Bengaluru Brands Creating Rice Husk Tableware & Drinkware for World Environment Day
Over the years, designers and manufacturers have explored a range of eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, cane, and wood. Now, they are agri-waste such as rice husk and wheat straw are being turned into cutlery, planters, pet bowls, and more. We explore three Bengaluru brands working in the segment:
Sippers and more
It was about a year ago when Nipun Jain decided to help tackle the growing crisis of single-use plastic pollution. A former business developent professional, he launched Turtle Tales — drawing from the Olive Ridley turtle's circular journey back to its nesting beach — with eco-conscious everyday products crafted from rice husk. 'Our mission is to reduce the carbon footprint of individuals and communities by offering sustainable alternatives to everyday products,' says Nipun, the founder-CEO.
Today, they offer products such as cups, mugs, water bottles, and sippers in their range called HuskMade. These products are made from husk sourced from rice mills in Karnataka, and we 'have plans to integrate directly with rice farmers within the next eight to 10 months'. This, Nipun says, will create a new revenue stream for farmers.
Elaborating on their other offerings, Nipun explains how EcoScript has 100% recycled paper products such as notebooks, diaries, and stationery, and Optiknit features T-shirts and hoodies crafted from recycled materials such as polyester and cotton. As an agricultural by-product that often goes to waste (sometimes through burning, releasing carbon emissions), utilising rice husk is a form of upcycling, he says. 'This reduces the demand for virgin materials and our manufacturing processes for HuskMade products generally have a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional plastic production,' adds Nipun, 'Having said that, these products are not marketed as fully compostable or biodegradable in a typical home composting setting. However, we are investigating the potential for 100% compostable granules for future HuskMade applications.' The team also offers a buy-back option for the rice husk products.
Now, Nipun is researching and developing 100% compostable granules derived from rice husk 'for potential future product lines and investigating packaging solutions for large listed companies seeking sustainable alternatives'.
Products upwards of ₹100 on turtletales.eco/
Child-friendly cuppas
Eha's journey as a brand started during the pandemic years when founder Mahadev Chikkanna created bio-composite face shields. 'This experience revealed that large corporations need more time to incorporate bio-composites into their supply chains. Individual consumers, however, were eager to adopt sustainable alternatives in their daily lives provided the quality matched conventional products at comparable prices,' says Mahadev, who now offers products designed from crop waste such as rice husk and forest waste like bamboo fibres and pine needles.
The rice husk range comprises drinkware (insulated coffee mugs, glasses, chai cups, water bottles), and tableware (serving bowls, curry bowls, storage containers, snack bowls, cutlery, storage jars, kid-friendly plates, etc). 'The carbon footprint of our bio-composite products is measurably lower than the products they replace. Additionally, our manufacturing process generates virtually zero material waste,' says Mahadev, who also offers closed-loop recycling programmes 'where we collect used products for processing at our facility'.
Currently, rice husk is sourced through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and their technology 'can be extended to other agricultural waste streams such as rice and wheat straw'. This approach, Mahadev says, has the potential to increase farmer income through effective supply chain management. 'For context, each acre of rice or wheat cultivation yields about 1.5 tonnes of grain and 4.5 tonnes of crop waste. While farmers earn approximately ₹30 per kilogram for grain, our model can potentially generate an additional ₹5 per kilogram for crop waste that would otherwise be discarded or burned.'
With plans to launch more new 'home' and 'lifestyle' categories, Mahadev also aims to make the adoption of bio-composite material mainstream. 'Our R&D continues to explore the use of crop-waste such as rice husk through bio-composite materials for packaging, construction, industrial applications, and automotive solutions. While we initially focused on decarbonising plastics, we're now discovering opportunities to reduce or replace other carbon-intensive materials including ceramics, steel, and glass,' he says.
Products upwards of ₹300 on eha.eco/
Ramen bowls and brushes
For siblings Ibhatta Jayarama Sanjana Bhat and Sooraj Ibhatta Jayarama, their schooling at Krishnamurti Foundation of India laid a strong foundation for their relationship with the environment. 'That foundation slowly shaped the belief that sustainability shouldn't be a luxury. It should be part of daily life,' says Sanjana. In 2021, a few months after she graduated college and a short stint in the corporate world, the duo launched Irida Naturals with the aim of making that belief a reality.
