If you’re sipping on water at the time of reading this article, we suggest you gently set your tumbler down because there’s a good chance it could slip out of your hands and drop on the floor with a dramatic clatter. Popular brokerage platform <keyword id="759851" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zerodha" source="Orion">Zerodha</keyword>’s founder and CEO <keyword id="1430802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nithin-kamath" source="Orion">Nithin Kamath</keyword> recently shared a deeply disturbing and unsettling video of the insides of a drinking water pipeline. The walls of the pipes were practically invisible, mostly because of the layers upon years of various substances deposited on them. <div type="twitter" handle="Nithin0dha" handlename="Nithin0dha" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1805499794418176109"></div>It is normal for water to have some impurities — that’s why most of us have water filters, right? However, the water flowing through those particular pipes didn’t look safe in the least. Not to mention, the greenish-brown grime deposited did make our stomachs turn and eye the water next to us suspiciously. The footage also showed what might have been contamination from a sewage pipeline. It remains unclear what the solution to this issue is, we could say that identifying the urgent need for better and cleaner water pipelines is the first step. The videos were captured by robots developed by <keyword id="22198104" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Solinas" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Solinas" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Solinas">Solinas</keyword>, a Chennai-based startup born from an <keyword id="19953789" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Madras" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="IIT Madras" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="IIT Madras">IIT Madras</keyword> student project. Solinas tackles these challenges head-on with advanced robotics and AI. Their approach utilises robots like Endobot to navigate water lines, identifying leaks, contamination, and other issues invisible to the naked eye. This strategy not only improves efficiency but also saves money through early detection and prevention. But the impact of companies like Solinas goes beyond mere efficiency. Their robots are transforming a dangerous profession: manual scavenging. By developing robots specifically designed for cleaning manholes and septic tanks, Solinas eliminates the need for human contact with sewage, protecting <keyword id="20027370" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanitation-workers" source="keywords">sanitation workers</keyword> from potential health risks. As per reports, Solinas has provided clean water to over 100,000 households, empowered sanitation workers, and saved millions of litres of water daily. Partnering with <keyword id="20761769" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rainmatter" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Rainmatter" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Rainmatter">Rainmatter</keyword>, a venture capital firm focused on sustainable solutions, Solinas aims to make an even bigger splash. Their joint mission: reducing water leakage and contamination by 20% while eliminating manual sewage cleaning altogether. By leveraging robotics and AI, they are ensuring cleaner water, safer working conditions, and a more sustainable future. Solinas says it has already implemented comprehensive solutions in over 30 cities, serving a diverse clientele including global corporations and government bodies. Their technology has even been recognized by Indian ministries, and Solinas is setting ambitious goals to become the nation's first WASH sector unicorn.

Zerodha’s Nithin Kamath shares disturbing video of drinking water pipes contaminated with grime and sewage

<ul><li>From developing cheaper test kits, hand sanitizers and sterilization techniques — IITs are doing all it takes to control the virus. </li><li><keyword id="6354859" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIt">IIT</keyword> Roorkee researchers prepared 150 litres of herbal hand sanitizer. </li><li><keyword id="57604" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-delhi">IIT Delhi</keyword> researchers developed ‘cheaper’ test kits to trim the cost of diagnosis. </li><li>IIT and AIIMS alumni came up with a device called ‘Airlens Minus Corona’ that can travel the streets to sterilize them.</li></ul>As India locks down to contain <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword>, India’s researchers of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are busy at labs to come up with smart solutions for the same. From developing cheaper test kits, hand sanitizers and sterilization techniques — IITs are doing all it takes to control the virus. Herbal hand sanitizers <div type="image" title="sanitize" msid="74788983" hostid="261"></div>

 Researchers at IIT Roorkee, Hyderabad and Kharagpur campuses made their own sanitizers. IIT Roorkee said that its researchers — Siddharth Sharma and Vaibhav Jain — prepared 150 litres of herbal hand sanitizer. These herbal sanitizers, which also act as moisturizers, comprise 80% ethanol along with antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory ingredients. They plan to distribute the sanitizer free across the campus. “In view of the prevailing <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/coronavirus/india-lockdown-live-updates-coronavirus-janata-curfew-6327325/">Covid-19 pandemic</a>, it is imperative to maintain basic hygiene practices since there is no specific treatment or vaccine for the disease. This IIT Roorkee-incubated product will be useful to the entire community by promoting basic hygiene,” Siddharth Sharma, a research scholar of Centre of Nanotechnology, IIT Roorkee told the Indian Express. This was after IIT Hyderabad developed its own hand sanitizers as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). ‘Cheaper’ test kits for diagnosing Coronavirus infection <div type="image" title="images" msid="74789000" hostid="261"></div>

