Saruj Chetia, an incubatee of NEATEHUB and an innovative entrepreneur, has been awarded the prestigious Big grant from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in the agriculture and allied areas domain. The grant has been awarded for Chetia’s patented technology, a muga thread reeling machine, which is an electric and manually operated design for Muga, Mulberry, and Tassar yarn reeling.
The Importance of Innovation in Agriculture
Innovation in agriculture is crucial to addressing the challenges posed by climate change, food security, and sustainable development. Startups and entrepreneurs play a vital role in developing new and innovative technologies to meet these challenges.
The Big Grant from BIRAC
Saruj Chetia, an innovator turned entrepreneur and an incubatee of NEATEHUB, has been awarded the prestigious Big grant from BIRAC. The grant, which provides funding of 50 lakhs, is aimed at supporting startups and entrepreneurial individuals in the agriculture and allied areas domain. Chetia’s startup, Aicheng Innovation and Research Private limited, has been awarded the grant to work on his muga thread reeling machine, which is a patented technology titled “A reeling apparatus and method thereof”.
The Muga Thread Reeling Machine
The muga thread reeling machine developed by Chetia can be both electrically and manually operated for Muga, Mulberry, and Tassar yarn reeling. It can reel both Digh and Bani quality yarn, and it is a low-cost and productive design for every grassroot level reeler, weaver, and Muga farmer. Compared with the traditional reeling method, it can work five times more efficiently. It can be operated by a single person, whereas the conventional way required a minimum of two people for reeling. On this machine, one person can spin approximately 100–175 grams of yarn (500-650 nos. cocoon) daily. An expert operator can reel string with two-reel together at the same time.
The Significance of the Big Grant
The Big grant is a flagship programme of BIRAC, which provides the right admixture of fuel and support to young startups and entrepreneurial individuals. It is the largest early stage biotech funding programme in India. This funding will enable Chetia to work on the research and development of his product and bring it to the market.
The Role of Incubators in Supporting Innovators
NEATEHUB, an AIC-AAU Incubator, has been instrumental in incubating Chetia’s startup, Aicheng Innovation and Research Pvt. Ltd, under the Isanya program. NEATEHUB has played a significant role in supporting and nurturing innovators and entrepreneurs in the region. Entrepreneurs graduated from NEATEHUB have brought laurels to the incubator many times, like winning the prestigious Assam Gaurav award for being mentioned at Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio show Mann ki Baat.
Conclusion
The illegal trade of wildlife and plants is a global issue that threatens biodiversity and human security. Innovation in agriculture is essential to meet the challenges posed by climate change, food security, and sustainable development. Startups and entrepreneurs play a vital role in developing new and innovative technologies to address these challenges. The Big grant from BIRAC provides support to young startups and entrepreneurial individuals to develop and bring their innovative products to the market. NEATEHUB, an AIC-AAU Incubator, has been instrumental in incubating and nurturing startups like Aicheng Innovation and Research Pvt. Ltd, under the Isanya program. The success of these startups highlights the importance of incubators in supporting and nurturing innovators and entrepreneurs.
