Ingredients For Innovation - The Making Of One Of India's Finest Young Innovators At TERI University

Online, October 1, 2013 (Newswire.com) - It is well known that where others see insurmountable challenges, innovators see opportunities. This is also the case with Rohit Sadaphal, an M.Tech student at TERI University, specialising in Sustainable Urban Development and Management. A Civil Engineer, who was working for Larsen and Toubro Construction Division as a Senior Planning Engineer in Mumbai before joining TERI University, Rohit's imagination was captured early on by the amount of waste material that one of the fastest growing economies of the world is creating. While many environmentalists have been fretting and crying themselves hoarse about the 14.5 million tones (approx) of construction waste that India is accruing every year, Rohit was spending every spare minute actively brainstorming with his colleagues and faculty at TERI University over an idea that had taken root in his mind -"What if this 14.5 million tonnes of construction waste could actually be harnessed and recycled to create low cost housing solutions for the lower income group?"

"The idea seemed to address not one, but two, critical issues of the time. It would on the one hand address the need for quality housing for the under privileged sections of India and on the other, it would help reduce the carbon footprint by re-using materials that would otherwise have been scrapped. This could help reduce the massive carbon footprint of the construction industry that accounts for 6.8% of the carbon emissions at the global level. Thanks to the fantastic inputs and encouragement from mentors like Dr. Shaleen Singhal, Ms. Sonika Goyal and Dr. Bhawana Bali of TERI University, I never felt even for a moment that I would not be able to deliver on this ambitious project."

Success has a lot to do with destiny. When the time comes, an idea can turn the wheels of fortune in your favour. Rohit decided to put his concept to the test on what is today recognised as the most formidable platform for presenting one's innovation - Accenture Innovation Jockeys. Organised in partnership with Yahoo!, AIJ is aptly taglined as the 'Hunt for India's Most Innovative Minds'. Rohit Sadaphal was one of 51,000 entrants - with most of them entering as a team - for the 2nd edition of these awards in India.

"Last year, I was not able to make it to this competition since I wasn't a student then. Admission to TERI University was my green card to this competition."

When Rohit made it to the final submissions of the innovations - a stage only 4400 teams reached - he began to believe in the power of his dream. It was now the time to give it concrete form. The conceptualisation and prototype of project 'Made in India - Ecocrete' took Rohit about seven months. It saw the light of day largely because of the backing of TERI University and its symbiotic relationship with TERI.

Very soon, the day of reckoning was upon him. Rohit knew that only 10 finalists would be part of the grand finale, which was a glittering ceremony at the Mecca of innovations - Accenture Labs, Bangalore. Sure enough, Rohit made it to the top 10.

The award ceremony of 'Accenture Innovation Jockeys - Hunt for India's Most Innovative Minds', held on the 30th of August 2013,had some of the biggest names from corporates and academia in attendance. The jury came from the crème-de-la-crème of the world of innovations and R&D, including Mr. Suhas Gopinath (CEO & President, Global Inc., and world's youngest CEO to be recognised as 'Young Global Leader' in 2008-09 by World Economic Forum, Davos at the age of 21), Mr. Jayant Swamy (Lead, Architecture and Development Platform, Accenture), Mr. G. V. Ravi Shankar (Managing Director, Sequoia Capital India)and Mr. Hari Vasudev (VP & Head, R&D Yahoo), amongst others.

There were just five awards distributed that night. 'Made in India Construction Staples from Waste' won Rohit Sadaphal the 'Grand Jury Award' at Innovation Jockeys 2013. Rohit's innovation was no longer an environmentalist's fantasy... it was all set to become a reality.

"I am now working in TERI University on bringing in a series of products that will enable me to aid low cost housing for underprivileged sections of society. The ideas that bloom out of the TERI University think-tank inspire us to create products/processes that redefine sustainable development."

Interestingly, some of the identified mega construction projects in residential Mumbai have already started implementing his project. But for Rohit, it is business as usual at TERI University, where he will be using the same template for curbing carbon emissions as part of his LEADearth Fellowship.