AWARD - Agricultural Waste to Aspirational Riches Development

partially funded

Globally India tops in generation of agricultural produce as well as its wastes. Typically, the waste go back to soil as low-value manures, often via polluting routes. However, with technology infusion, most of these can be converted to aspirational marketable products thereby generating employment, extra income for farmers and contributing to Govts Skill India, Make in India and Swachh Bharat programs. This project intends to convert wastes from cereals [wheatorpaddy stubbleorstraw], horticultural plantsorcash crops [bananaornuts stemsorsheaths] and weeds [water hyacinth] into marketable fibers, threads and textiles, boards, absorbents and adsorbents, biodegradable platesor carry bags, value-added fertilizers and other high-value products directly with the farmers and local entrepreneurs. High-value textile-grade soft fibers from banana pseudostems, biodegradable non porous plates and bowls from areca-banana composite, scalable leaf protein concentrate and biodegradable carry bags from water hyacinths are some of the aspirational products conceptualized. The project money would be utilized largely to develop infrastructure and facilities [a pilot plant with different fabricated equipment like mixers, cutters, digesters, granulators, reactors and a few measurement tools and instruments for product assessment] required to convert the wastes into value-added products in the Challakere campus of IISc. Interns from various departments of IISc [CPDM, Mech Engg, Chem Engg] would provide the technical support of the projects, to be tested by local farmers and entrepreneurs. Courses and workshops on processes and benefits would be conducted periodically to increase awareness and implementation of the technologies developed, along with possible scopes of incubation of start-ups and their mentoring.