 IIT Delhi researchers developed ‘cheaper’ test kits to trim the cost of diagnosis. These test kits are now at clinical trial stage. However, the cost of the kits hasn’t been disclosed as yet. “The way we are trying to make testing for COVID-19 cheaper is by making some changes at the third stage of testing. The COVID-19 test is a three-step process, and at the third stage, amplification is needed, for which a probe is supposed to be used. We are not using a probe, and this would potentially save cost,” assistant professor Vivekanandan Perumal <a href="https://theprint.in/health/iit-delhi-researchers-develop-cheaper-test-kits-for-covid-19-undergoing-clinical-trial/385865/">said</a>. Sterilizing the streets <div type="image" title="clean street" msid="74789107" hostid="261"></div>

 IIT and AIIMS alumni — Debayan Saha and Shashi Ranjan — came up with a device called ‘Airlens Minus Corona’ a device that can travel the streets, hospitals, bus stops, railway stations, shopping malls and other public places and sterilise them. They have invented a way to kill Coronavirus using charged or ionised water droplets by electrifying, to kill Coronavirus, IANS reported. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-can-double-coronavirus-test-kits-to-200000-in-a-week-thanks-to-pune-based-mylabs/articleshow/74787231.cms">India can double coronavirus test kits to 200,000 in a week, thanks to Pune-based Mylabs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coranavirus-cases-in-punjab-news-and-updates/articleshow/74771047.cms">Coronavirus cases in Punjab spike to 23, IAS officers donate salaries</a>

IITs against Coronavirus — All the experiments from electrified water to herbal sanitizers to cheap test kits

<ul><li>Researchers at the Indian Institutes of Technology (<keyword id="6354859" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIt">IIT</keyword>) Madras are developing innovative solutions to tackle <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword>. </li><li>Startups incubated by IIT-Madras in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu government, have launched an IVRS — Interactive Voice Response Systems to report the Covid-19 cases in the state. </li><li>An IIT-M incubated startup also developed 'AirBin,' that enables remote monitoring of waste accumulation levels. </li><li>Across IITs, as many as 202 active research projects are underway to tackle Covid-19. </li></ul>While India goes into quarantine mode to contain Coronavirus,<a href="https://twitter.com/iitmadras/status/1254617088955609093?s=20"> researchers at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Madras</a> are developing solutions like N-95 masks, face shields and interactive voice response systems to tackle the global pandemic. Recently, an IIT-Madras incubated startup Antariksh developed a smart bin system - 'AirBin.' It allows remote monitoring of the waste accumulation levels via smartphone. <div type="twitter" handle="iitmadras" handlename="IIT Madras" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1201474436718743558/lUV_Emm1_normal.jpg" favoritecount="22" retweetcount="6" status="@iitmadras has been intensively contributing to fight against the #pandemic #CoVID19 #Corona #FightAgainstCOVID19.… https://t.co/18F6qmBFiV" createdat="1587958998000" id="1254617088955609093"></div> Startups incubated by IIT-Madras, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu government, has launched an IVRS — Interactive Voice Response Systems to report the Covid-19 cases in the state. The IVR gives advisory in real-time, if the user should take any precautions based on the travel history, symptoms and other personal information shared. The initiative was launched as a part of the Aarogya Setu app. “Close to 65% of mobile phone users in the country use feature phones. Especially for those sitting in villages who are feeling unwell or possibly infected, it becomes difficult to reach out or report cases if help is limited to smart phone technology. This initiative aims to fill this gap,” Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Head at the IIT-M Incubation Cell <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/tamil-nadu-govt-iit-madras-launch-ivrs-to-collect-covid-19-data-from-non-smartphone-users/articleshow/75067052.cms">told</a> The Times of India. The faculty staff at the institute also developed a touchless portable sanitizer dispenser that can be installed in public places to contain Coronavirus. Meanwhile, AirOk Technologies, which is an IIT-M incubated startup has developed 25,000 masks and protective gear for medical professionals. Another startup Ubifly Technologies deployed drones for delivery of drugs and medicines. A med-tech startup incubated at IIT-M also developed a smartphone-based portable ventilator with a humidifier. In fact, the researchers at <keyword id="6356755" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-madras">IIT Madras</keyword> are currently engaged in nearly five active projects aiming to develop testing kits for Covid-19. The institute has even proposed to set up a testing facility. Across IITs, as many as 202 active research projects are underway to tackle Covid-19. At IIT Roorkee, Hyderabad and Kharagpur campuses, research students also made their own sanitizers. While IIT Delhi researchers developed ‘cheaper’ test kits to trim the cost of diagnosis. These test kits are now at the clinical trial stage. However, the cost of the kits hasn’t been disclosed as yet. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/affordable-test-methods-to-drones-institutions-take-the-innovation-route-to-aid-covid-19-fight/articleshow/75389899.cms">Affordable test methods to drones: Institutions take the innovation route to aid COVID-19 fight</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/infosys-has-a-new-no-regret-policy-when-it-comes-to-employees/articleshow/75253715.cms">Infosys has a new 'no regret' policy when it comes to employees</a>

