What prompted you to set up NextGenInnov8?
I usually study beyond the syllabus, because our intellect and innovation matter the most. I believe age is no barrier to success. When I was 12, I wanted to start my own company, but I knew nothing about business or entrepreneurship, and so I applied for the Summer Business Academy course at Harvard. I received an email saying that my application was brilliant. But they did not accept me because I did not fit into their age criteria – I was too young to do that course. I was heartbroken. But I convinced them for an online interview and got accepted!
I learnt business from Harvard, innovation and problem-solving from Standford, economics from Oxford, and entrepreneurship from Babson. Those things happened before COVID-19. During the pandemic, I took the initiative to start NextGen Innov8 to give the power of innovation to every teacher and child. Children just need the right guidance, resources, and an ecosystem to make the world a better place. This is exactly what I envision NextGeninnov8, my company, will provide.
Your first innovation was Suraksha Box.
Extreme times have led humans to be creative and come up with unique solutions. This inspired me to innovate during this crisis, and I created the Suraksha Box. This light sterilisation box is used to sterilise vegetables, groceries, and everyday items without using chemicals and to protect us from all kinds of viruses, bacteria, and fungi, including all strains of COVID-19. It works on the principles of UVC light. This helps reduce the spread of the virus and make the environment around us safer. Prevention is always better than cure. The box has a Government of India patent, and is approved, recommended, and certified by CSIR-CMERI of the government. The goal is to provide the box to the less privileged and frontline workers.
Has the pandemic been helpful to develop your innovation?
Without this pandemic, all those successful journeys wouldn’t have happened in my life. I just used my leisure time to find solutions to real-world problems. At that time, India was in a lockdown, and I was unable to get the materials required for executing my idea. I was forced to use materials I already had at home, such as aluminium foil from the kitchen, unused cardboard boxes, even using a UVC tube from the water filter. As a result, my solution became extremely cost-effective, easy to make, and I understood the concept of frugal innovation.
You’re also a keynote speaker.
I usually speak about the importance of 21st-Century skills, including problem-solving, filling the missing gaps of education, updates, and more. I try to focus on the importance of certain concepts so that others can incorporate them into their lives.
Apart from entrepreneurship, what do you like to do?
I like to learn something new every day. Sometimes I wish to learn about How to Learn’ every week. This helps me improve what I my skills. Apart from this, I love to read, listen to music, take a walk, inspire others about various innovations, etc.
How do you manage time between entrepreneurship and education?
I use the time management and productivity technique followed by Elon Musk called time-boxing’, the process of dividing the day into different time blocks. He divides his day into five-minute slots for emails, reading, business meetings, phone calls, and so on. Likewise, I am dividing my time for my studies, presentation, hobbies, and learning. It honestly changed my life and I recommend this method to everyone.
What is something about society that you wish to change?
Society usually looks down upon those that fail. Even though we’ve read that Failure is the stepping stone to success, we don’t live by it on a day-to-day basis. Society should let students think outside the box, and encourage enetrepreneurship among the youth. No one is perfect, and we need society to not put us down when failure knocks us, and instead help us get up and try again.
Picture Credit : Google
