Aurangabad, May 18:
Dozens of Indian-origin individuals across 10 categories were named as part of the sixth annual 'Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list'. Among them was 28-year-old Abhishek Shelar who featured in the industry, manufacturing and energy category. Abhishek, founder and CEO of Spruce Up Industries is helping solve India's waste management problem. The Pune-based startup has developed 'Jatayu,' a garbage-picking machine that can suck trash from street sides similar to vacuum cleaners.
Founded in 2016, Spruce Up Industries is attempting to protect the health, safety, and dignity of millions of waste pickers in the country through the intervention of mechanisation and technology. An IIT-Bombay alumnus, Abhishek decided to pursue a Masters in Education from Harvard University in Massachusetts in 2014. At the same time, the Indian government had started a nationwide campaign to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management, Swachh Bharat Mission. Deep down, Abhishek always thought he had an entrepreneurial bent of mind, and had desired to start a company of his own. Consequently, he got the opportunity when the Swachh Bharat Mission was running on full swing. “India is known to generate over 62 million tonnes of waste every year. And, since the trash is not segregated at source, the process of collection and disposal is an onerous task. I wanted to provide a probable solution and add value to this space. That was when I decided to kick off Spruce Up after returning from the US,” says Abhishek.
Enabling contactless garbage management
Jatayu has been designed and developed in such a way that it ensures zero manual handling of garbage right from the point where the waste is picked up until it’s transferred or dumped. The machine, which can be mounted on a heavy vehicle like a truck, works like a vacuum cleaner, where the suction power lifts all kinds of garbage like coconuts, glass, bottles, leaves, medical waste, food waste, clothes, cans, shoes, and more. “Once all the trash is picked up, the machine transfers it to the collecting vehicle for further processing. Jatayu has a high suction power and can lift 2000 tonnes of litter in one shift, said Abhishek. Now Abhishek wants to manufacture machines for cleaning highways, railway tracks and beaches.
Wanted to end dependency on European machines
“Several American and European countries apply a variety of tools and equipment to clear garbage right from rotation brooms to road sweepers. However, there are hardly any machines that can perform these tasks in India. The idea behind laying the foundation of Spruce Up was to bring out mechanized ways to clean garbage on Indian roads”, Abhishek explains. I had to make quite a few tough decisions at the beginning, especially when it came to pooling in funds. But, I believed in my idea, and was determined to add value in this space, he added.
Support from PMO
So far, Spruce Up has sold machines to 2 countries including New Zealand and municipal corporations of 21 cities in India, including Vijayawada, Chhattisgarh, Nellore, Mumbai, Mysore, Chennai, Mumbai, Varanasi, Dehradun, and Delhi. In fact, the startup also received support from the PMO, as well as the joint secretary of Swachh Bharat Mission.