'We wanted to build a brand that made sustainability more accessible, through products that were practical, well-designed, and genuinely rooted in circular thinking,' she says of the brand that crafts tableware, drinkware, and homeware from agricultural by-products like rice husk and wheat straw.
Their rice husk-based products such as dinner plates, soup bowls, ramen bowls, cutlery, etc. 'are made for long-term, everyday use'. 'By working with agricultural waste instead of fresh natural resources, we help reduce environmental extraction and directly lower CO₂ emissions,' adds Sanjana.
'Our products are not biodegradable, and that's intentional,' she says, 'Our rice husk products are heat and water resistant, and, at the end of their life, fully recyclable through standard plastic recycling streams.'
Explaining that the rice husk is sourced from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, she says the husk is first cleaned and ground into a fine powder. Then, it is blended with plant-based binders and food-safe polymers to form a durable, moldable material. 'This composite is used to manufacture our products through injection moulding: a process we've designed to minimise waste, recycle excess material, and operate efficiently at scale.' While these products are 'slightly more expensive' to manufacture than mass-produced plastic, when compared to premium wooden alternatives, 'our pricing is competitive', she says.
Now, the duo are looking at expanding their kitchen storage range, and adding organisers, eco-friendly pet accessories to their range. 'We're also developing hybrid materials that combine rice husk with other natural fibres to enhance strength, design flexibility, and maintain recyclability,' Sanjana says.
Products upwards of ₹299 on iridanaturals.com
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The Hindu
05-06-2025
- The Hindu
Bengaluru Brands Creating Rice Husk Tableware & Drinkware for World Environment Day
Over the years, designers and manufacturers have explored a range of eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, cane, and wood. Now, they are agri-waste such as rice husk and wheat straw are being turned into cutlery, planters, pet bowls, and more. We explore three Bengaluru brands working in the segment: Sippers and more It was about a year ago when Nipun Jain decided to help tackle the growing crisis of single-use plastic pollution. A former business developent professional, he launched Turtle Tales — drawing from the Olive Ridley turtle's circular journey back to its nesting beach — with eco-conscious everyday products crafted from rice husk. 'Our mission is to reduce the carbon footprint of individuals and communities by offering sustainable alternatives to everyday products,' says Nipun, the founder-CEO. Today, they offer products such as cups, mugs, water bottles, and sippers in their range called HuskMade. These products are made from husk sourced from rice mills in Karnataka, and we 'have plans to integrate directly with rice farmers within the next eight to 10 months'. This, Nipun says, will create a new revenue stream for farmers. Elaborating on their other offerings, Nipun explains how EcoScript has 100% recycled paper products such as notebooks, diaries, and stationery, and Optiknit features T-shirts and hoodies crafted from recycled materials such as polyester and cotton. As an agricultural by-product that often goes to waste (sometimes through burning, releasing carbon emissions), utilising rice husk is a form of upcycling, he says. 'This reduces the demand for virgin materials and our manufacturing processes for HuskMade products generally have a lower carbon footprint compared to traditional plastic production,' adds Nipun, 'Having said that, these products are not marketed as fully compostable or biodegradable in a typical home composting setting. However, we are investigating the potential for 100% compostable granules for future HuskMade applications.' The team also offers a buy-back option for the rice husk products. Now, Nipun is researching and developing 100% compostable granules derived from rice husk 'for potential future product lines and investigating packaging solutions for large listed companies seeking sustainable alternatives'. Products upwards of ₹100 on Child-friendly cuppas Eha's journey as a brand started during the pandemic years when founder Mahadev Chikkanna created bio-composite face shields. 'This experience revealed that large corporations need more time to incorporate bio-composites into their supply chains. Individual consumers, however, were eager to adopt sustainable alternatives in their daily lives provided the quality matched conventional products at comparable prices,' says Mahadev, who now offers products designed from crop waste such as rice husk and forest waste like bamboo fibres and pine needles. The rice husk range comprises drinkware (insulated coffee mugs, glasses, chai cups, water bottles), and tableware (serving bowls, curry bowls, storage containers, snack bowls, cutlery, storage jars, kid-friendly plates, etc). 'The carbon footprint of our bio-composite products is measurably lower than the products they replace. Additionally, our manufacturing process generates virtually zero material waste,' says Mahadev, who also offers closed-loop recycling programmes 'where we collect used products for processing at our facility'. Currently, rice husk is sourced through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and their technology 'can be extended to other agricultural waste streams such as rice and wheat straw'. This approach, Mahadev says, has the potential to increase farmer income through effective supply chain management. 