Mansukhbhai Prajapati is a traditional clay craftsman from Rajkot, India who developed an earthen refrigerator called Mitticool to provide affordable refrigeration for poor communities. After overcoming initial struggles starting his business, he was inspired by a newspaper caption about a "broken fridge of the poor" to develop Mitticool, which works without electricity through evaporation and cooling of water. Mitticool caught on and has been widely covered in Indian media, providing cooling for drinking water and food storage while being affordable, environmentally friendly, and providing employment.

1. Mitticool
Refrigerator for poor

2. MAN OF INNOVATION
• Mansukhbhai Prajapati (44)
• Traditional clay craftsman of
Rajkot, has developed an
entire range of earthen
products for daily use in the
kitchen.
These
products
include
water
filters,
refrigerators, hot plates,
cooker and other such items
of daily use.

3. INITIAL STRUGGLE
• Being elder son of Potter family, Jagdamba
Potteries, as a trainee at Rs. 300 per month in
1985. He worked hard for three years and
learned all the related works of the unit.
• In 1988, he left his job and took a loan of Rs
30,000 from a money lender to start his own
earthen plate (locally termed as Kaladi/Tavdi)
manufacturing factory.
• In 1995 he start Mitticool water filter.

4. THE MITTICOOL STORY
• In the fateful earthquake of
January 2001, Mansukhbhai
suffered huge loss, as most of
his stock got broken.
• In February 2001, Sandesh
Gujarati Daily had a photo
feature on the earthquake
where at one place it showed a
broken
water
filter
of
Mansukhbhai with the caption
‘the broken fridge of poor’.

5. THE MITTICOOL STORY
• This caption ignited a thought in him
to work on a rural fridge that did not
need electricity and could be used by
masses. It was 2002 when he actually
started his work.
• After a journey of three years during
which he tested all sorts of soils and
fridge designs, he finally came out
with Mitticool fridge in 2005.
• His success story has been widely
covered in the regional and national
media. The Discovery Channel, Aaj
Tak, NDTV, IBN 7, DD News, BBC and
Vividh Bharti, AIR have covered his
innovations.

6. MITTICOOL FRIDGE – A “COOL“
PRODUCT INNOVATION
• Fridge that does not require
electricity!
• made out of clay
• works on the principle of
evaporation.
• cools drinking water and can
store vegetables and milk
• affordable for nearly anyone
• improves food quality and
health of poorer population
and provides employment
• environment friendly in
manufacturing, use and
recycling

7. HOW IT WORKS
• Uses evaporation effect for
cooling.
• Through the bottom layer of the
upper chamber, small droplets of
water continuously percolate
below, which keep the inner
climate moist.
•
•
Water evaporates through side walls
reducing the inside temperature and
thereby providing the desired cooling
effect.
Keeps the temperature inside the
"fridge" about 8 degrees below room
temperature.