Kalahandi women develop IoT devices to help fish farmers

Minushri and Amrita have come up with 3 solar powered devices that aim at improving fish and prawn production. Hemant Kumar Rout finds out more about their innovation 
Founders of ThinkRaw Innovative Solutions Minushri and Amrita. (Photo | EPS)
Founders of ThinkRaw Innovative Solutions Minushri and Amrita. (Photo | EPS)

BHUBANESWAR: When professionals of their ilk are running after white collar jobs, two technical graduates from one of the country’s most backward districts Kalahandi invested their time and knowledge to resolve issues that the farming community has been struggling with.

Minushri Madhumita and Amrita Jagatdeo, both from Bhawanipatna, have developed three solar powered devices that are Internet of Things (IoT) enabled and would improve fisheries production.

The prototypes of the products - Dhivara Mitra, Krishi Dhanu and Matsya Bandhu - have been completed and patented. Dhivara Mitra is an integrated solution combining five important components of fish/prawn culture onto a single solar power operated floating device.

It can move and cover the entire area of a water body with the help of an IoT enabled smart control sensor system and help in uniform distribution of feed, aeration and maintain uniformity of dissolved oxygen level.

The pH measurement scale attached to the device can measure and maintain pH level of the water body proving beneficial for both fish and prawn farmers. While Matsya Bandhu is a fish/prawn feed dispenser, Krishi Dhanu is a solid fertiliser dispenser.

With the State government focusing on doubling farm income, the two young professionals believe the devices they have developed would help increase production and improve quality, fetching the farmers more money.

Minushri said fish farmers can now earn more with the help of technology. The fully automated Dhivara Mitra is a solution to the issues that fish farmers face due to uneven distribution of feed and maintenance of dissolved oxygen, she said.

Almost 30 per cent (pc) of the fish/prawn stock are damaged due to lack of proper aeration, feed and oxygenation as the process is highly skill dependent and the key tasks are usually executed in a disintegrated manner with a lot of dependency on labourers.

“As the availability of labour is scarce at many places, the integrated device will distribute feed uniformly and monitor water quality by triggering aeration process as and when required besides, maintaining the pH level in the water body. Farmers will not have to worry for labourers as the process is fully automated,” she said.

An MSc in chemistry with Post Graduate Diploma in Management Minushri and a BE in electrical with MBA in Finance Amrita have left their corporate job in IT sector to launch a startup - ThinkRaw Innovative Solutions Pvt Ltd to provide tech-enabled solar solutions.

Born and brought up in Kalahandi, they always wanted to integrate technology and solar power with the tribal and rural population. The dull period during the lockdown became blessings in disguise for them as they came up with the three innovative products.

“When we started working with the farmers’ producer companies and supplied solar power solutions to them, we came to know about the technology gap and drudgery involved with the farming process. We then decided to find innovative solar powered and smart technology-based solutions,” Amrita said.

While Dhivara Mitra is under validation at Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), commercial production of Krishi Dhanu has begun. Guided by Sri Sri University, the startup is incubated at Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Bhubaneswar.

They have also introduced women centric enterprises focusing on creative and innovative projects like solar roof top and ground level engineering, procurement and construction solutions for residential, commercial and industrial setups.

The women led startup now plans to raise investment to set up a production unit in Odisha and collaborate with logistics partners so that the products can be shipped to different parts of the country.


Tech Development

  • They have developed 3 products Dhivara Mitra, Krishi Dhanu and Matsya Bandhu
  • Prototypes of these solar-powered products have been completed and patented
  • Dhivara Mitra will cater to uniform distribution of feed and aeration in fish ponds
  • Krishi Dhanu is an IoT enabled solid fertiliser dispenser
  • Matsya Bandhu is a fish/prawn feed dispenser

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