'For context, each acre of rice or wheat cultivation yields about 1.5 tonnes of grain and 4.5 tonnes of crop waste. While farmers earn approximately ₹30 per kilogram for grain, our model can potentially generate an additional ₹5 per kilogram for crop waste that would otherwise be discarded or burned.' With plans to launch more new 'home' and 'lifestyle' categories, Mahadev also aims to make the adoption of bio-composite material mainstream. 'Our R&D continues to explore the use of crop-waste such as rice husk through bio-composite materials for packaging, construction, industrial applications, and automotive solutions. While we initially focused on decarbonising plastics, we're now discovering opportunities to reduce or replace other carbon-intensive materials including ceramics, steel, and glass,' he says. Products upwards of ₹300 on Ramen bowls and brushes For siblings Ibhatta Jayarama Sanjana Bhat and Sooraj Ibhatta Jayarama, their schooling at Krishnamurti Foundation of India laid a strong foundation for their relationship with the environment. 'That foundation slowly shaped the belief that sustainability shouldn't be a luxury. It should be part of daily life,' says Sanjana. In 2021, a few months after she graduated college and a short stint in the corporate world, the duo launched Irida Naturals with the aim of making that belief a reality. 'We wanted to build a brand that made sustainability more accessible, through products that were practical, well-designed, and genuinely rooted in circular thinking,' she says of the brand that crafts tableware, drinkware, and homeware from agricultural by-products like rice husk and wheat straw. Their rice husk-based products such as dinner plates, soup bowls, ramen bowls, cutlery, etc. 'are made for long-term, everyday use'. 'By working with agricultural waste instead of fresh natural resources, we help reduce environmental extraction and directly lower CO₂ emissions,' adds Sanjana. 'Our products are not biodegradable, and that's intentional,' she says, 'Our rice husk products are heat and water resistant, and, at the end of their life, fully recyclable through standard plastic recycling streams.' Explaining that the rice husk is sourced from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, she says the husk is first cleaned and ground into a fine powder. Then, it is blended with plant-based binders and food-safe polymers to form a durable, moldable material. 'This composite is used to manufacture our products through injection moulding: a process we've designed to minimise waste, recycle excess material, and operate efficiently at scale.' While these products are 'slightly more expensive' to manufacture than mass-produced plastic, when compared to premium wooden alternatives, 'our pricing is competitive', she says. Now, the duo are looking at expanding their kitchen storage range, and adding organisers, eco-friendly pet accessories to their range. 'We're also developing hybrid materials that combine rice husk with other natural fibres to enhance strength, design flexibility, and maintain recyclability,' Sanjana says. Products upwards of ₹299 on
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- The Hindu
As philanthropy backs use of edtech in boosting FLN, critics ask for evidence of efficacy, warn of dangers
With foundational literacy and numeracy programs gaining momentum through the NIPUN-Bharat mission, philanthropy-backed non-profits are exploring edtech integration into primary education and home learning. Among these efforts, Delhi-based Centre Square Foundation launched the LiftEd Edtech Accelerator, a philanthropically funded initiative supporting eight edtech solutions working across 20 States to improve FLN outcomes through funding, mentorship, and capacity-building. While these solutions leverage India's growing smartphone penetration to supplement school learning, educationists warn of three concerns: data privacy risks, persistent digital inequity, and poor understanding of children's learning processes. Abhimanyu Maheshwari, CSF's Senior Project Lead for the accelerator, cites a gap that emerged during the post-COVID edtech boom as the reason for launching the program. 'Most of the edtech solutions catered to the affluent users, with very few providing high-quality digital education to underserved students,' he said. Another trend was that most solutions focused on secondary education, while hardly any innovations addressed FLN learning outcomes, noted Mr. Maheshwari. The accelerator has reached over 5.5 million students, claiming improvements in learning outcomes based on qualitative studies, led by Prof Tarun Jain, Associate Professor of Economics, IIM Ahmedabad, and the Reserve Bank of India Chair in Finance and Economics. A quantitative study is slated for release in October. An internal 2022 CSF study suggests 70% of students spend at least 30 minutes daily on smartphones for entertainment, time that the team believed could be converted into learning hours. 