. 3)
Remote Health Monitoring System interwoven in apparels: Anytime,
anywhere your blood pressure, heart beats, temperature, and many
other parameters can be monitored and transmitted to a doctor in
real time just by wearing it. July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni
of IITK
33. 33 Automatic book scanner independent of language was
working in the IITK library until sometime back, before it was
recently dismantled. (Wonder Why?) It used to automatically turn
the pages of a book being scanned and make corrections for skewed
letters which normally appear near the binding margins of a book
while copying or scanning it. A product best suited for automatic
archiving old books and manuscripts of various languages with OCR
is available for commercialization. Demo videos are here:
http://www.innosium.com/gallery.php For detail visit:
www.innosium.com F-4-II, SIIC, IIT, KANPUR 208016. Phone:
+91-9935389318. July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
34. 34 ECOLOGY BUSINESS IN INCUBATION CENTER AT IITK Habitat
Mapping: Feel the Ecosystem Veerender Kumar [M Sc
(Integrated)/Economics/Y7xxx] Human Habitat is the environment in
which humans live. It includes the natural environment (like air,
water, land, ecology); public infrastructure (like roads,
electricity); local community; essential services (like schools,
hospitals); local commerce; and government. Our Habitat directly
determines our health and quality of life. The state of Habitat
reflects how much we care about it. Philosophy Indian philosophy
always espouses for establishing harmony among body, soul, and the
world around us. Any kind of disharmony is considered to be a
source of problems. Habitat mapping is a small effort towards
understanding the human habitat and helping people connect with it.
Further, identify the sources of disharmony with our habitat, and
correct it with social participation. With this background, we can
redefine sustainability in the context of human habitat, and
sustainable development can become analogous to a sustainable
habitat. Foundation A group of alumni and students of IIT Kanpur
discussed for months on climate change, smarter cities, governance
and came up with the concept of human habitat mapping. They formed
a company named Arnium Technologies, and got it incubated at SIDBI
Innovation and Incubation Center, IIT Kanpur.
(http://www.iitk.ac.in/siic/) The founders were Shantanu Agarwal
who has earlier led the team which developed Indias first
Nanosatellite: Jugnu; Mayukh Chakraborty: a design graduate having
many years of industrial experience in India and the US; Veerender
Kumar: the founder of PoWER IIT Kanpur; Adarsh Jagannatha: an avid
computer programmer and a system admin who spends most of his time
in configuring and keeping the services up with the least errors
and high availability; Sarvesh Kumar Singh: an avid programmer and
game enthusiast who spends most of his time in exploring new web
related technologies and experimenting with them; and Abhinav
Tripathi: a techno-manager and a software architect with deep
interest in public relations. The Beginning: Complaint Management
System In the beginning, the idea of habitat mapping was under
experimentation and the founders were toying with different
approaches one of which was developing a social media and webGIS
based platform to discuss parameters of essential municipal
services. Using this platform, citizens can register their issues
or July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
35. 35 problems; government agencies (like Kanpur Nagar Nigam)
can manage those issues; and both the stakeholders can arrive at a
feasible solution. This system was cross platform and could be used
over mobile, web, and Android. More features of habitat level
interaction were planned to be rolled out later. A simplified
version was proposed to IIT Kanpur which agreed to adopt and use
it. With cooperation and funding from IITK, Arnium developed a web
application using which campus residents can register their
problems, and Institute Works Department can resolve them. The
system is currently live and can be accessed over:
http://cms.iitk.ac.in by the residents. It was expected that Kanpur
Nagar Nigam would readily accept this system and use it. In order
to give back to Kanpur, Arnium offered it for free to Kanpur Nagar
Nigam and further offered many value added services too. Roadblocks
Initially, the response of officials and elected representatives of
Kanpur Nagar Nigam (KNN) was very positive and they were
enthusiastic about using such a smart system. It was a motivating
period for the team as well. Gradually, with time, when the system
was deployed and made available to KNN for use, KNN officials
started showing reluctance. Despite making many efforts by Arnium,
and offering the entire service for free, KNN backed out of the
deal. This was the most shocking moment for the entire team from
which it could not recover for many months. Though the team met
with certain ministers of the state government and the Chief
Minister of Uttar Pradesh but everything went in vain. Meanwhile,
some of the founding members left the company leaving only
Shantanu, Mayukh and Veerender as working members now. The Re-start
Arnium approached new political movements like Aam Aadmi Party and
was planning to implement such type of smart system in Delhi but
the response was not positive. This forced the company to redesign
its approach and come up with a new strategy. In the year 2014,
Arnium changed its technology stack, rejuvenated its team, and came
up with a fresh approach of passive data collection instead of
active data collection without involving government agencies
directly. In this phase the next aspect of human habitat:
environment and infrastructure were targeted. Environmental Sensing
at Ultra Low Cost Arnium came up with a fully functional prototype
of Environmental Monitoring Device and deployed it outside its
office. Next few months were spent on improving everything, making
the device robust enough to withstand harsh Indian weather
conditions at reduced cost and better reliability. With multiple
substitutions, cost cutting and design improvements, cost of the
device was brought down to less than 120 dollars making it the
worlds cheapest Environmental Monitoring Device. It can be deployed
in large numbers across the Indian urban space with such a low
cost. The main features of this device are: Data sampling every 5
minutes. Fully automated with remote configuration settings.
