Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveYoung innovator Sahithi Pingali is working on inventing a better tomorrow

Young innovator Sahithi Pingali is working on inventing a better tomorrow

Written by: Team GI Youth

(October 21, 2022) While her classmates were busy finishing up studying their syllabus for class XII, Sahithi Pingali was working day and night on her research paper, ‘An Innovative Crowdsourcing Approach to Monitoring Freshwater Bodies’, which she had to present at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) – 2017. After months of extensive research on various lakes of Bengaluru, where she lived, the young innovator presented the paper to a committee of five members and was awarded second prize, and three special awards in the Earth and Environment Sciences category.

Sahithi Pingali

However, that was not it. The now 20-year-old Sahithi also received an unexpected award for her incredible research. The committee decided to give a minor planet somewhere in the Milky Way the name ‘Pingali Sahithi’.

Currently studying at the prestigious Stanford University in the USA, the self-taught coder is the founder of WaterInsights – which is an innovative award-winning citizen science project for freshwater monitoring. People can use WaterInsights’ testing kit to monitor the water in their school, home, or neighborhood creek. “To me at least, the sheer gravity of the environmental problems we face is something I can’t ignore. I’ve lived in the scenic suburbs of the US, and later in the city of Bengaluru. I think the contrast between those two settings made me extra aware of these problems — our cities are dying, sucked dry, and choked with pollution. So, I researched the various factors that contribute to the pollution of our water bodies through surveys, sessions with experts, and interviewing people who live and work around the lakes,” the young innovator had once told Deccan Chronicle during an interview.

The eco-warrior

With her roots in Andhra Pradesh, Sahithi lived in New York for the first eight years of her life. The family moved back to Bengaluru in the early 2000s, and that is when she started working toward improving the water quality of the lakes in Bengaluru. When she was just 15, the innovator crowdsourced funds to conduct a study on ten of the most polluted lakes in Bengaluru. However, her first project didn’t succeed without hiccups. While she was looking for a facility to conduct her research, she approached several professors at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to let her access their laboratories. Although most of her initial emails went unanswered, she received a condescending response from one of the professors, which read, “You’re simply not old enough for such lab work. I’d rather recommend you a list of books to read.”

Far from being discouraged, Sahithi wrote to several other labs, and went on to do internships at various prestigious institutions including the Ecological Sciences Center at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and the Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment group at Arizona State University, Tempe.

Sahithi receiving Young Achiever Award for Academics

However, books and research are not the only avenues that interest this bright girl. “I’m a Bharatnatyam dancer and I play the veena. I also love to read and write. In my reading, I always make sure to have variety. I alternate between fiction and non-fiction, depending on what I’m in the mood to read. I think there’s never much trouble in making time for the things you love doing,” she had said in her interview with Deccan Chronicle.

Inspiring citizens

Soon after her research paper ‘An Innovative Crowdsourcing Approach to Monitoring Freshwater Bodies’ won the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the innovator didn’t waste any time in developing a user-friendly platform to make her technology available to the common people. “I was inspired by the way that citizens would step up to take responsibility for the lakes that they lived near and work to revive and protect them. However, I was also frustrated by a few things – how most of the action came from a very small number of people,” she told Discover Magazine during a recent interaction, adding, “I wanted to help more people understand water pollution issues and get involved in taking hands-on action. I also wanted to make it much easier for citizen activists to generate data about local water bodies so they didn’t have to wait for the limited pool of experts to carry out testing. So, we made it possible for any citizen to monitor the water in their home or local environment, and then gather that data in a dynamically updated Water Health Map of the World.”

The Stanford student is currently doing the first beta test of the samples she received from the Bengaluru citizens. The innovator is also working on creating an educational curriculum for students who want to fight for the environment. “We’re going to use the results and feedback from this test to make our system as accurate and user-friendly as possible. Then, we’re going to make test kits available for any citizen scientist to order online. We’re also working to create an educational curriculum to go with the kits so that students across the world can do this as a classroom activity,” she said.