IIT Madras startups are developing smart bins, touchless dispensers and portable ventilators to tackle Coronavirus

Face shields, bio-suits, and disinfection chambers — some of the ways that Coronavirus is driving innovation in India

Chennai, June 4 () Indian Institute of Technology- Madras and city-based Shima Engineering have entered into a tie-up to develop a hands-free sanitiser dispenser that can be used in various automobiles, an official said on Tuesday. A prototype of the product has been developed, which can be used in cars, vans, buses and auto-rickshaws, Associate Professor of IIT-Madras department of engineering design, Kavitha Arunachalam who led the project said. The idea was mooted by Shima Engineering following the need for hands-free personal hygiene products in the wake of coronavirus outbreak. "I mentored Shima Engineering to build prototypes to suit different end-users", she was quoted as saying in a press release issued by IIT-Madras here. VIJ ROH ROH

IIT-M, Shima Engineering collaborate to develop hands-free sanitizer dispenser

Kanpur (UP) May 14 () An IIT Kanpur-incubated company is set to launch a series of automatic disinfectant chambers that would help reduce the risk of people catching COVID-19 when they visit public places, the institute director said on Thursday. "One of the first products that is going through the rigorous testing is the intelligent disinfectant chamber" IIT-Kanpur Director Abhay Karandikar said. Dr Nikhil Agarwal, CEO of IIT Kanpur incubator said, "CuproHealthtech is launching the disinfectant chambers. We are working with the team closely to ensure the best possible support". Disinfectant chambers are closed cabins where disinfectant is sprayed on the individual to sanitize or disinfect him or her completely. The chamber will determine the temperature of the person before allowing him or her to enter and the AI-powered camera will record the face of the individual and moderate the entry of the individuals, Karandikar said in a release. He said the chamber will sanitise individuals from top to bottom within seconds, and asserted that the whole process is completely automatic and free of any human intervention. As people go out in pubic spaces after the coronavirus-triggered lockdown is lifted, the IIT-Kanpur director said, they will be prone to getting infected from belongings of others including clothes and shoes. He said hand sanitizers and face masks may not guarantee complete protection. CuproHealthTech is a health technology firm based out of Hyderabad. Cupro is incubated at Foundation for Innovation and Research in Science &amp; Technology (FIRST) –- a technology incubator of IIT-Kanpur. SAB CK

IIT Kanpur-incubated company to launch automatic disinfectant chambers

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/31589551.cms" /> Do you have a little extra cash that you want to spend for a good <keyword id="22752" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="cause">cause</keyword>? Have you always wanted to help a cause but didn’t know where to put your money? Or do you own a company that focuses on corporate social responsibility and wants to make sustainable <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="investments">investments</keyword>? One way of doing it is to donate the money, but there’s a small snag. The money you spend is gone for good – it can’t be used multiple times to help more people. But how about helping people as many times as you want, using the same capital you have spent in the beginning? And getting the entire amount back in monthly repayments? Call it sustainable giving or crowd lending, this kind of financial model enables you to do all these and one <keyword id="6404679" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="start-up">start-up</keyword> is leveraging it to enhance life at the <keyword id="140518" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="bottom-of-the-pyramid">bottom of the pyramid</keyword>. 
 Welcome to <keyword id="2108864" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Milaap-Social-Ventures">Milaap Social Ventures</keyword>, a social enterprise operating from Bangalore and <keyword id="6356662" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Singapore">Singapore</keyword>, which has developed an online crowd-funding platform to help the unbanked and the <keyword id="2108896" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Underprivileged-masses">underprivileged masses</keyword> in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>. Simply put, <keyword id="6734688" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Milaap">Milaap</keyword> (it means ‘connecting together’ in Hindi) offers an RBI-approved micro-lending platform that allows the organisation to receive ‘loans’ from all over the world. Although <keyword id="2108903" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Individual-lenders">individual lenders</keyword> don’t get ‘financial returns’ on their investments (after all, you are putting in your money for a ‘good cause’), they get the principal back after the stipulated period. They can then re-deploy the money to help another person/project or cash out their principal. This helps create a <keyword id="2108904" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Continuous-funding-cycle">continuous funding cycle</keyword>, more effective and sustainable than one-time donations. Want to know more about how Milaap is connecting the haves and the have-nots in a bid to help implement life-enhancing projects? Here is a snapshot that captures the start-up’s vision and viability. 
 
