Mumbai
Final year electrical engineering student Sachin Kumar has perfected the device after more than three years of research.
Updated : Apr 23, 2015, 12:53 PM IST
People across the globe are observing Earth Day today, by turning off their electricity for an hour. In tune with this, a student of IIT Bombay has developed an eco-friendly solar device, which can be used as a lamp, a USB port and to charge a cell phone.
Final year electrical engineering student Sachin Kumar has perfected the device after more than three years of research. What separates i-Diya from other such gadgets, is its size – it is the smallest in the world. Kumar and three of his friends have started their company, 'Illumind Solartek', where they are manufacturing more i-Diyas.
While doing a module on solar energy during his third semester as part of his five-year-course, he decided to venture into the renewable energy sector. Kumar participated and won a series of competitions like IIT-Bombay's Eureka – a business plan competition in 2014.
Coming from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, Kumar said he was aware of electricity being a huge problem. "Kerosene lamps, widely used in rural areas, have lethal effects on the environment," he informed.
Still, reaching the point where he is today, was not easy. "My parents thought I was crazy to think about starting my own company, rather than focusing on studies and focusing on placements," says the 23-year-old.
Kumar also said that studying at IIT Bombay provided an ecosystem which encouraged him to push his limits. "So, when you have such an environment, friends and faculty to support you, you get that confidence to take the plunge. Once I made up my mind, there was no looking back. I knew my parents would come around, and they did."
After more than three years of finding the right design and elements for the light to work efficiently in all types of weather and terrain, Sachin got the idea of setting up a solar lights company. To turn his dream into reality, he collaborated with his friends Sandeep Rathi, Aanchal Choudhary and batch-mate Satpal Singh, a student of civil engineering.
Talking about the product, which was launched in February 2015, Sachin said that i-Diya is the world's smallest solar device, the size of which is that of a human palm. "It provides triple the amount of illumination (compared to other lights with the same pricing), and requires 7-8 hrs of charging time, he said.
He added that the device can also be charged through electricity if there is a scarcity of sunlight, and is priced economically. The product comes in three versions, basic, home and chargeable, priced at Rs Rs699, Rs 849 and Rs 999 respectively.
Initially, Illumind came up with 4200 pieces, which were sold within 10 days through demonstrations by door-to-door visits. Now, the company is planning to manufacture 40,000 models, which Kumar feels could be less, as the demands have come from places such as South Africa, Ghana and the Middle East.