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Published on 21, Oct 2022

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Indian venture capitalist Jivraj Singh Sachar’s podcast Indian Silicon Valley has covered 30% desi unicorns

(January 21, 2022) What do you do when you’re fascinated with the world of startups but don’t have a tech background or the business know-how? Launch a podcast that addresses this knowledge gap. At least that’s what Indian venture capitalist Jivraj Singh Sachar did. The Kolkata-based 23-year-old launched his now hugely popular business podcast Indian Silicon Valley back in August 2020 to help answer questions like how to build a successful business. Today, with about 90 episodes in the bag, Indian Silicon Valley has been consistently ranking in the top 10 business podcasts on Spotify. And the Indian venture capitalist has managed to also feature about 30 percent of the country’s unicorns. For Jivraj, the motive behind Indian Silicon Valley (which has an active listener base of over 75,000) was simple: create a content repository for budding entrepreneurs and get valuable information and tips from industry experts. To that effect, Jivraj has so far featured several of India’s successful founders, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. While he is not hosting his podcast, so far, a one-man show, he is working his way around the world of venture capital at his day job with AngelList India, where he prescribes to the philosophies of Naval Ravikanth and Utsav Somani. A podcast to help startups, start up! Born

pitalists. While he is not hosting his podcast, so far, a one-man show, he is working his way around the world of venture capital at his day job with AngelList India, where he prescribes to the philosophies of Naval Ravikanth and Utsav Somani.

A podcast to help startups, start up!

Born into a Sikh household settled in Kolkata, Jivraj had the typical middle-class upbringing. His father runs a business in the wood space and his mother works in the fashion industry, while his sister works with E&Y.

The Indian venture capitalist, who spent most of his formative years studying in Kolkata’s St Xavier’s College, tells Global Indian, “Like any typical middle-class family our aspirations were to focus on our studies, excel academically and eventually get a degree in engineering. However, in high school, a whole new world of opportunities opened up to me. I began to get more involved in co-curricular activities like debating and realised that there was life beyond just academics.” This was a period when he was quite active in the college TeDx scene too.

The Indian venture capitalist eventually chose to do his graduation in commerce from the same institution where he’d done his schooling, and graduated in 2020. During his college years, he was actively involved in clubs and launched a few himself too. “I found myself drawn to entrepreneurship, and wondered more and more about what it took to set up a successful business. I wanted to know the how behind several success stories out there,” smiles the Indian venture capitalist, adding that Kolkata as a city was not very entrepreneurial in nature.

That’s when he decided to launch his podcast - To build a content repository for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to build a business. The podcast, which usually lasts anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour, has Jivraj speaking to industry leaders to try and democratise industry knowledge for people his age. Some of the people he’s featured so far include Jaydeep Barman of Rebel Foods, Ashwini Ashok of Mad Street Den, Sai Srinivas of Mobile Premier League, Vikram Chopra of Cars24, Kabeer Biswas of Dunzo, and Abhay Hanjura of Licious, among others. He has also interviewed managing partners of major venture funds such as Accel India, Sequoia Capital India, and Light Speed, to name a few.

Completely bootstrapped, the only investments Jivraj had to put into Indian Silicon Valley was to buy a good quality mic and laptop. “Revenue generation was never the idea behind the podcast. I was curious about how to build a business and since I didn’t come from a tech background, I thought the best way to gain that knowledge would be by interviewing industry insiders. That’s how the podcast came about,” says the Indian venture capitalist, adding that today, he also features experts from the Bay Area, UK, Netherlands and Bangladesh.

Aired weekly, his podcasts have Jivraj quiz industry leaders on how to go about tactical things, pull off valuations, establish culture in the company, and how to startup in the first place. “I want to equip the masses with the tools to start their own company and contribute to the Indian Silicon Valley and economy,” smiles Indian venture capitalist.

All in a day’s work

On the professional front, Jivraj began working with AngelList India in December 2020; at the time he was one of the youngest employees. Today, he works in the venture operations team, and looks at investor relations. “I look up to Naval’s ideologies and principals. I also have great respect for Utsav, the India partner. At 33, he's one of the youngest investors in the country,” says the Indian venture capitalist, who is also an avid reader and loves to play table tennis when he isn’t reading up to understand the world of investments better.

