Coimbatore: A solution to reduce fuel consumption while drying cardamom and equipment that would make harvesting of carrots easier were among the startup ideas that together received a support grant of Rs 25.76 lakh on Tuesday under the department of science and technology’s Nidhi Prayas scheme. The projects received the grant through the science and technology entrepreneurial park (Step) of the PSG College of Technology.K Uthaya Kumar, who comes from an agricultural background, was given a grant of Rs 7.6 lakh for his cardamom electric dryer, which could work in solar power too. Uthaya Kumar said he got the idea when he saw how inefficient the current drying method was. “Producers were using firewood to heat cardamom to remove moisture. This process takes time and energy. Also, in the process, the oil content of cardamom would evaporate, leading to weight loss. The method I have devised retains cardamom’s oil content. Trial runs have shown that the method reduces processing cost upto 80% and time upto 50%,” he said.P Avinash, an engineering graduate, has developed an equipment to ease the process of harvesting carrot. An attachment in the tractor loosens the soil using a fork and pulls carrots using the rolling belt mechanism. “By this process, carrots are harvested and collected in a bag directly,” he said. The project received a grant of Rs 9.5 lakh.Another innovation, ‘Save Mom’, an interactive fitness wearable, which works with an AI-enabled mobile application, helps pregnant women keep track of their fitness routine, was sanctioned a grant of Rs 8.66 lakh.Along with these, ‘Sportiv’, a mobile and web app developed by Geetha Karthik, a former IT professional, was granted a fellowship under the ‘entrepreneur in residence’ programme. She would get Rs 30,000 a month for further research. Geetha said the app seeks to create a digital profile of local sportspeople and connect them to sponsors.

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