These four young Indians have made it to MIT’s list of ’35 Innovators Under 35′

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has chosen 4 Indians for their annual global list of  ’35 Innovators Under 35′ and have termed them as “inspiring and creative people”.

Rahul Panicker, Aaswath Raman, Rohan Paul and Saurabh Srivastava, all in their early thirties, are serving the society in much needed ways, looking at issues that have been troubling India for ages. Leaving behind lucrative careers abroad, these young minds have come back, so that things could be a little better here.

Below are brief profiles of each of them. Read and be inspired:

1. Rahul Panicker

Rahul Alex Panicker from  Mavelikkara, Kerala is the President and co-founder of Embrace Innovations, and the thought behind the venture is downright amazing. One of India’s biggest concerns is infant mortality. Most infants from disadvantaged backgrounds don’t survive due to inhospitable conditions of care, and their family’s inability to afford costly hospital services for infants, immediately after birth.

After earning a Ph.D from Stanford University, Rahul came back and started Embrace, which produces incubators that cost only 1% of what normal incubator’s cost. These run on hot water and not electricity, thus conserving energy and money. These incubators can keep babies warm for up to 6 hours after birth, thus taking care of the critical initial hours of care.

Having made this kind of incubator at Stanford with fellow students for a project, Panicker and the team co- founded the non-profit organization to help developing countries access the equipment in India.

2. Aaswath Raman

Aaswath Raman, also from Stanford University, is trying to make life much easier for everybody. If his innovations reach their desired goal, we will be able to use the AC without the guilt of damaging the environment.

Aaswath is basically trying to make a cooling mirror that would stay 5 degrees cooler than the surrounding air even under direct sunlight, thus banking on renewable resources to work. He is using nano-scale technology to achieve this feat. Trying to integrate the idea with air conditioning infrastructure, we will soon be able to cool ourselves with much less money.

3. Rohan Paul

Rohan Paul uses innovation and science to get to people with disabilities. He co-invented SmartCane, a bendable cane that would detect obstacles, thus avoiding the blind from colliding against them. The SmartCane has already reduced collisions by 95% and 10,000 people are using the contraption.

After studying in IIT, Delhi, Rahul is currently doing his Ph.D at the University of Oxford. His goal is to invent software that would help robots take up lifelong learning and help them navigate better from place to place.

4. Saurabh Srivastava

He wants everybody to be able to access the advantages of online services. Saurabh, an engineer with Xerox, India has created a web interface that even the illiterate can use and avail themselves of offers, and help the internet provides.

Recently he created a platform for pregnant women to access various free tests and services available to them in the country. He also uses animation to make people understand what a web page or service is talking about.

These youngsters make us proud and inspire us to be more sensitive towards those in need.

Also read:

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This innovation by 3 Indian men gives women the freedom to stand and pee. Phew… what a relief!