'In government schools, especially, we see minimal practice happening—largely because children get no work to do at home. The accelerator's goal was to introduce structured practice, self-learning, and doubt resolution as an additive to school learning. For example, if a child learns two-digit addition in class, our solutions reinforce it through home practice,' says Gouri Gupta, Project Director for Edtech at CSF. Ms. Gupta notes the accelerator's unique focus on home learning avoids edtech's common criticism of encroaching on school teaching time. Edtech solution models at play Ms Gupta explained that the accelerator includes multiple models, including B2C and government-led partnerships. One B2C example is Top Parent, a free playstore application. 'Digital marketing drives downloads,' said Ms. Gupta. After installation, a diagnostic test assesses the child's level, then recommends learning packages with videos and interactive activities. These help master concepts like fractions through practice, with incentives to sustain engagement. 'In most government schools, every class has a WhatsApp group that includes teachers. We add the Rocket Learning bot to these groups,' she explains, citing the Rocket Learning Bot as a government partnership model. The bot shares content and activities, like asking children to watch a counting video and then count red objects at home while parents share videos of the activity. 'This model incentivises participation and builds community engagement,' she notes, adding that the bot also shares worksheets for annotation. Pramod Kumar, a primary school teacher in Ghaziabad's Bhatjan, described how Chimple, a solution that's a part of the accelerator, aided classroom learning. He observed how the play-based activities built curiosity among the students. 'The app made homework so much fun, students began asking why we weren't assigning it,' he said. 'We made sure to involve parents, oriented them about the application and how students can use it. Parents also discussed how data recharge can be a hindrance in accessing the app.' Mr. Kumar also explained how Chimple's interactive audio feature works, 'For alphabet learning, the feature asks the students to identify letters. The student listens to the question and chooses the right option.' An associate professor from Delhi University's Faculty of Education, on condition of anonymity, said that we must be wary of how edtech solutions vary in promoting meaningful learning. She cited the Tara app, used in KV schools for FLN programs, 'It assesses fluency based on reading speed—passages are thrown at students, who are evaluated on words per minute. This risks reducing reading to a performative, isolated skill, with no measure of whether children understand the content.' Educationist Anita Rampal, former Dean of Delhi University's Faculty of Education, also urges caution. She argues that even with customised learning, technology integration falls short in practice, especially in early education. 'We saw the myth of digital learning during COVID, exacerbated by the digital inequity.' Ms. Rampal also warns of the risks in the platformisation of education. She cites her work for an International Mathematics Handbook that examines algorithmic bias in global edtech platforms, often designed by male Global North developers who have limited understanding of how children learn. The analysis found that these platforms encourage consumerism among young children. Curriculum alignment Mr. Maheshwari emphasised that for ecosystem-level impact and to encourage government adoptions, the solutions align with NCERT guidelines or are mapped to the state content framework and vetted by SCERT bodies. 'Content goes through feedback loops and A/B testing,' he added. The solutions also prioritise cultural relevance. 'We offer content in eight regional languages — including Hindi, Urdu, Odia, and Kannada — each adapted to regional living experiences,' he said. Ms. Rampal, however, suggests that edtech solutions could work better by addressing not just curricula but how language is learned. She critiqued the National Curriculum Framework's understanding of how children learn language. Contrary to language learning theories and research that suggest that language learning is an emergent process, the NCF and FLN policies follow a more traditional and simplistic teaching approach that often boxes children's learning development. Responsible ways for edtech to supplement FLN programs would be to understand the emergent nature of language learning and to work with school teachers who understand the learning processes and diverse children, because all children are not the same, she said. Understanding the emergent nature of language learning means making connections to the language a child speaks and the script they are introduced to. For example, spoken Hindi differs from the written. Ms. Rampal points to Kerala's textbook adaptations when they realised the differences between languages spoken in North and South Kerala as critical. Multilingualism must be embraced without imposing one 'correct' version or linguistic authority. We must avoid preconceived notions and acknowledge the many linguistic contexts that exist, she added. How is the learning data being collected Mr. Maheshwari explained that while each solution supported by the accelerator has its monitoring system, the accelerator itself tracks broader user journey, engagement, and retention metrics. He noted the accelerator ran three cohorts addressing distinct challenges: scale, engagement, and product contextualisation. The qualitative studies by Prof. Jain and the research organisation Sambodhi assessed the accelerator's effectiveness and user experience. Findings confirm that well-designed digital tools can support FLN in low-income settings, with localised content, interactive features, and