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AC helmet to beat the heat
Rise in temperatures taking a toll on daily activities of the people. So, what would be the condition of industry workers toiling away in high temperatures? Struck by the same thought, the three young entrepreneurs put themselves in blue-collar workers’ shoes and knuckled down to come up with Jarsh Pluto air-conditioned helmet.
Visakhapatnam: Rise in temperatures taking a toll on daily activities of the people. So, what would be the condition of industry workers toiling away in high temperatures? Struck by the same thought, the three young entrepreneurs put themselves in blue-collar workers’ shoes and knuckled down to come up with Jarsh Pluto air-conditioned helmet.
Product Features :
- Built for the industry - heavy metal, steel, mining, cement, construction
- Keeps the user comfortable and productive
- Maintains 20°C to 25°C
- Unbreakable UV glass for eye protection
- 250 gms of additional weight only
- Recommended by doctors for its positive effects
- Each AC helmet costs Rs 7,000
The product aims to give a new lease of life to work force by increasing their productivity in mining, construction, steel plants and other sectors. A college project by Kausthub Kaundinya, Anand Kumar and Sreekanth Kommula crossed all the stages of incubation to get transformed into a potential budding company. Given the air- conditioned helmet’s huge need to several industries, the Jarsh firm got the recognition under the Start-Up India campaign by Government of India a week ago.
“Many assume that the AC helmet would be heavier, but our product weighs 250 grams more than the regular helmet. We launched two models of the product, which runs for one-and-a-half-hour with battery, while the other one gives cool air for eight hours,” said 23-year-old Kausthub Kaundinya, CEO of Jarsh who has set up a stall at International Innovation Fair -2017 in Visakhapatnam.
Initially, at incubation-level the project was funded and supported by VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology in Hyderabad. As things went in favour of the three engineering graduates, the Ministry of MSME in collaboration with National Institute of Design (NID, Ahmedabad) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc, Bengaluru) chipped in to turn the project into a viable product for doing business under the mentorship of Indian School of Business (ISB, Hyderabad), he recalls.
According to several studies, high-temperatures are hurting the productivity of the workers following which the industries bear the brunt of financial crisis, he says citing, “2.4 per cent is the average drop in productivity for every 1°C rise in temperature above 26°C according to a study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.”
International Institute for Global Health study estimates that India would see a GDP loss of $450 billion by 2030 due to scorching heat conditions and its implication on workers’ productivity. In 2010, the India’s GDP loss owing to reduced productivity was pegged at $ 55 billion.
It was also proved by researchers that human thermal comfort zone lies between 22°C to 28°C where maximum productivity is unleashed. In this context, Jarsh firm has come up with Pluto AC helmets designed for the industry - heavy metal, steel, mining, cement and construction. Other features of the products are keeps the user comfortable and productive, maintains 20°C to 25°C, unbreakable UV glass for eye protection and recommended by doctors for its positive effects.
Jarsh is also part of the XLR8 accelerator, a flagship programme of AP Innovation Society (APIS) in collaboration with Texas University.
“We have sold about 25 samples to companies like Keerthi Industries, Jayem Automotives, DS Group for market feedback and received good response. We are presently in process of raising funds to invest in mass manufacturing capability,” says Kausthub Kaundinya.
By Y Abhishek Paul
