School Dropout’s Award-Winning Boiler Cuts Firewood Use From 100 Kg to 20 Kg

A science enthusiast and innovator, Subhash Ola once invented a DC thermal power plant for his no-electricity-village. Subhash started his experiments at the age of 13. He got a real passion for it when he solved the electricity issue of his village in 1984. “I can’t forget that night. Then prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated on the same day my village got electricity,” he reminisces.

But at the age of 16, when Subhash, a resident of Alwar, Rajasthan, dropped out of school, he was inundated by questions.

“Everyone asked me why I am dropping out of school. My only answer, then and now, is that if something wrong is taught, what is the purpose of studying? But, eventually, everyone who asked me this question understood my point through the inventions I made,” says Subhash, the chief executive officer of Geniusenergy Critical Innovation Pvt. Ltd (GCI).

GCI won the startup of the year India award of Amazon Possible Entrepreneurship Challenge for his latest innovation of boilers which can recycle the firewood used in it, thus decreasing the fuel usage from 100 kg to 20 kg.

“I have been in the field of energy innovations for the past 32 years, and the boiler innovation took around six months. Over these years, I have used trial and error to give shape to 10 or more versions while trying to develop a single product that might just fail in the end. This is a long, tiring and unending process,” says the 45-year-old.

The wonder boiler

Boilers usually give out a considerable amount of waste, which is always a reason for pollution. The boiler developed by GCI uses the same waste, recycles it and reuses the same. The whole process saves a tremendous amount of firewood and minimises pollution.

“Let’s take the example of a bike. What if the smoke expelled by the vehicle can be used again as a fuel instead of petrol? The same theory applies here,” says Subhash, who customises his invention based on customers’ needs.

Subhash has spent several crores on inventing new equipment. For the boiler alone, around Rs 15 lakh was used. The innovation is now working in 6000 industries across India, including companies like Eklingjee Polymers (Rajasthan), Patak Dairy and Industries (Nepal) and Balaji Dairy (Haryana). The product sells for Rs 50,000 to Rs 40 lakh based on the size and capacity.

“Basically, it is a closed circuit where the waste steam never goes out and is recycled. Using the same technology, more than 50 per cent of LPG waste can also be recycled,” claims the entrepreneur. “Saving energy, protecting the environment and constantly experimenting are the three major objectives of the company.”

The company started its operation in 2011 but was formally registered in 2016. 20 employees are working in GCI, and the team is always busy experimenting with new stuff. Their activities have been noticed several times, and there has even been an incident in which Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar contributed Rs 5 lakh for their projects.

“Apart from these few supports, money comes from personal investments and the sale of equipment,” says Subhash, who began with the money he received from working on daily farms and by tube well/ borewell making.

The passionate inventor’s only advice to budding science and tech enthusiasts is to be consistent. “The idea is to recycle your ideas and use them for something new. You can’t predict what’s brewing out there. But, the end result will amaze you,” he adds.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

Similar Story

Startup’s Innovation Could Help Millions Get Access to Better Brain Health At Home

Ivory, a pioneering age-tech startup founded by Issac John and Rahul Krishnan, aims to redefine the ageing experience by focusing on better brain health, through neuroscience-backed assessments, interactive games, and personalised solutions.

Read more >