A cricket and sport buff, the Indian venture capitalist also loves travelling with friends, and on occasion, adding adventure to the mix.

As his podcast continues to gain steam, Jivraj hopes that in the next few years Indian Silicon Valley becomes one of the most widely heard podcasts in the world. “I truly believe that innovation in India should not be restricted, it should be showcased to the world. And I hope we can do that through Indian Silicon Valley,” he signs off.

Follow Jivraj Singh Sachar on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 min

Tamil-British girl, Nila Varman bags BBC award for best student radio presenter and the Diana award 2022

(August 13, 2022) British Broadcasting Corporation, one of the world's oldest broadcasters and the name that enjoys a massive global reputation recognised Nila Varman as the best student radio presenter in the whole of the United Kingdom in 2021. The UK-born and raised youngster has also spent some years of her high school in Singapore. Growing up in two very diverse countries, Nila experienced the different cultural aspects of the world very early in her life. She channelised her sweet-sour experiences to establish a strong message for the world through her radio show - The Nila Extract. [caption id="attachment_20770" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Nila Varman, award-winning radio show host[/caption] Giving voice to marginalised communities The radio show has brought her critical acclaim, a loyal audience, and of course, two very prestigious awards among many others. “I started my show to help people from marginalised communities to have a platform where they can be heard,” Nila tells Global Indian, connecting from London. “As I can’t speak about every community, I invite advocates, activists, and celebrities from various indigenous ethnicities from all over the world on my radio show to talk about issues that are considered taboo,” she adds. “I felt it's important to normalise

h///" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Indian, connecting from London. “As I can’t speak about every community, I invite advocates, activists, and celebrities from various indigenous ethnicities from all over the world on my radio show to talk about issues that are considered taboo,” she adds.

“I felt it's important to normalise these things,” remarks the master’s student of King’s College, London.

Apart from the two prestigious awards, The Nila Extract fetched her the recognition of Spotify New Wave for being the top 10 podcasters in the UK on the streaming app. Frontline 50, a charity organisation in Britain recognised her radio show for the Frontline 50 awards as top ten shows in the country that are creating a social change.

Discrimination within and outside the diaspora

Radio shows and podcasts enjoy a universal appeal and Nila feels great about the fact that they offer opportunities to learn and educate about issues that need to be brought up in the open.

“I have experienced discrimination from people who do not look like me and even within the brown community and other south Asian people. There is so much discrimination and taboo within the Indian community as well,” feels Nila. Dismayed about how people ask about caste even now, Nila adds, “While growing up I thought I was alone but when I started speaking to so many people, I now know that it’s a universal issue.”

Instead of making The Nila Extract, a run-of-the-mill serious discussion forum, Nila often adds a light-hearted and funny take to matters and also highlights the relevant latest news in the sphere.

Keeping thousands of listeners hooked

Through her once-a-week award-winning radio show, Nila has been amplifying awareness about pressing social topics that get neglected in mainstream media and public discourses, enjoying an audience from ‘across the world.’

The 21-year-old has impressive associations lined up with BBC both as a co-host and guest. By the end of this year, she would be teaming up with BBC Radio Nottingham as a co-host for a short segment in a fortnightly programme. The trusted young guest speaker of the broadcasting company that is synonymous with perfection, informs “I am quite often invited to BBC to speak as a guest speaker on social issues, student affairs or current affairs.”

Her love for speaking comes from experiences as a tour guide

Nila’s family shifted to Singapore from Manchester when she was in the final years of high school. Radio was nowhere in her mind then but the love to interact with people saw her donning the hat of a tour guide at the Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

As she has always loved interactions, it was a beautiful experience for more than two years when she showed the zoo around to tourists. “It has helped me as a radio presenter,” she says with a smile. If she would have not forayed into the media space, she would have been a zoologist believes Nila because she “absolutely is in love with animals.”

