Hyderabad: T-Works, a government of Telangana company, and GE Appliances, owned by the Haier Group Corporation, today announced a joint partnership to convert a grassroots invention, the Bio Pot, into a micro-enterprise generating employment while also contributing to environmental sustainability.
This closely follows the unveiling of the bio press machine in September this year that is designed to mass-produce the Bio Pot. The event involved a live demonstration with plant and machinery where volunteers from GE Appliances received hands-on experience in manufacturing biodegradable pots.
T-Works designed and developed the custom-built machine, the bio press as part of its rural development program to enable mass manufacturing of biodegradable pots, called bio pots, invented by 14-year-old Srija.
The Bio Pot, made from discarded groundnut shells, is an eco-friendly replacement to the black plastic bags used in nurseries for growing saplings. T-Works worked closely with Srija, and her mentor Augustine who had approached T-Works through the Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC), for developing her innovation and turning it into a marketable commodity.
Sujai Karampuri, CEO T-Works, said “Today is an important day in the journey of our Rural Innovation Development Program. After developing a mechanism to mass-produce Srija’s bio pots, we are now moving a step closer to setting up an industry based on this idea. This is why T-Works exists, to create an impact on the ground. An innovative idea is evolving into the employment-generating manufacturing industry.”
GE Appliances has agreed to support this initiative through the CSR route towards setting up a small-scale domestic enterprise for manufacturing these Bio Pots in the Gadwal district in Telangana. The funding will be used to set up the required plant and machinery translating into employment opportunities within local rural communities, said a press release from the Telangana government.
The partnership comprised of volunteers from GE Appliances making them using the bio press machinery.