Who runs Milaap (milaap.org): A team of three co-founders – <keyword id="1270675" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sourabh-Sharma">Sourabh Sharma</keyword> (<keyword id="5645" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CEO">CEO</keyword>), <keyword id="2108870" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anoj-Viswanathan">Anoj Viswanathan</keyword> and <keyword id="2108865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mayukh-Choudary">Mayukh Choudary</keyword>. Sourabh, a graduate from the <keyword id="87108" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-University-of-Singapore">National University of Singapore</keyword>, started his first company, a mobile app start-up, straight out of college and ran it for more than two years. Next, he had a stint with corporate houses but soon joined hands with the other two co-founders to start Milaap. 
 Anoj holds a degree in Engineering from the National University of Singapore and he is also a StartingBloc Fellow (2010). Prior to co-founding Milaap, he had worked with SKS <keyword id="113684" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="microfinance">Microfinance</keyword> and focused on the energy and water services space. Earlier, he had been at <keyword id="2108863" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ReEx-Capital-Asia">ReEx Capital Asia</keyword>, a cleantech investment boutique in Singapore, and served as a fellow at D.light Design. He is also a founder member of the <keyword id="2108877" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Microfinance-Society-in-Singapore">Microfinance Society in Singapore</keyword> and leads the Milaap team in India. 
 Mayukh is an <keyword id="198748" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="electrical-engineer">electrical engineer</keyword> from IIT Madras and holds a PGDM from IIM Lucknow. He specialises in building technology-enabled financing models and worked as a <keyword id="2108874" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="financial-risk-consultant-in-Dubai">financial risk consultant in Dubai</keyword> before starting up Milaap. 
 
What inspired the venture: A sabbatical that changed life. In 2008, Anoj took some time off to be with SKS Microfinance and worked on a project to provide solar lanterns on credit in a few tribal villages in <keyword id="6357961" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Odisha">Odisha</keyword>. There he met Mayukh who was then working with the solar lantern-maker D.lightdesign. While on this project, Anoj noticed how <keyword id="6621346" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Small-loans">small loans</keyword> impacted life in a big way, especially at the bottom of the pyramid, and the idea of Milaap came to his mind. Developing a crowd-funding platform to connect India’s underprivileged with prosperous individuals and <keyword id="2108906" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Institutional-lenders">institutional lenders</keyword> across the globe seemed the right way to go about it. Anoj, who knew Sourabh from 2006 when he interned at his previous start-up Microappli, got him and Mayukh together to give shape to the idea of Milaap, which finally went live in June 2010. 
 
What’s the pitch: <keyword id="2108919" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lend-a-little">Lend a little</keyword>, <keyword id="2108920" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="change-a-lot">change a lot</keyword> – that’s Milaap’s motto and it has started happening. “India has a large pool of people who don’t have access to traditional banking, but they do require <keyword id="2108923" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Funds-for-self-employment">funds for self-employment</keyword> and developmental initiatives. So we are leveraging the global reach of the <keyword id="6357247" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Internet">Internet</keyword> and trying to ensure that people – either individually or through their <keyword id="23045" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="social-networks">social networks</keyword> – can raise and lend capital to the millions who are unbanked and underprivileged,” says Sourabh. 
 Milaap is currently targeting over 700 million Indians who are mostly living in the rural &amp; semi-urban areas and unable to access formal sources of <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword>. According to the social enterprise, less than 5% of them are able to procure reasonably priced, life-improving loans for their small businesses, vocational training or other essential household assets, and that’s where the ‘loans’ raised by Milaap come in . 
 
