Pune’s entrepreneur Priyadarshan Sahasrabuddhe has won the Green Skills Innovation Challenge organized by US-based Ashoka Changemakers in association with HSBC.
Sahasrabuddhe’s green initiative ‘Vaayu’ — a process of converting food waste into green fuel or energy — has found him a place in the top 12 among 348 competitors from across the world.
The challenge was open to social entrepreneurs in selected markets with ventures that equip individuals and communities with the skills needed to thrive towards a green economy.
Chakraakaar Lifestyle Solutions Private Limited, the organization under its founder, Priyadarshan Sahasrabuddhe received the award for two objectives that the initiative ‘Vaayu’ is achieving. Firstly, ‘Vaayu’ gives the power to the common man to make their own energy from food waste and secondly, it has the potential to increase the earnings of the sweepers and waste pickers by 10 times. ‘Vaayu’ can be set up by individuals at their homes, at restaurants, corporate canteens and in housing societies. Through this, waste gets managed locally, fossil energy is substituted by renewable energy and helps create green jobs.” he said.
The start-up can be reached through their official website for product and the initiative details. The web address of their portal is https://vaayu-mitra.com/
Priyadarshan, 37, will get USD 20,000 of grant funding and will also have an opportunity to scale this project up with mentorship from Ashoka and HSBC.
The start-up had also been awarded the ‘Green Enterprise’ award on 28th Entrepreneur’s Day by ‘Entrepreneurs’ International’, a charitable trust that promotes entrepreneurship.