As a part of getting into the role, she had undergone training and was tested on her knowledge of exotic animals. Feeding the animals, and holding workshops for children were also some tasks that she delved into apart from leading the guided tours. With rich experiences like this and some uneasy experiences of discrimination as a student for three years there, Nila returned to the UK for her higher studies while her parents still work there.

“As a south Indian I faced more discrimination in Singapore than in the UK,” she says. But at the same time, Nila is grateful to both the countries for offering good professional and travelling opportunities to her family.

Women and children's health

Nila is pursuing her master's in women and children’s health because she strongly feels that societal discrimination is a big cause of mortality rates in women. “Women of colour have higher mortality rates compared to white women as they are discriminated during treatments in western countries,” she remarks.

The young broadcaster thinks that societal discrimination against women affects their hospitalisation and sanitation needs in non-white countries as well. “They have to go through high-risk pregnancies and many other fatal health problems,” says the thoughtful youngster who is a regular contributor to the Brown Girl Magazine in the UK. She is on the board of Tending the Garden – a non-profit organisation that helps in the healing process of sexual assault survivors.

For the youngster with the gift of gab and extended family in Chennai, UK is home having been born and brought up there. She loves learning about the rich heritage of India and speaks Tamil fluently. So engrossed does The Nila Extract presenter gets in researching about and giving voice to pressing social issues that she often forgets to take a break.

Follow Nila Varman on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and her website
Listen to the The Nila Extract on Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Audible, and Pocket Casts

Reading Time: 5 mins

Bollywood to Broadway: Actress Mahnaz Damania’s journey to ‘Life of Pi’

(May 9, 2023) The world of Broadway is experiencing an ingenious work of art at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater in New York. The Broadway house is currently home to a mesmerizing adaptation of Yann Martel's Booker Prize-winning novel, Life of Pi. Directed by Max Webster and adapted by playwright Lolita Chakrabarti, the stage comes alive with various lighting, video, sound, and set elements that shift and transform throughout the performance, creating a magical world that captivates the audience. And in the middle of the ocean, with a diverse cast of 24 actors and puppeteers, is an Indian actress, Mahnaz Damania who has impressed audiences from the production's first show. The Indian stage actress has come a long way since her beginnings in the world of theater. "Sometimes I wonder to myself when we’re at the theatre, ‘Man! How did I get here?!’ And when I look back at a decade of my work I realise I’ve been so fortunate in India too to train under Faezeh Jalali working on her productions — 07/07/07 and Shikhandi – The Story of the In-Betweens — and with Rajit Kapur (Rage Productions). I feel ready as an actress because of these chances that I’m

an! How did I get here?!’ And when I look back at a decade of my work I realise I’ve been so fortunate in India too to train under Faezeh Jalali working on her productions — 07/07/07 and Shikhandi – The Story of the In-Betweens — and with Rajit Kapur (Rage Productions). I feel ready as an actress because of these chances that I’m very grateful for," the Global Indian said in an interview. With an unwavering passion for her craft, the actress continues to break boundaries and captivate audiences, solidifying her place as a rising star in the theater world.

The world's a stage

Currently based out of New York City, Mahnaz was born in Ahmedabad into a Parsi family. Always wanting to be an actress since a young age, she was an active part of her school and college drama societies. The actress completed her Master's in Psychology from St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, and soon landed a job as a flight attendant with Jet Airways. However, her dream of being on stage and performing a part never left her bedside.

Eventually, the actress left her job and left for New York, to do an acting course at Stella Adler Studio of Acting. And it was here that a chance meeting with Indian actor, Irrfan Khan affirmed her belief in her dreams. "I bumped into Irrfan Khan outside my acting school in NY years ago in 2010 or 2011, and I was thrilled! I exclaimed, “Oh My God It’s You!” And he goes, “Yes it is!” I told him that this is the building I study in and he’s like ‘Oh, this is where the Stella Adler acting studio is.’ And then (I don’t know why) but I asked “can I hug you?” And he said, “of course!” We continued to talk about the pros and cons of studying outside of India for the craft and then we said bye. I’ve always loved his work and wanted to work with him. Being a part of this play is the closest I’ve come so far in my career to being associated with his splendor. This is a very cherished experience for me," the actress shared. After returning to India, the actress took part as a contestant in the TV reality show Kingfisher Supermodel 2, and was later seen playing a lead part in Dharma Production's Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania.

