Debashree Padhi’s childhood memories in Naami of Odisha’s Bhadrak District, are filled with the smoke that coils around the women and children in rural areas using traditional methods of cooking fuel and the traditional Indian Chulha system. Her eureka moment came in the form of a college project that has now changed the lives of at least 50 families, and the environment, in a village in rural Odisha.

Her smokeless stove fuelled by organic biowaste usually burned by reduces cooking time by less than half as compared to an LPG, but comes with a high no risk factor. It also provides a much cheaper alternative to those residing in rural areas. She applied for a project with the Ministry of Small and Micro Enterprises (MSME) which funded her Rs. 6.75 lakhs. Under the guidance of her scientist father and her supportive family, this money was used to fuel her genius innovation that promises a lighter future to those most in need.

Smokes Less: Agnis- derived from the Sanskrit term Agni; fire, is a cooking stove that emits zero smoke unlike its traditional and modern counterparts. This is possible thanks to the primary and secondary air ventilation holes that vary in all three of her stove-prototypes. This process for complete air circulation prevents smoke-traffic, thus reducing harmful emissions usually caused by burning fuels while also ensuring complete combustion.

The organic spark to this smokeless stove is the biowaste that is now collected and delivered by farmers or chosen agro-entrepreneurs from their fields. The agro-pellets are shaped like little bullets and contain a high calorific value which she can increase to 4000 kilo calory per joule.

The biowaste comprises of jaggery, limestone, clay and other organic components found in these farms which are then pulverised or cut into small pieces before being compacted into a pellet making machine. Three types of stoves that each vary in design- including a portable nano stove that weighs 2.5 KG are being experimented for market release. In comparison to an LPG cylinder’s 500 Degree Celsius heat factor, Agnis Cooking Stove fires up to 2500 Degree Celsius which can be reduced by regulators in the stove.

Made of Steel: The stoves are made of a light steel and differ in size, with the portable nano being transportable absolutely anywhere. The manufacturing is done by local welders and steel workers, further empowering local businesses on the small scale. Fifty of her products have been distributed to women who are already glowing in the aftermath of nutritious, healthy food fresh, smokeless air. A kilogram of pellets can also fuel up to 50-minutes of cooking.

Debashree Padhi was assisted in her commercialisation of the project by The Department of Science and Technology, India and Powered Accelerator- a first of its kind accelerator that helps women-led businesses in the energy value sector. It is a joint initiative of the shell foundation and Zone Startups, funded by DFID UK. The remainder of her MSME funding also helped her set up DDBioSolutions whose mission is on creating innovative technologies related to energy, food, environment and agriculture, especially to empower and impact local rural communities. Her B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering and an M.Tech in Polymer Nanotechnology from the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology coupled with watching her father’s love for science fuelled her drive for change.

Made of Steel: The stoves are made of a light steel and differ in size, with the portable nano being transportable absolutely anywhere. The manufacturing is done by local welders and steel workers, further empowering local businesses on the small scale. Fifty of her products have been distributed to women who are already glowing in the aftermath of nutritious, healthy food fresh, smokeless air. A kilogram of pellets can also fuel up to 50-minutes of cooking.

Debashree Padhi was assisted in her commercialisation of the project by The Department of Science and Technology, India and Powered Accelerator- a first of its kind accelerator that helps women-led businesses in the energy value sector. It is a joint initiative of the shell foundation and Zone Startups, funded by DFID UK. The remainder of her MSME funding also helped her set up DDBioSolutions whose mission is on creating innovative technologies related to energy, food, environment and agriculture, especially to empower and impact local rural communities. Her B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering and an M.Tech in Polymer Nanotechnology from the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology coupled with watching her father’s love for science fuelled her drive for change.

Debashree Padhi’s journey has not been devoid of challenges and she articulates how finding an incubation centre for her initial prototype posed quite the breathless challenge. Luckily, the money she had acquired coupled with her father’s helpful expertise allowed her to purchase a National Instrument (NI) which tests the temperature of the device.

One of the most appealing qualities of The Agnis Integrated Biomass Cooking Stove besides its smokeless avatar is that it comes with no risk of explosion. She recalls an incident where the family set out on a picnic and did not realise that the LPG had leaked en-route to their destination. It immediately caught fire while the family ran amok fearing an explosion. Luckily there was no mishap and Agnis, which was safely seated in their vehicle, rushed to their rescue by providing them a safe, smokeless and instantaneously tasty meal.

The industrial prototype has currently been distributed to two dhabas in Orissa as part of the piloting process and Debashree Padhi hopes for it to reach others very soon. In a post-pandemic world, her biomass integrated smokeless stoves seem to be the answer to safer, healthier kitchens and lungs. As Debashree Padhi accurately says, LPG is a blast of the past, Agnis is the clean answer to India’s sustainable future.