We've all used earthen products in the kitchen but a clay fridge? One that does not require electricity and keeps food fresh too? In this series of 'Grassroot Innovations', you will find home innovations that make it easier and cheaper to cook and store food, and wash laundry.

1. Grassroots
Innovations - I

2. Shodh yatra, organized by SRISTI in association with NIF and GIAN, is a walk by a
team of volunteers through villages to scout for innovations and traditional
knowledge with an idea to collect and conserve them. Earlier this year I had the
opportunity to be a part of the Shodh yatra through the Wardha district in
Maharashtra.
On the trip I learnt the value of grassroots innovations and their relevance in a
larger context. The innovators may not be educated to know all the technical terms
but their understanding of technology and science is terrific! This inspired me to
make a resource which would show people how innovation can arise even without
formal education - how a basic need to help one's self can give rise to beautiful
innovations!
Here are a few of the innovations discovered by SRISTI. I hope they are as much
a source of inspiration for you as they have been for me.
Neel Tamhane
(Neel is pursuing an engineering course in Solar and Alternative Energy and is very
passionate about the environment and social enterprises that address
environmental concerns. He has a keen interest in renewable energy and believes
that the we must cease to depend on fossil fuels and turn to more sustainable and
clean energy sources for a better future. He can be reached at
neeltamhane@gmail.com)

3. Mansukh bhai prajapati – mitti cool
& clay non-stick pans
• Being a traditional clay craftsman, he has developed an entire range
of earthen products for daily use in the kitchen.
• These products include water filters, refrigerators, hot plates,
cookers and other such items of daily use.
• His company, “Mitticool” was featured recently at a conference
organized by the Centre for India & Global Business, Judge Business
School, University of Cambridge,[6] UK in May 2009. Bosch and
Siemens Hausgeräte (BSH), Germany, one of the world’s largest
home appliance companies have also written to GIAN and showed
interest in the product.
Mansukhbhai
Prajapati (44)
He was born in the
Prajapati family
belonging to the
village Nichimandal
of Morbi, Rajkot. He
had exposure to the
clay tradition since
his childhood, as this
was his family’s
traditional
profession.
http://bit.ly/13A30lR

4. Mitti Cool Refrigerator
• A clay fridge for the common man that does not require
electricity and keeps food fresh too.
• It works on the principle of evaporation. Water from the
upper chambers drips down the side, and gets
evaporated taking away heat from the inside , leaving
the chambers cool. The top upper chamber is used to
store water. A small lid made from clay is provided on
top. A small faucet tap is also provided at the front lower
end of the chamber to tap out the water for drinking
use. In the lower chamber, two shelves are provided to
store the food material. The first shelf can be used for
storing vegetables, fruits etc. and the second shelf can
be used for storing milk etc.
• Cool and affordable, this clay refrigerator is a very good
option to keep food, vegetables and even milk naturally
fresh for days!

5. Ribbed teflon coated aluminum
tawa
• Conventional Non Stick coated tawas are costly and last about one year.
• Innovator came out with an innovative solution and made a fusion of traditional and
modern technology. Mansukhbhai is a master of making clay tawas because it is his
family business and he learned the modern technology of Non Stick coating. The
combination took the shape a Non Stick coating on conventional clay tawa.
• He used a black non stick because black colour is a good heat absorber
that is good for the cooking.
• According to Indian Institute of Petroleum Dehradun,
its Ribbed Circular Bottom compared to the aluminium tawa ,
gives 7.9% higher thermal efficiency (52.17%) compared to the
conventional Iron Tawa (44.27%) and ribbed bottom gives about extra
1.09 % over the ordinary aluminium tawa.
To know more about the products and new inventions log on to
http://www.mitticool.in/
Fast cooking due to its
higher thermal efficiency
Design of this Tawa is
registered, design
registration No. 201308

6. MdRozadeenaliasJ P Ustad - cooker for
coffee
• Coming from a very poor background, Rozadeen
could not study at all.
• Rozadeen used to go to marriage parties, he used to
observe people thronging at the coffee stall.
• Exceeding Rs. 5000, the electric coffee making
machines were costly and out of reach for most road
side vendors. So, he thought if he could make a
device at low-cost
Conventionally, the
pressure cookers have
been used for making
food only. However,
Rozadeen (46) has
modified the ordinary
cooker to convert it
into an
espresso/cappuccino
coffee making
machine.
http://bit.ly/16nZgbw

7. Coffee maker

8. Ms. RemyaJose - PedalOperated
WashingMachine
• Remya’s mother fell ill during her 10th standard
exams and her father was undergoing cancer
treatment.
• As there was no washing machine at home, the
chore of doing the laundry fell on her and her twin
sister.
• She drew the basic diagram of a unique washing
machine and her father took it to a nearby
automobile workshop. He requested the workers
to make it, when they had a free hour and agreed
to pay.
Remya Jose hails
from Kizhattoor
Panchayat in
Malappuram
district, Kerala
http://bit.ly/144rcjU

9. • Ms. Remya Jose - Pedal Operated Washing Machine

10. Would like to thank the following for their amazing discoveries
and support to such innovators!
Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable
Technologies and Institutions
www.SRISTI.org
Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network
www.GIAN.org
National Innovation Foundation
www.NIFindia.org
India Innovates
http://www.discoverychannel.co.in/
Honey bee network
Dr. Anil K Gupta - Anilg@sristi.org