Now that the Cisco Global Problem Solver Problem 2020 winners have already been officially announced, you’ll desire to find out about each winning group and the complete story at the rear of each innovation. Year in its fourth, this online competitors awards money prizes to early-phase startups to develop a remedy that drives economic growth or solves a interpersonal or environmental problem.

We are excited so that you can find out more about the 2020 winning teams addressing a few of the biggest challenges we encounter through technology-based solutions.

Hydrotec Solutions was co-founded in 2014 by Rituparna Das, Navin Gupta, and Jyotsna Trivedi. These were inspired to produce a device that utilizes embedded technology to completely clean and dispense normal water automatically, employing a operational system that’s both accessible plus sustainable. Arosia is really a kiosk that enables people to get access to clean drinking water, where systems might not be available to purify drinking water readily. We lately sat down with Navin and Rituparna for more information about what it had been like to become awarded an India Influence Runner-Up prize of $10,000 USD.

What problem can be your technology solution attempting to solve?

Navin: Access to completely clean drinking water is really a global issue. In India, we’ve issues with normal water scarcity, that leads to water-borne illnesses. Clean drinking water is really a fundamental human correct, and I believe everyone should have usage of it. I’m a water therapy engineer, and I initial became aware of this matter when I setup a community normal water task in a rural village. I saw how individuals don’t get access to clean normal water still, plus they would go lengthy distances to get water, even from resources that didn’t proceed through a purification procedure. I understood this is not best for their wellness, and I determined we are able to do better to assist in preventing folks from falling sick. We had been decided and young to accomplish something, therefore we combined my understanding of water treatment technologies with Rituparna’s experience operating as a software program engineer in the IoT industry. We’ve Jyotsna on we also, who has experience focusing on the bottom level with different villages, education, along with other sectors. We created the automatic machine which has sensors to calculate water high quality parameters fully. Arosia creates more usage of clean drinking drinking water and will help reduce disease.

Can you explain the way the solution works?

Navin: We added the solar powered energy system to Arosia, therefore if there is absolutely no electricity or even the electricity is out even, the device works. We’ve a revenue system furthermore, where people pays the very least monthly fee. There exists a subscription model, based on how much water you may want. Users can buy a card, much like the way you would buy mins for a telephone, and utilize it to access drinking water from our kiosk whenever required. The income we generate can be used to keep the machines. Non-government companies (NGOs) will work with us on the floor level, and the perfect solution is is being supplied by us.

What inspired one to develop this solution?

Navin: The first inspiration had been the village I actually worked in as the drinking water engineer, in 2014. I was designated to create a drinking water task in India’s most remote control village. That was the 1st time I interacted with individuals who didn’t get access to clean normal water – that i learned may be the case for most rural villages in India. Despite their struggles, i was demonstrated by the villagers so a lot kindness, like providing transport from the website to my resort. That encounter is what motivated me to pursue beginning Hydrotec Solutions. After the villagers found out about our plans to provide automated machines that could dispense clean normal water, these were excited and awaited them eagerly. Clean water is a thing that we neglect in cities where we’ve abundant drinking water. We waste plenty of water also, but you can find places where having thoroughly clean normal water is a high-class. These devices are lower and sustainable cost, and we can create as many devices as you possibly can to supply clean normal water to these villages.

How will successful a prize within the Cisco Global Issue Solver Challenge assist you to advance your organization?

Navin: Final week, We was negotiating having an NGO, plus they work in a variety of villages. They mentioned they needed help establishing at least three normal water projects in an area in India since they don’t possess a normal water solution within their villages. With the worldwide pandemic, we believed we did not have the money to commit to buying this project, but now we shall be able to – and we are excited to collaborate and make a difference.

Do guess what happens you shall utilize the prize money for particularly?

