Youth Spectrum

Q.1)  Sir, please tell us about ‘Nano Ganesh’?

Ans.1) ‘Nano Ganesh’ is an electronic device which helps the farmers to switch on/off the motor of the water pump and also helps to indicate the water level status in the water tank. In simple words we can say that it is used to control and monitor the water pumps. The device is connected to the electro-mechanical starter of the motor. The farmer then connects the ‘Nano Ganesh’ tool kit to a cell phone. There are two sim cards, one being in the ‘Nano Ganesh’ tool kit and the other in the cellphone of the farmer. Using the phone, we have to send an assigned code number via sms to the ‘Nano Ganesh’ tool kit, which switches the pump's starter on and off, and a particular tone signals the on/off status of the pump and the electrical supply at the pump location. Due to this, the farmers won't have to get up in the middle of night and travel from their homes to fields to switch on the pump set to water their crops as power is available only at that hour. Instead, they can pick up the mobile phone and can ease their way out. By the use of ‘Nano Ganesh’ kit, farmers can remotely get access to their irrigation pumps. As it is a mobile phone based application, so the range is not the hurdle for it. Users do not have to be literate to use or install the system and there is no language barrier, as the application uses only numbers and tones to communicate with the farmer.

            It has resulted in the reduction of the excess fatigue of the farmers. It ensures that the water is been provided to the crops at right time and in right amount and also minimizes the wastage of water due to overflow and wastage of energy and other input resources. The application requires a Tata Indicom mobile connection and phone, along with a mobile modem that attaches to the starter on the irrigation pump. The modem is also available with a device, called "Nano Ganesh Hanuman", that alerts the owner of attempts to steal the modem, cable, or the pump itself. The cost of each Nano Ganesh ranges from Rs.560 to 7500 depending on the model. There are two tiers of distribution for the product through direct sales to customers who get in touch with the company and there are also dealers (300+) who retail ‘Nano Ganesh’ to the farmers. The product is marketed through national ads in newspapers and magazines on electronic products.

 

Q.2) How did the idea of ‘Nano Ganesh’ strike you?

Ans 2) My journey towards ‘Nano Ganesh’ was not that easy. Since childhood I used to worry about the challenges that a farmer had to face. Power supply being fluctuating in village areas, the farmers had to go walking several kilometers during the day as well as during the night time to switch on/off the pump as per the availability of power supply. Sometimes the water from the water tank used to overflow and hundreds of liters of water would get wasted. Since then I really wished to do something in agro automation.

            Further, I completed my Diploma in Electrical Engineering from ‘Cusrow Wadia Institute of Technology, Pune’ in year 1984 with first rank. Then I did a 1 year training at TATA MOTORS. After that I pursued A.M.I.E (Associated Member of Institution of Engineers) in Electronics & Communication in the year 1987 and was a gold medalist. Then I got a job in central government at Mumbai.

            Although I did well in my academics, got into a central government job, I was not satisfied with the work I was doing . I always used to think about my desire to help the farmers which was sown in my mind since childhood. I had a call from within that I have to do something and so I left my job in Mumbai and moved to Pune in the early 90s with a goal to use my education to do something related to water and irrigation automation. I had to actually go to the fields to understand the real scenario and problems faced by the farmers. I had to do many research work and through experimenting new things I came up with many models and pump sets.

            Firstly, I started with an alarm clock which had to be set at the required timing. When the alarm used to blow at the set timing, that sound signaled the coil of the pump’s starter and the pump would start. But the farmer had to go to switch off the pump. I had to wait in the farms till midnight or even till 2:00 -3:00 am to make the necessary connections and ensure its feasibility. It was very difficult to acquire the trust and co-operation of the farmers as it was totally something new. My wife is an Electronics Engineer and is also an alumnus of CWIT, Pune. My wife used to be awake till I come at midnight and worked at night to build up the components and would make the necessary arrangements for me as I had go to work around 6:00 am. My wife did all this even though having two small kids behind her.