How it works: At Milaap, the work is done in two stages. One part is <keyword id="2108932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shortlisting-borrowers">shortlisting borrowers</keyword> and publishing their profiles/projects on Milaap.org for crowd funding. Second part is deployment of the loans, monitoring their usage and ensuring timely repayments. Understandably, the second part is more cumbersome and requires a lot of offline work. Milaap has already tied up with 20-plus carefully selected ‘field partners’ (chosen from a wide range of <keyword id="164768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Microfinance-institutions">microfinance institutions</keyword> or <keyword id="113682" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="MFIs">MFIs</keyword>, <keyword id="1417942" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-Businesses">social businesses</keyword>, <keyword id="2108940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vocational-training-institutions">vocational training institutions</keyword>, etc.,) to identify the most deserving candidates/projects for loans. Once they are selected, each <keyword id="2108943" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Borrowers-profile">borrower’s profile</keyword> is uploaded on the site, along with the fund raised till date and the amount still required for completing the loan. 
 Lending online is quite simple, though. Browse through the profiles to choose a borrower or select one from an impact area that you feel strongly about. You can also use various parameters such as cause, <keyword id="6379164" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="LOCATION">location</keyword>, <keyword id="2108946" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Project-urgency">project urgency</keyword>, <keyword id="2108948" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Repayment-period">repayment period</keyword>, women-centric projects to fine-tune your <keyword id="2108951" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Borrower-search">borrower search</keyword>. After the loan payment is made online, Milaap disburses the amount to the concerned <keyword id="2108956" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Field-partner">field partner</keyword> and the end-borrower gets it from the field partner. When repayment is done (end-borrower – field partner – Milaap), ‘credits’ are accumulated in your Milaap account. When the loan is fully repaid, you can either withdraw the money or roll it into another project. As for diehard do-gooders, there are even more options to <keyword id="2108961" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Start-fundraising">start fundraising</keyword> for the projects you prefer. 
 
Claim to fame: The concept and the build-up. According to the co-founders, crowd-funding is still a niche concept in the country but it is gaining traction gradually. Till date, Milaap has raised and disbursed over Rs 8.4 crore in 8,633 loans, impacting more than 46,393 people across 11 states in India. These loans are essentially raised to fulfil a wide range of <keyword id="2108963" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Developmental-requirements">developmental requirements</keyword> including <keyword id="566897" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="basic-education">basic education</keyword> &amp; vocational training, <keyword id="572926" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="seed-capital">seed capital</keyword> for small businesses, <keyword id="2109008" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Access-to-clean-water">access to clean water</keyword> &amp; <keyword id="49770" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sanitation">sanitation</keyword>, and <keyword id="2109012" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Safe-lighting">safe lighting</keyword>. Moreover, Milaap boasts 100% repayment of loans till now, indeed a rare feat when banks and big <keyword id="34503" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="financial-institutions">financial institutions</keyword> (<keyword id="4776620" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="FIs">FIs</keyword>) are suffering from the rise in bad loans. 
 The organisation is also focusing on <keyword id="2109025" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pan-India-expansion">pan-India expansion</keyword>. “Earlier, we were mostly operating in states like <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> and <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword>. But now we are scaling up our operations and growing in states like Odisha, <keyword id="65591" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mizoram">Mizoram</keyword> and even Gujarat,” notes Sourabh. 
 
Show me the money: While a borrower gets the entire sum offered by the lender, Milaap charges its field partners a 5% fee on the loans disbursed through them, to cover its operating costs. Its field partners, in turn, charge affordable interest from the end-borrower to meet their operating costs. Milaap also makes sure that all fees are disclosed upfront. 
 