learning agents driving engagement. Persistent challenges include uneven digital access, socioeconomic constraints, and inconsistent implementation, as detailed in the user experience study. The study stresses aligning edtech with local contexts, ensuring strong training/support systems, and incorporating continuous stakeholder feedback to refine strategies. Efforts to protect data privacy When asked about data privacy, Abhimanyu replied that all accelerator solutions comply with India's data privacy laws and remove personally identifiable tags. Collected data is aggregated, and the CSF team also conducted extensive workshops on data privacy laws, ethics and child digital safety, he added. Ms Rampal, though, highlighted persisting data privacy concerns of how student data from the Global South gets mined and sold to third parties. Structural reforms and challenges When asked about the accelerator's plans, Ms. Gupta said the team is building robust evidence to answer whether edtech solutions do improve learning outcomes, a process that will take time. 'The Indian education landscape does have a learning outcome problem. The real question is whether edtech can solve this while also catering to the country's diversity and scale.' Mr. Maheshwari spoke about the need to acknowledge home learning at a policy level. 'With rising smartphone penetration and emerging evidence of edtech's potential to bridge learning gaps, we want home learning recognised as a key pillar of Nipun Bharat,' he said. Budget allocations for primary-grade digital learning would help sustain these solutions through government adoption, he added. Currently, ICT policies under the Samagra Shiksha scheme mostly fund computer labs for secondary grades. Sustainability remains a challenge, with most solutions relying on CSR and philanthropic funds. 'We're calculating per-child costs while maintaining quality.' 'For now, grants will fund these evidence-backed solutions, aiming to spur government policy and budget reforms,' he said. Point taken, say edtech experts 'It's easier for governments to say that they've developed good technologies than to say they've developed good curricula or textbooks.' Ms. Rampal stressed that learning is a social process and that it's essential to create effective learning environments for students. 'If we deliberately ignore this, it's difficult to claim learning is happening.' 'Technology can be culturally alienating', she adds. 'When access is limited, like three children sharing one parent's device, learning becomes restricted and difficult.' 'With the right learning environment, children are happy to learn and work hard', Ms. Gupta acknowledged the scepticism towards edtech. 'It's fair to question whether a solution is just flashy tech or actually improves learning.' To address this, she stressed pedagogy-first design over technology. CSF has partnered with IIT Bombay and Delhi to create EdTech Tulna—a global benchmarking tool assessing content, UI/UX, and other aspects to rigorously evaluate solutions. 'This rubric has guided our accelerator,' she added. Tulna is now part of government RFPs for edtech procurement. Ms. Gupta reiterated, 'Tech augments education; it doesn't replace it.'
Hans India
23-05-2025
- Hans India
Proud to support conservation efforts of Olive Ridley turtles, says Karan Adani
New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) Managing Director Karan Adani on Friday said that they were proud to support conservation efforts of Olive Ridley as the population of the vulnerable sea turtle species thrives in Odisha. The Olive Ridley turtle derives its name from its olive-coloured carapace -- the hard upper shell. The sea turtle is one of seven living marine turtle species classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Their distinct breeding patterns and growing threat from human activity make the species increasingly fragile. "We are delighted that the Olive Ridley turtles are thriving in record numbers at Gahirmatha beach near Dhamra," said Karan Adani, in a post on social media platform X, on the occasion of World Turtle Day. "We are proud to support conservation efforts that protect them and their fragile ecosystems in Odisha," he added. Adani Group's Dhamra port in Odisha is home to one of the world's largest nesting populations of Olive Ridley turtles. The Group has created a corpus of Rs 30 crore for the conservation and protection of the Olive Ridley turtles. In a video posted on X, Karan Adani listed some measures undertaken by Adani Ports for the conservation of the Olive Ridley turtles. This includes dark sky lighting -- special lights installed to reduce sea glare and aid turtle movement; turtle migration support – providing trawlers to the Forest Department for patrolling during migration periods to ensure safety; safe navigation -- port routes planned away from turtle congregation zones. Other measures include fishing zone marking -- buoys are placed to restrict fishing boats from entering turtle-sensitive areas; and community engagement -- partnering with Divisional Forest Officer Bhadrak to educate fishers on mangrove and turtle conservation. In the 2024-25 season, about 6.89 lakh Olive Ridley turtles nested at Gahirmatha beach, the company said. Karan Adani noted that APSEZ will continue to work on their conservation efforts for the marine species. "Working with local communities and wildlife authorities, we continue to safeguard these gentle marine creatures," the Managing Director of APSEZ said. --IANS rvt/vd