Designed for outdoor deployment across urban space (for example, in
Kanpur, we have plans to deploy one device per four Sq. km)
Ambiance Sensors for dust and noise. Air Quality Sensors for CO,
Ozone, NOx; and H2S sensors at specific locations. Weather Sensors
for temperature and relative humidity. Air Pressure Sensor for
better accuracy of data. July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of
IITK
36. 36 PCB with sensors; Battery on the back side Fan Filter
Assembl Antenna Rain Gauze, Anemometer to be added in future. Ultra
low cost device: 6000-8,000. 2 Year complete operational cost up to
10,000 per device which can be brought down to 8,000. Data is
published over Habmap, and it can be used for free. Habitat Mapping
Platform Arnium has plans to deploy 125 Environmental Monitoring
Devices across Kanpur City. Data obtained from these devices will
be published over Habmap: the Habitat Mapping Platform of Arnium
which can be accessible over Web, Smart Phone, and Mobile
applications. The types of data can be categorized into,
Environment, Infrastructure using sensors Problems, issues reported
by users Local art, culture, and heritage. Objective of a platform
like Habmap is to: Facilitate community participation in solving
problems, improving their environment or quality of life. Provide
data to citizens, governments, and businesses for informed decision
making. Promote local art, culture, heritage Roadmap Deploy five
environmental monitoring devices in Kanpur by last week of June
2014. Launch the habitat mapping platform using which, the citizens
can see environmental data from 5 places in the city; they can
report, or discuss local issues like potholes, garbage, drainage,
street light, and crime etc. Start crowd funding for Rs. 10-12
Lakhs to deploy 125 Environmental Monitoring Devices in Kanpur city
by August 2014 Deploy Environmental Monitoring Devices in Kanpur
city, make data available to everyone: End of September to October
2, 2014 Crowd funding for Public Good Arnium has plans to deploy
sensors across Indian Urban Space at a large scale so as to provide
people ultra-local habitat data for free that too in real-time.
Deployment of Environmental Monitoring Sensors or Sensors for
infrastructure is going to create public good which will ultimately
benefit the society. July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of
IITK
37. 37 For the first city in this project, Kanpur, we have set
a target of Rs 10-12 lakh for crowd funding. If we achieve 50% of
the target in the next 2-3 months, we are hopeful that we can
replicate this model in other target cities and start crowdfunding
for one million dollars or Rs 6 crores. In every city we target, we
will partner with a large number of educational, health, media, and
non-government organizations. This should bring in more and more
organizations as partners and increase the user base as well as
number of contributors. We have set a target of 10,000 users in 4-5
months with an investment of ten lakhs (this covers only marginal
costs). If we achieve this target, our venture will become a hot
property for investment. Since we will be providing all our
information for free, we are hopeful of generating a good user
base. Appeal to the Alumni of IITK Please adopt your habitat and
make it the most environmentally friendly part of your city by
using the latest technology. Arnium will partner with you in this
endeavor and provide the necessary support. Arnium also invites
your support for improving other Indian cities. A small amount of
Rs 6 crore can fund access to real-time environmental data to more
than 25 of the largest cities covering over 10% of our population.
If you are a politician or a bureaucrat then we request you to use
our services for free, and we will be more than eager to partner
with you in your endeavor to improve the living conditions of the
Indian cities & towns where ever you are. Contact Us Regd.
Office: 128, Somdutt Chamber-II, 9, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi
110066. R&D Office: E103/E104, SIIC Extension, IIT Kanpur
208016. Website :www.arnium.com Email: [email protected] Mobile:
+91-993633564 +91-9598000888 July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of
IITK
38. 38 STARTUP IN KOLKATA Ecofriendly E-Waste Disposal A New
Field in Technology Management with Environmental Concern Abhinav
Prateek (Y8/Mech/Y8xxx) [email protected] Science and
technology have advanced without our complete understanding of its
consequences. For example, when nuclear technology was in a
development stage, no one had foreseen disasters like Chernobyl or
Fukushima which affected lives across generations and rendered the
areas around them uninhabitable with a constant source of harmful
radiation for the entire planet. The three Rs:- Reduce, Reuse, and
Recycle emphasize that we, Reduce consumption, Reuse as much as
possible, and Recycle waste so that the burden on Earths natural
resources can be reduced. The last R, which is recycling of waste
brings to the fore Waste Management, which is highly relevant now.