Unlike many other ventures in this space, this social enterprise is a for-profit concern, but has not reached break-even yet. However, it has found some solid backers and already raised $1.1 million in Series A venture funding in May 2013. The money raised is being utilised for developing the online platform further and scaling up operations. “We want the number of lenders to go up to 100,000 in the next 18 months. That is the tipping point from where we can gather momentum and look at break-even,” adds Sourabh. 
 The <keyword id="2026013" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Series-A-round">Series A round</keyword> was led by Singapore-based <keyword id="969909" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jungle-Ventures">Jungle Ventures</keyword>, an early-stage investment firm and an approved <keyword id="2109042" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Technology-incubator">technology incubator</keyword> under the <keyword id="2109044" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Singapore-National-Research-Foundation">Singapore National Research Foundation</keyword>’s Technology Incubation Scheme. Other investors included <keyword id="2109045" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Toivo-Annus">Toivo Annus</keyword> (<keyword id="170488" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="co-founder">co-founder</keyword> of <keyword id="6377887" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Skype">Skype</keyword>), <keyword id="2072941" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="LionRock-Capital">Lionrock Capital</keyword> (a Singapore-based <keyword id="2109046" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Family-investment-office">family investment office</keyword>), <keyword id="2108869" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jayesh-Parekh">Jayesh Parekh</keyword> (Co-Founder, Sony Entertainment Television) as well as existing investor, <keyword id="1509738" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Unitus-Seed-Fund">Unitus Seed Fund</keyword>. The company is looking to raise a Series B round worth $3-5 million in the second half of CY2014. 
 Earlier, between August 2010 and January 2012, Milaap raised $250,000 in seed investment from Unitus Seed Fund, <keyword id="211897" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="First-Light-Ventures">First Light Ventures</keyword>, <keyword id="198636" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Vijay-Shekhar-Sharma">Vijay Shekhar Sharma</keyword> (Founder, <keyword id="338385" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="One97">One97</keyword>) and <keyword id="2108867" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajiv-Madhok">Rajiv Madhok</keyword> (Founder, <keyword id="312199" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Oorja">Oorja</keyword>). 
 Interestingly, only 40% of the total lending amount comes from individual lenders (mostly from India, Singapore, the US and <keyword id="6356687" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="canada">Canada</keyword>) while 60% funding comes from institutional lenders, social funding and even family offices. But unlike <keyword id="2109229" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Small-lenders">small lenders</keyword>, large institutional and <keyword id="2109230" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="HNI-lenders">HNI lenders</keyword> get 3-4% return on their loans. 
 
Biggest challenge: There is competition from a few sites like <keyword id="1658892" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kiva">Kiva</keyword> or Wishberry, but it is still a niche space and <keyword id="2109065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Discoverability">discoverability</keyword> is the main challenge now, feels Sourabh. “We need to do more marketing and promotion to let people know such a platform exists. That will help us get more lenders on board, more field partners and subsequently, help more and more people get life-changing access to capital,” he says. 
 
A word for wannapreneurs: Take the plunge and do it. ‘Now’ is always a good time to do it – so don’t hesitate. I always feel that the risk part is overrated in entrepreneurship. You actually need the experience before you can succeed. So start early and make sure that you get the kind of experience you need for long-term success. Your first initiative may not be all that great but at least, you would have learnt from all your mistakes. Try fast and fail fast before you can succeed.

This Social
Enterprise Runs A Global Crowd-funding Platform; Eyes $3-5
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<ul><li>Xiaomi will donate N95 masks to the state governments of Karnataka, Punjab and Delhi where the total <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> cases are nearing the 100-mark.</li><li>It will also donate Hazmat suits to doctors in AIIMS and other government hospitals.</li><li>The company also announced several safety measures in its stores and service centers.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=coronavirus&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Follow the comprehensive coverage of the Coronavirus pandemic and its impact, and other useful resources that can help you in the fight on Business Insider India</a>.</li></ul>Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi announced that it will donate N95 masks and protective suits to various state governments in India to help fight Coronavirus. It also announced several measures to ensure the safety of its employees as well as customers. “Lakhs of N95 masks will be donated across state governments such as Karnataka, Punjab and Delhi government, government hospitals and state police starting this week,” Xiaomi India managing director Manu Kumar Jain said. “We will also be donating Hazmat suits to doctors across a few government hospitals like AIIMS, St. Johns,” he further added. According to the latest Counterpoint Research <a href="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/india-smartphone-share/">report</a>, Xiaomi is currently the leader in the Indian smartphone market with a share of 27%. Xiaomi announces safety measures in its stores and service centers Apart from implementing work from home policy for its employees, Xiaomi announced several safety measures it has taken in its stores and service centers. Customers who want to buy a <keyword id="2803650" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xiaomi-smartphone">Xiaomi smartphone</keyword> can call up their nearest Mi Home store and place the order. As part of Xiaomi’s ‘Delivery on Call’ service, these stores will deliver the smartphone directly to the customer’s home. The staff in Mi Home stores wears masks at all times and keep their hands sanitized for walk-in customers. At its network of over 2,000 service centers, Xiaomi allows only four customers at any given point of time. This helps customers to maintain a healthy distance from others while getting their smartphone repaired. Apart from this, Xiaomi’s staff also uses masks, shoe covers, sterile gloves and sanitized hands while offering home service to its customers. It also sanitizes devices to ensure all possible modes of Coronavirus infection are clean. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/iits-against-coronavirus-all-the-experiments-from-electrified-water-to-herbal-sanitizers-to-cheap-test-kits/articleshow/74788450.cms">IITs against Coronavirus — All the experiments from electrified water to herbal sanitizers to cheap test kits</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-can-double-coronavirus-test-kits-to-200000-in-a-week-thanks-to-pune-based-mylabs/articleshow/74787231.cms">India can double coronavirus test kits to 200,000 in a week, thanks to Pune-based Mylabs</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coranavirus-cases-in-delhi-news-and-updates/articleshow/74773842.cms">The third stage of coronavirus spread in India can be delayed but not stopped, says ICMR</a>