[caption id="attachment_29881" align="aligncenter" width="632"] Mahnaz getting ready for the show Shikhandi – The Story of the In-Betweens[/caption]

However, a turning point in her journey came in 2022, when her manager approached her with an interesting role in New York. While she didn't get the part she was aiming for, she landed an opportunity of a lifetime. "My manager Sana Hanible submitted my tapes for the casting call for the part of Rani, Pi’s sister in the play but originally written as his brother in the book. On the day of the call back, the director Max Webster, playwright Lolita Chakrabarti, and casting director Duncan Stewart were in," the actress said, adding, "After my audition for Rani, I was about to leave, but they called me back into the room to read for the character of Mrs. BK who plays a family friend and teacher. There was a second call back after this one and about a month or so later I got the offer letter to be in the ensemble and understudy the two characters. I was over the moon. Of course, actors mostly want to book the principal part they test for but being an understudy comes with its levels of responsibilities and challenges."

An unforgettable journey on stage

Describing her time with The American Repertory Theatre as a "great learning experience", Mahnaz shared that she thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn puppeteering from experts like Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink under the guidance of puppetry and movement director Finn Caldwell, which was essential for her role in the Broadway production.

[caption id="attachment_29883" align="aligncenter" width="657"] Mahnaz on the set Life of Pi[/caption]

"It’s been such a great learning experience for me since this is my first regional theatre stint with The American Repertory Theatre which is, oh my god, a great way to start my stage career in the US," the actress said, adding, "I also have the opportunity with this play to learn puppeteering from the likes of Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink under the expert puppetry and movement direction from Finn Caldwell."

But that is not all. The actress also voiced that being a part of this South Asian cast ensemble on the set, has put a huge responsibility on her shoulders. "This story tells such a fantastic tale of survival and resilience of the human spirit, how far we can come with what we tell ourselves to cope – to get through hardship in our lives. Having so many South Asians in the cast is a testament to this survival in a way. Being in the room with so many faces that I identify with, that know what language I’m speaking, that know the struggle of living as an immigrant and more so finding a stage and story that takes you into that world," the actress expressed.

[caption id="attachment_29884" align="aligncenter" width="634"] Mahnaz with the cast of Life of Pi[/caption]

"Sometimes, I’d look around the rehearsal space and I couldn’t believe I was actually there with so many talented people that were all experiencing the same strange but familiar feeling. I’m so proud to be a part of this unraveling of sorts of the narrative we’ve been fed all our lives (be it stage or TV) and changing it to look like the actual world we live in. The wardrobe department also extended a consulting role for me on the play which I am so happy to be assisting with," said the actress, who is skimming through scripts for her next project.

Follow Mahnaz Damania Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 6 mins

Umasri Pujyam: An NRI teenage crusader’s fight against pollution in Godavari

(May 24, 2023) The Godavari River, winding through the scenic Konaseema district, is a vital lifeline for its residents. Over time, however, pollution has been steadily chipping away at its vitality. Umasri Pujyam, a 15-year-old Memphis-based NRI, has been combating this very issue and has become the voice of the river, making waves in her passionate fight against pollution. In a short span of two years, the young crusader has already conducted over 100 river clean-up days in the Godavari, by bringing together volunteers from the local community to address the grim issue of water and plastic pollution and promoting access to clean drinking water for those affected by this existential threat. Even though she left for the US when she was just four, her ties to her native place (Ponnamanda village) have always been strong. It was the sight of the once-pristine Godavari river stretch near Razole in the Konaseema district that compelled her into action. "I found that river Godavari, which is central to the livelihoods of millions of people, is facing a range of threats, including water and plastic pollution," says the teenager, who is also worried about the impact of agricultural practices on the local environment

he local environment as her village Ponnamanda is largely agriculture-based. Moreover, explaining her mission, she said, "The heavy use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in farming has led to runoff that contaminates streams and rivers, further exacerbating the problem of water pollution. This made me take up the river cleanup and environmental protection mission."