India generates a total of 80 million tons of waste annually out of
which approx. 80,000 tons is E-waste. But what happens to this
waste? Dumping and discarding through informal routes leads to
environmental hazards. Similarly when advances in Electronics and
Electrical industry had been made, no one had wondered what would
happen to these products at the end of their life cycle. It is
mandatory that as a responsible citizen we get it directed only
through the formal sector, which has an appropriate setup to
recycle and convert it into something useful. It was in the month
of February13 that I, along with my partner had a discussion on
E-Waste Management, and we decided to make a business venture in
this field. E-Waste consists of discarded electrical and electronic
devices annually. There are 97 government authorized E-Waste
recyclers in India, but somehow it does not reach them and most of
it flows into the unorganized sector, leaving the well regulated
facilities underutilized. Exploring further we realized that there
is a severe lack of a reverse supply chain for effective movement
of E-Waste. Also, the recyclers access to E-Waste generators is
very limited, although the generators are willing to transfer the
responsibility of E-Waste disposal to an agency, which can also get
them better value for their material. It was out of these
requirements that Avshesh was born. Avshesh is a digital platform
that connects waste generators to recyclers, ensuring that waste
gets disposed in a regulated and India generates a total of 80
million tons of waste annually out of which approx. 80,000 tons is
E-waste. But what happens to this waste? July 2014 VOICES emag of
the alumni of IITK
39. 39 environmental friendly way. Moreover, through an
innovative e-auction platform we try to get our clients better
value for their E-Waste. We also aim to educate people about the
hazards of E-Waste and requirement of its safe disposal. Avshesh is
a brand which is owned by Metamorf Waste Pvt. Ltd. It was founded
in association with Ankit Agrawal. One of our team members who
looks after marketing and sales, and the other handles operations,
which primarily involves asset inventorization at the clients site.
I did my B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur and was
working with Personal Care Division of ITC when we first discussed
the idea. I have been associated with Avshesh since May, 2014.
Ankit completed his B.Tech. in Computer Science Engineering in 2013
before joining. As an organization we began operations a couple of
months back when we launched it formally with a
Business-to-Business model. We have tasted success and have
completed the entire process for our first client, which is an IT
company based in Bhubaneswar. Avshesh employs a simple B2B
marketing strategy, in which our representative goes and presents
Avshesh and its services to the concerned persons of the
organization. We provide a one stop solution to offload the task of
E-Waste disposal. This is the first time that a company has
ventured into providing end to end management of E-Waste disposal.
We take our commission from the generators of E- waste for
providing this service. It is the uniqueness of this proposition
that had propelled us to launch this venture. Currently, there is
no other player who offers such a service. We are on the lookout
for funding so that we can expand our operations to Delhi, Bombay,
and Bangalore. Currently we are based in Kolkata and are exploring
the eastern markets. We aim to launch our Business-to-Consumer
model in the near future. We also intend to empower the informal
sector by associating them with us as collectors of E-Waste, which
we can further redirect through the formal sector. The retail
market is the most difficult to tap, and this market faces the
greatest difficulty in disposing of their waste formally because of
lack of such channels at the household level. I appeal to the
alumni that they can do their part by trying to Reduce, Reuse and
Recycle. To reduce Indias growing mound of waste and to ensure a
sustainable future for generations to come, please contact Abhinav
by phone on +91 9874627685 or by Email: [email protected]
Avshesh offers: 1. Asset inventorization 2. Asset valuation, and
its marketing amongst recyclers registered on our platform 3.
Conduction of e-auction 4. Coordination between the winner and the
seller for payment 5. Pickup and certificate realization July 2014
VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
41. 41 ARTIST ON CAMPUS Some paintings by Mrs. Radha Harish
Radha Harish graduated as an electronics engineer, with a deep
passion for art. Her husband's (Prof A R HARISH, EE IITK) constant
support helped her pursue art seriously. She received her art
education from the Open College of the Arts, Thames Valley
University, UK. Her work has been selected in the exhibitions in
India and the UK. During the Golden Jubilee year of IITK, she was
commissioned to produce pen and ink sketches of various buildings
there. Apart from drawing and painting, she also enjoys
illustrating for books, classical music, designing pop up greeting
cards, and needlework. Artist's Statement: "I consider Nature as
the greatest Artist. Everything about Nature has fascinated me:
from a mere dewdrop to a rainbow... I find colour exciting! This is
what stimulates me to portray Nature in all her dazzling glory."
July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
42. 42 July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
43. 43 July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK
44. 44 July 2014 VOICES emag of the alumni of IITK