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi to donate N95 masks, Hazmat suits to help fight Coronavirus in India

<ul><li><keyword id="2210169" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xiaomi-India">Xiaomi India</keyword> will donate ₹10 crore to the PM and states’ relief funds, while the rest will be in the form of masks and other material.</li><li>Xiaomi also partnered with Give India to raise ₹1 crore towards supplying hygiene kits for 20,000 families.</li><li>Earlier on March 24, Xiaomi announced a work from home policy and enforced safety measures in its stores and service centers.</li></ul>Xiaomi India pledged ₹15 crore donation to fight the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> pandemic in India. Of this, it will donate ₹10 crore to the PM’s relief funds and CM’s relief funds across various states, according to Xiaomi India MD Manu Kumar Jain. Further, Jain also <a href="https://twitter.com/XiaomiIndia/status/1244922355576528896">said</a> that his company will continue to donate face masks and protective suits to hospitals across states. “We will also be donating Hazmat suits to doctors across a few government hospitals like AIIMS, St. Johns,” <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/chinese-smartphone-maker-xiaomi-to-donate-lakhs-of-n95-masks-for-coronavirus-outbreak/articleshow/74790923.cms">Xiaomi announced on March 24</a>. In addition to this, Xiaomi also donated N95 masks to government hospitals in Punjab, Karnataka and Delhi. Xiaomi to raise ₹1 crore for hygiene kits for 20,000 families Apart from masks and monetary donations, Xiaomi also announced that it is raising ₹1 crore to donate hygiene kits to 20,000 families across India. Xiaomi will be targeting families which don’t have access to soaps, sanitizers and masks. To this end, <a href="https://indiafightscorona.giveindia.org/support-families/">Xiaomi has partnered</a> with Give India, a non-profit online donation platform. The company is urging its fans and customers to donate towards this cause. Xiaomi’s pledge of ₹15 crore includes its own donations to the PM CARES fund and other state funds, the masks and other protective equipment and donations from its fans on the Give India platform. The company has also asked its employees to come forward and donate to central and state funds. Xiaomi enforces safety measures in its stores In addition to asking its employees to work from home, Xiaomi has also enforced a slew of safety measures in its stores and service centers. Customers who want to buy a Xiaomi smartphone can call up their nearest Mi Home store and place the order. As part of Xiaomi’s ‘Delivery on Call’ service, these stores will deliver the smartphone directly to the customer’s home. The staff in Mi Home stores wears masks at all times and keep their hands sanitized for walk-in customers. At its network of over 2,000 service centers, Xiaomi allows only four customers at any given point of time. This helps customers to maintain a healthy distance from others while getting their smartphone repaired. Apart from this, Xiaomi’s staff also uses masks, shoe covers, sterile gloves and sanitized hands while offering home service to its customers. It also sanitizes devices to ensure all possible modes of Coronavirus infection are clean. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/chinese-smartphone-maker-xiaomi-to-donate-lakhs-of-n95-masks-for-coronavirus-outbreak/articleshow/74790923.cms">Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi to donate N95 masks, Hazmat suits to help fight Coronavirus in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/iits-against-coronavirus-all-the-experiments-from-electrified-water-to-herbal-sanitizers-to-cheap-test-kits/articleshow/74788450.cms">IITs against Coronavirus — All the experiments from electrified water to herbal sanitizers to cheap test kits</a>

Xiaomi India pledges ₹15 crore donation towards fighting Coronavirus

The entire list and a brief profile of 'Delhi ke nirmata'⁠— the makers of Delhi felicitated at Kejriwal's oath taking ceremony