            In 1998, I came up with the first remote controlled motor pump with a range of around 1 km. It had many disadvantages as many farmers lived far away outside the range. But in order to operate this technology, acquiring license was a mandatory phenomenon and demanded a large investment. This was very challenging for me and then in 2001 , I ran out of money and literally I had to sell all my belongings including my house and was on the road with my wife and my two kids in 2002. I was not even able to meet my day to day basic needs. I was totally devastated during this phase.

            In 2003, there was a golden moment in my life on Ganesh Chathurthi day. I had a dream of lord Ganesha and a few questions triggered in my mind which read,’ Why am I waiting for the license?’, ‘Can I use some wireless technology like a mobile phone for my project?’. And this was the life changing moment for me. I immediately got up and removed the remote control package and put that in the mobile phone and I was stunned to see the results. It really worked. And here started the journey of ‘Nano Ganesh’.

 

Q.3) Why the name ‘Nano Ganesh’?

Ans.3) As I said earlier, In all my ‘ups and downs’ Lord Ganesh has always helped me. I am a faithful devotee of lord Ganesh. And so I had named the device ‘Ganesh’. After few years, as the mobile phones and other equipments became compact thereafter, so then I named the device as ‘Nano Ganesh’.

 

Q.4) What measures you took to aware the farmers about your product?

Ans.4) It was very challenging for me to promote this technology to farmers. It is necessary that you build trust and confidence in your customers, so that they will start believing in you and your product. We started putting up stalls in various local exhibitions and started giving them demo of our product. First some 100 farmers visited, then some 80 of them found it interesting and around 40 of them were ready to buy at the first instance. Likewise the number of customers approaching us and buying our product gradually went on increasing. We had a follow up with our customers and went through their suggestions and opinions and likewise made the necessary reparations and modifications in our product. ‘Nano Ganesh’ has not only spread its wings across whole Maharashtra but also all over India and overseas too.

            Today I am satisfied that I have been successful in changing the lives of more than 4 lakhs farmers and I am trying my best to twofold it.

 

Q.5) We got to know that you have launched an initiative for training rural students for free which will further be recognized as ‘Agro Electronics Commandoes’. Can you please tell in detail about this initiative of yours?

Ans.5) Yes ,we have launched a new initiative recently in Maharashtra. We are going to give the basic knowledge and training about electronics to them. They will able to operate, repair pump and cell phone and also will be able to solve the problems regarding them. This training is totally free and they will be called as “Agro Electronics Commandoes”. We plan to have 5000 commandos in Maharashtra and 1 lakh in India. We are trying our best to spread this initiative all over India so that many rural aspirants can take advantage of it.

 

Q.6) We would like to know your “Success Mantras” to become a successful entrepreneur?

Ans.6) In order to become a successful entrepreneur, first of all, you should have a good finance literacy. You should be able to understand the calculations and economics behind it. There should not be any distractions in your intensions. Your intensions and motives must be clear and well defined. You should always follow a defined path and should have full concentration on your mission. Learn to listen to your inner self and at least 2 minutes every day you should have a self-talk with your self . This will help you to understand yourself better.

 

Q.7) What are your future plans?

Ans.7) We are taking tremendous efforts to globalize ‘Nano Ganesh’ in every nook and corner of the world. We are also coming up with new models of ‘Nano Ganesh’. We are also working on the soil moisture detection and further automation in irrigation field and agro industry.

 

Q.8) Any message for us?

Ans.8) Today’s generation is having very much potency in them. To bring out ‘the change’ in the society is in the hands of today’s youth. It is very necessary to change your mindset because it is said that if you change your thinking you’ll be able to change the world. In your life when you will reach new heights and achieve success ,always be humble. Also learn to use the smart features which there in yourself because a human body or being is the smartest machine in the world.

            Patience is a most important thing that especially the today’s youth must inculcate in them . And the most important is that they should use the technology for their betterment and not misuse it.

-By

Vispi Karkaria & Neha Bagane