NID-Ahmedabad student’s zero waste manufacturing process wins James Dyson India award

READ | Two IIT-Delhi students’ design convenient wheelchair, win India James Dyson award

Shashank said he got inspired by the concept of the circular economy, “I have always been fascinated by the idea of turning waste into a valuable resource. Earth Tatva is a unique material composition that turns post-industrial ceramic waste into a universal reusable material.”

“I have always been fascinated by the idea of turning waste into a valuable resource. While working on design solutions, I often wonder what happens to the products and materials at their end of life. On this project, I kept asking myself how I can add value from the inside and not just from a functional or aesthetic point of view. That is how the idea of a universal material was conceived against making a product. Since day one, the aim was to make a closed-loop material that can be incorporated in a zero-waste manufacturing process,” he was quoted as saying in the official statement by Dyson.

Shahshank creating ceramic products using zero-waste method

For Shashank, Earth Tatva started as a part of his graduation project for his master’s programme at NID-Ahmedabad. He later entered his project for this year’s James Dyson Awards India award and won the prize. This year, 241 entries came in for the award, out of which 93 entries were shortlisted. The runners-up are the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and a team from NID, Ahmedabad for their project Drishti.

The product has also received numerous other accolades. It was recognised as a circular economy pioneer by Ellen MacArthur Foundation, London, REX Karmaveer Chakra Award, and was adjudicated as the winner for Sustainability by Design, Indus University.