August 2015 Woman At Work Digital
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the earlier wood stoves were replaced with<br />
Bharatlaxmi stoves that cut<br />
emission by over 80 percent.<br />
Her focus on local materials,<br />
bio-waste and sustainability<br />
got her the 2002 Ashden<br />
award for Renewable Energy<br />
from agricultural waste.<br />
While awards have never<br />
driven Karve, it was extremely<br />
helpful to have the money,<br />
some fame and recognition<br />
that also brought in some sponsors as well,<br />
she admits. “Even Coke has an advertising<br />
budget” she grins. With her very first product<br />
well on its way, she turned to examine the<br />
issue even more minutely. “A good product<br />
alone does<br />
not guarantee<br />
commercial<br />
success” she<br />
admits.<br />
While the<br />
impact of her<br />
work could be<br />
seen in many<br />
places with her<br />
initial earthen<br />
stoves going<br />
on to sell over<br />
75,000 units,<br />
there were<br />
many marketing<br />
lessons she<br />
had to learn.<br />
Adopting<br />
the lessons<br />
learnt along<br />
the way, she started Samuchit Enviro in<br />
2005 broadening her focus on providing<br />
environmentally sustainable energy and waste<br />
management solutions to rural and urban<br />
28 | <strong>August</strong> <strong>2015</strong><br />
“Designing an<br />
efficient cooking<br />
stove for rural<br />
kitchens is far<br />
more difficult<br />
than designing a<br />
rocket engine”<br />
households and establishments in India and<br />
other developing countries.<br />
Today Samuchit markets a<br />
number of products that<br />
address the problem of indoor<br />
air pollution in rural kitchens,<br />
where wood and biomass are still<br />
prevalent cooking fuels. In a bid<br />
to reduce dependence on LPG,<br />
Samuchit also promotes clean<br />
biomass fuelled cooking devices<br />
suited to urban lifestyles.<br />
Customised waste-to-energy solutions to<br />
solar energy devices, and research on any<br />
energy saving, pollution reducing alternatives<br />
to traditional non-sustainable devices,<br />
Samuchit does it all. “Today we need it more<br />
than ever before”<br />
says Karve who<br />
custom designed an<br />
easy carbon footprint<br />
calculator with the<br />
Indian consumer in<br />
mind.<br />
Doing good<br />
does not end with<br />
inventions and<br />
entrepreneurship.<br />
Karve also teaches<br />
and mentors others in<br />
her spare time. “It is<br />
not about you or me”<br />
says this remarkable<br />
lady who has saved<br />
many women in rural<br />
India from slow and<br />
painful air poisoning<br />
and health problems.<br />
“Sustainable businesses are the only way we<br />
can save the planet. It is the only one we have<br />
so far”.
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