Journeying to the Godavari River

Leaving the comfort of her home in the US, Umasri, who is currently studying in Class X, embarked on a journey to protect the Godavari's ecosystem, setting an exemplary model for youth across the world. From organising cleanup drives to rallying local communities, Umasri’s contributions towards reviving the river have been nothing short of extraordinary. She has transformed her journey into a movement, inspiring locals and authorities alike.

When she collected plastic waste from Godavari for 100 days, the act not just inspired the panchayat staff but also created a sense of responsibility among the youth. This led to the formation of ‘Youth Against Water Pollution’, an organisation that's raising voices against the water issues faced by the people of Konaseema.

[caption id="attachment_30314" align="aligncenter" width="662"] Umasri Pujyam cleaning the banks of Godavari river[/caption]

It was in 2021 that she began working on the mission while attending virtual classes. Since then, the movement has expanded and so has her outreach. Apart from her fieldwork in India, she is also creating awareness through social media.

Raising awareness

Umasri has also been instrumental in raising awareness about the hazards of pollution, not just to the river, but the overall ecosystem. Educational workshops, public awareness campaigns, and open dialogues have become commonplace in the Konaseema district, thanks to Umasri's initiative. She stresses the importance of sustainable practices and responsible waste disposal, emphasizing that change must start at the grassroots level.

For the last few years, she has been raising alarm against the untreated sewage and plastic - which is the key cause behind the river’s pollution. Moreover, Umasri has been guiding the locals on proper waste disposal and ways to reduce their impact on the environment and water sources. She cleans the river mostly on her own but often finds help from the locals in the form of volunteers. "I have collaborated with local officials and politicians including Amalapuram MP Chinta Anuradha and Razole MLA Rapaka to help work towards better environmental policies and conditions as well," the Global Indian added. This collective effort has removed tonnes of waste from the river, reducing pollution levels significantly and making a visible impact on the water quality.

In the pipeline

For someone passionate about environmental engineering and technology, she envisions the implementation of waste management systems and the introduction of eco-friendly alternatives to curb pollution. Besides, Umasri also aspires to engineer innovative and effective sewage treatment solutions that will help priortise access to clean water for all.

Her ultimate goal is to have a bright future for the villagers, wherein the health and prosperity of local communities are sustained. Umasri’s campaign is not just about restoring the Godavari River; it's about empowering the people who depend on it, building a better, sustainable future for them, and the generations to come. This dynamic young leader has shown that every small step matters.

Reading Time: 4 min

Earthshot Prize 2021 finalist Vinisha Umashankar ‘irons’ out a plan to save the Earth

(January 12, 2022) “We have every reason to be angry. But I have no time for anger. I want to act. I am not just a girl from India. I am a girl from Earth and I am proud to be so,” smiled the pint-sized bespectacled Vinisha Umashankar at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. The student innovator, environmentalist, entrepreneur and optimist had Prince William, and other world leaders in awe. Suddenly, a toothy 15-year-old Indian environmentalist was in the reckoning. However, this native of Tamil Nadu is not ready to rest on her laurels, and demands action. “All of us should understand that environmental issues are real and can't be fixed later. Most importantly, they are not someone else's problem. We all must work together to understand environmental problems and solve them before it is too late. Today’s actions matter tomorrow,” says Vinisha, who is one of the eight baton-bearers to carry the Commonwealth Games 2022 torch in India from January 12 to 15, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvLD6waVlkk Being the youngest and the only school student to earn a spot among the finalists for The Earthshot Prize 2021, the TEDx speaker was invited by Prince William, The Duke

y Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, to speak at the World Leaders’ Summit at the COP26 in November 2021. Such was the impact of her five-minute speech that global leaders like US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Bill Gates, and PM Narendra Modi gave her a standing ovation. Vinisha’s plea has since gone viral with over 30 million views.