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51177934.cms" /> I sat on a chair with a paper in my hand trying to help the girl solve a Class II level double digit multiplication problem. She was shy and did not say much. She tried solving it on the sheet but there was no progress. I gave her hints, patiently waited for her to respond to that. But after a couple of minutes she gave up. Her father kept a close watch on the proceedings, slightly amused at my attempts to draw her attention towards the task at hand. I could see her mother standing at the other end of the kutcha house not very pleased with her daughter’s performance. She had been very proud of the fact that her daughter was in Class VIII in the local government school. Very few girls in the village went to school at this age. This was Chitgunwa, a small village near Jhansi where I had been assigned to conduct a survey on the level of public <keyword id="6355445" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Education">education</keyword>. 
 As India gets ready for the <keyword id="3206186" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget-2016">Union Budget 2016</keyword> amidst all the chaos that has preceded the Parliament session, it is necessary to look at budget from the perspective of that girl child or more importantly her mother. As a student of a business school, I am tempted to write on a number of issues pertaining to Indian fiscal policy which affects the business environment of the country or the startup ecosystem in India. But let me take a different route and list down few areas where adequate budgetary intervention could help the mother and her daughter regain their confidence in the system. 
 
Education is one of the key requirements to convert India’s demography into productive human capital. While enough emphasis has been laid on the access of education resulting in Gross Enrolment Ratio of 104.3% , the quality of education remains dismal. India has been consistently spending close to 4-5% of the total budget on education , but the proportion spent on primary education has been falling since last three years (Exhibit 1). The budgetary allocation for Mid-Day Meal Programme was reduced from INR 13,215 cr (2014-15) to INR 9,236 cr (2015-16) . The spend on the quality of education which includes ‘activities to improve learning, such as learning enhancement programmes and innovation grants’ in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and teacher training is also extremely low (Exhibit 2). 
 
India needs a budget where adequate allocation is made to improve the quality of primary education. The first step would be determining the nature and magnitude of quality improvement required. This can be achieved through regular and sound measurement of outcomes. Another area which requires greater budgetary intervention is teacher training. Average teacher training spend was less than an appalling 3% of the elementary education budget over the past 6 years. This needs to change. India’s primary education curriculum has been severely criticised as being over ambitious and unrealistic. This must be reviewed through a comprehensive research exercise. The curriculum must have both academic and vocational components which could address the economics of retention in secondary and higher education. There must be emphasis on innovation and reasoning which could go a long way in eliminating 140 characters of opinion building process. The government started the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” scheme through a corpus fund of INR 100cr .There is also a Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme to save for girl child’s education. But we need to do more. A comprehensive action plan with regular evaluation of the outcomes will go a long way in proper implementation of the schemes. This must be backed with adequate financial support through the budgetary allocation. 
 The other area which would matter for the mother and her daughter would be access to <keyword id="6354525" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Healthcare">healthcare</keyword> and sanitation. The previous budget was disappointing in terms of allocation to the health sector. Public spending on health sector is paltry 1.3% of the total <keyword id="35050" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="gdp">GDP</keyword> in India . The budget for Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) was slashed by almost 50% last year3. India also tops the global list with 318 deaths per 1000 children under 5 years of age due to diarrhoea and pneumonia . This is unacceptable for a country that is looking to embark on a path of sustained growth. The government must realize the importance of public healthcare spending and act accordingly. 
 
The focus should be on preventive healthcare as it serves the twin purpose of decreasing the government spending on secondary and tertiary care and the out of the pocket expenditure which results in severe health shocks leading to acute financial distress. India ranks third in the world in the out of the pocket spending on healthcare. The government’s flagship programme Swacch Bharat was criticised by CAG recently for failing to achieve the desired targets due to weak implementation. “Audit clearly reveals the failure of the sanitation programmes in achieving the envisaged target” it pointed out. In FY 2015-2016 INR 3,265 cr was allocated for Swacch Bharat Mission which was 27% hike from the previous year . Although allocations had increased, a large sum of money remained unspent. There are issues at multiple levels – evaluating a scheme on the number of toilets built is flawed. The CAG report mentions “more than 30% of individual household latrines remain non-functional”10. Building toilets is not the solution until focus is shifted on solid waste management system and treatment plants. It is vital to understand the link between front end (toilets) and back end (collection and treatment) so that appropriate resource allocation can be made in the upcoming budget. 
 
India stands at a very crucial juncture in its journey. It has been doing well on certain fronts but a lot more needs to be done. A budget which brings the focus back on education and health is what will make this growth story truly sustainable. 
 
(The article has been authored by Rishabh Raj, Post Graduate student at IIM Bangalore. A Graduate from IIT Kanpur, he has worked for two years in a management consulting firm and one year in the public policy space under a Member of Parliament)

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