India is abundant in human capital and talented minds, and of late, there is no dearth of entrepreneurs in the country. But entrepreneurship isn’t just about making profit. It’s about building businesses that make a difference in the world. In other words, its problem solving and making money by taking the roads less (or never) travelled. Businesses that solve problems and thereby impact and influence the lives of people grow exponentially in the shortest time span. When such businesses work wonders, the world grows and transforms right before our eyes. Impact entrepreneurs (coined by Adam Levene) at the helm of such initiatives help tackle some of the toughest challenges of our time. Simply put, they never sell, instead, they solve problems. Sandith Thandasherry is one such impact entrepreneur who came up with an innovative and futuristic solution for inland water transportation. An IIM-Madras graduate and founder of NavAlt Solar and Electric Boats, Sandith is the man behind India’s first solar-powered boat, Aditya.
Source - www.motivateme.in
Aditya, operating between Vaikkom and Thavanakkadavu, is propelled by electric motors that are powered by a 50kWh Lithium battery pack. The boat carries about 1500 passengers every day. Aditya takes 22 trips each day, travels at an average speed of 6knots, and covers about 55km from 7.00 am to 7.pm. Each trip involves a 13-15km journey, and the daily energy cost is just Rs. 163. Do a bit of math and the result will surprise you – In a year, Aditya saves about 35,000 liters of diesel and 22 lakhs in energy costs, along with preventing the emission of 94 tonnes of CO2. Isn’t that an amazing achievement, given the growing environmental problems that we face each day? Solar ferries like Aditya can put an end to the rising pollution menace; reduce energy consumption, noise, vibrations, and so on by leveraging the benefits of a whole host of futuristic technologies in boat manufacturing. Aditya, a catamaran, is ergonomically-designed with comfortable cushioned seats, and contain a music system and television. An exhaustive analysis of the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) indicates that solar ferries like Aditya are way more advantageous than both conventional and modern diesel ferries. Furthermore, unlike diesel ferries that cannot withstand passenger overload, catamarans like Aditya ensure better and reliable margin of stability when it comes to handling passenger overload.
Despite having navigable waterways, inland water navigation in Kerala has always remained neglected or underutilized. Sandith managed to turn things around with Aditya, a 75-pax solar ferry. Why solar boats? Solar powered boats are the most feasible ways to leverage our waterways and improve connectivity. When compared to conventional and modern diesel ferries, solar ferries ensure better safety, comfort, and pleasure. They are cleaner, viable, comfortable, and eco-friendly and the operational costs are surprisingly reasonable. Entrepreneurs like Sandith can thus devise both problem-solving and problem-preventing solutions at the same time, and turn disruptive ideas into world-changing business ventures. They are unconventional, creative thinkers who approach problems without getting affected by prevalent constraints and stigmas. Moreover, they are calculated risk takers who can balance risk, opportunity, innovation, and business acumen to provide optimal, futuristic, and sustainable solutions. We need more such impact entrepreneurs who can elevate themselves above the current and future problems and discern opportunities from every obstacle or challenge that we face daily.