Enriched to be in the company of the minds whose innovations and solutions are making an impact on Earth, she was apt and self-assured. “COP26 was quite critical because we have to plan actions for the next 10 years, and execute them together for a better future. I am keen to take forward what I learnt to make the Earth better,” adds the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Award winner (2019).

Thinking beyond fossil fuels

Her invention of a solar-powered ironing cart became the lodestar. She was just 12 when she started designing her innovation after the idea struck when accompanying her mother to deliver ironing clothes.

[caption id="attachment_9525" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] The Solar Ironing Cart[/caption]

Seeing six ironing vendors in her neighbourhood, Vinisha saw how charcoal burning is a serious threat to the environment. “They use charcoal to heat an iron box, and usually throw the burnt charcoal away with the garbage. It made me think about the number of ironing carts in India, the amount of charcoal burnt every day, and the damage done to environment,” says the SKP Vanitha International School student, who found her “eureka” in solar power which effectively substitutes charcoal. “Using renewable solar energy is the aim of my innovation,” Vinisha says in an exclusive with Global Indian.

Cleaning the air, making us breathe

The innovation won her the Children’s Climate Prize in 2020, and helped her get a slot as a finalist at The Earthshot Prize in the Clean Our Air category in 2021. “I was happy that environmental innovations like a solar ironing cart got due recognition. It can play a crucial role in reducing environmental damage and climate change. I hope my innovation motivates students to innovate on products that could help protect the environment for future generations. I am happy that the solar ironing cart is my little contribution towards an ambitious goal,” says the confident young inventor.

[caption id="attachment_9526" align="alignnone" width="1080"] Vinisha Umashankar won the Children's Climate Prize 2020.[/caption]

Vinisha’s invention is built on an integral-type chassis, the ironing cart, “can be fitted with a coin-operated GSM PCO, USB charging points, and provide mobile recharging services. The solar panel doubles as the roof of the ironing cart,” she adds.

The girl who reads too much

Born in 2007 in Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu), her business consultant father and school teacher mother realised how fascinated she was by science and maths as a child. They are the wind beneath her wings, and her biggest support system. “My parents bought me many books to read, and explore,” reveals the Class 10 student, who often accompanies her parents to museums, zoological parks, botanical gardens, palaces, and forts. Her love for Nature and environment stemmed from these visits, and to country farms and animal asylums.

As one of the eight baton bearers from India to carry the Commonwealth Games torch and a participant at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, she is also preparing for her boards. How she strikes a balance between the acclaim, endeavours and studies evokes a smile. Her time management skills, she explains, “I sort my scholastic and co-scholastic activities a day or week in advance. I prepare a to-do list, and finish it one by one. I schedule everything meticulously so that I don’t spend too much time on a single activity – all done a little at a time rather than in one long slot! However, I listen to music, go for a walk, exercise and relax in between activities.”

A tale of many talents

Despite her hectic schedule, Vinisha finds time to unwind curling up with a book, cycling or trying her hand at photography. A yoga and gymnastics enthusiast, she has a Grade 4 electronic keyboard certification from Trinity College London too.

[caption id="attachment_9527" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Vinisha Umashankar with PM Narendra Modi at COP26[/caption]

Having accomplished so much so young, she advises youngsters “to believe.” “If you think that you can move a mountain with your fingers, believe that you can. What other people think of you is irrelevant. No one is in charge of your future, but you. Gain knowledge around your passion and strengths. Develop a unique set of skills that work. It is better to try and fail than just dream about achieving great things! You learn a lot by doing things and even more by failing. Do not fear failure. That’s how great people have done it,” adds the teenager, who wants to become a research scientist or a theoretical physicist in the future.

Next on agenda for the Earth Day Network Rising Star 2021, is, “To manufacture the solar ironing cart. Also, over the years, I have given over 100 interviews, 40 innovation talks, and 40 motivation speeches to over 25,000 school and college students. I will continue to inspire young minds to create an environmentally-conscious society,” says the committed teen activist.

Follow Vinisha Umashankar on Linkedin and Twitter

Reading Time: 6 min