Navin: We will be making use of some of the amount of money for IoT advancement work, which include buying some sensors. And we will also end up being recruiting some interns which will work on the growth of the sensors. We need to have significantly more robust software also. So, we’ll be utilizing a right section of it for the reason that particular work, and investing in normal water tasks with the NGO.

How has the worldwide pandemic impacted your projects?

Rituparna: It is possible to dispense clean normal water without touching the kiosk, and there’s more requirement for anything touchless. Individuals in today’s situation have become much worried about their health. Therefore, there’s more fascination with the drinking water kiosk since people desire to verify the drinking water quality now, and they need a touchless program to dispense it. The necessity is expected by us because of this kind of water kiosk to move up in the next half a year.

Why did you choose to start your personal social enterprise versus likely to work for an organization?

Rituparna: All three founders worked for different companies, so we’ve knowledge from three different areas. When we learned a lot more from Navin concerning the scarcity of thoroughly clean normal water in rural elements of India, we begun to understand the severe nature of the issue and just how much of an influence it could have if we’re able to provide a remedy. We realized that rather than buying water in bottles – which may be very expensive – they might pay a small amount of money for exactly the same high quality of normal water if it had been dispensed by way of a kiosk. We understood that by beginning this social enterprise, we’re able to solve a simple problem for humanity.

What is the greatest little bit of advice you obtained about starting your interpersonal enterprise?

Navin: I acquired some advice in one of our mentors. Several innovations seem basic, and there may be some criticism. Anything you are performing, it’s necessary to keep your interest for your work. Which will be your ray of wish during difficult times.

Rituparna: We have to always consider the impact a solution could make if you want to pursue innovation. The very first thing you need to focus on is helping individuals. Bringing clean normal water to a complete nation, and worldwide possibly, is the best kind of effect that we could make with our product.

Do any advice will be experienced by you for following year’s applicants?

Rituparna: It is best to try. If you fail, it really is okay – you wind up learning a whole lot on the way. The entrepreneurship journey demonstrates how to develop things, what sort of single idea could make an influence, and how exactly we can inspire individuals. There exists a complete large amount of learning in the complete process, in fact it is worth trying always.

Navin: All of the participants who have been semi-finalists had been all so good, it really is inspiring. It will need to have been problematic for the judges. I utilized to go to the Global Issue Solver challenge site [to] see all of the amazing function. If you opt to use technology once and for all, It really is thought by me is the greatest thing that can be done for humankind.

What job can you be doing in the event that you didn’t do that?

Navin: SINCE I HAVE started this work, We cannot see myself carrying out anything else. I would be functioning as a water therapy engineer probably, so might work could impact some individuals. But without my interpersonal enterprise, I’d be giving up a thing that gives so a lot happiness and fulfillment – and I’m helping many people right now.

Rituparna: I’d be assisting other entrepreneurs on the trip because I discover the whole trip so exciting. And I wish to help them develop their interpersonal enterprises and make a direct effect. Things now are different, and I enjoy maintain this world now.

What can be your favorite book and just why?

Rituparna: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho due to the message We received from it, I feel like embracing it over and over back. Whenever Personally i think discouraged or low, I love to read it. This is is whatever you want to become, and whatever we wish, the complete universe gives it to us back. If we are able to be in keeping with our positivity, because our journeys are usually filled with downs and ups, we can have got the courage and faith to look out of the hardships.

What can be your favorite activity if you are not working?

Navin: When I’m not working, I make an effort to spend period with my children. When I’m working, we hardly together have period, so that is a very important factor I be sure to do.

Rituparna: When I’m faraway from work, I ensure that you play with my girl. When I’m working from home, she actually is around and is excited and interested to create stuff together always. She appears to enjoy what I really do for function, and she appears to be serious in exactly the same things.

Keep tuned in for more articles inside our blog series, featuring interviews with every Cisco Global Issue Solver Challenge 2020 successful team!

The post Meet Hydrotec Solutions: An India Impact Runner-Up of the Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge 2020 appeared 1st on Cisco Blogs.