Mansukhbhai had a traditional business of pottery making, but he wasn’t interested in it, because the business was declining. His mind diverted to rooftop tile manufacturing. Being a potter himself an idea hit his mind one day when he thought, if tiles could be made out of clay, then why not other products?
"I failed my Class X exam and never dreamt of being an entrepreneur," says Prajapati, who was born in a clay craftsman's family at Nichimandal village in Morbi.
Mansukh bhai Prajapati, a traditional clay craftsmen, has transformed traditional clay items into an innovative range of products which he calls Mitticool, ‘mitti’ meaning clay in Hindi. The Better India sheds lights on the entrepreneurial journey of this tenacious innovator.
Born in Nichimandal village of Morbi, Rajkot, Mansukhbhai was exposed to traditional clay making since childhood. But, due to the precarious financial situation of the family, he had to leave studies early and take up various odd jobs to support the family.
In 1988, he left his job and took a loan of Rs. 30,000 to start his own earthen plate manufacturing factory. Mansukh bhai modified the roof tile making hand press and developed a hand press machine having a capacity to produce 700 earthen pans per day. He sold one pan for 0.65 paisa and within 2 days he could sell the entire 1st batch.
This continued for some time. However, he started getting negative feedback from customers regarding the durability of the tavas (pans). He then experimentally varied the proportions of clay to get a mix which was more heat resistant and durable.
In 1990, he got his unit company registered. And in 1995 he got a bulk export order for water filters from Nairobi, Kenya. Finally, the Trade Mark ‘Mitticool’ was registered in 2001.
In the calamitous earthquake of 2001, Mansukh bhai suffered huge irreparable loss. His stock was decimated to a large extent, and whatever remained, he distributed it among the earthquake victims in Kutch.
In February 2001, Sandesh Gujarat Daily carried a photo feature on the earthquake where at one place it showed a broken water filter of Mansukhbhai with the caption ‘Garibi Ka Fridge Tut Gaya’ (Fridge of the Poor got broken)
This caption motivated him to work hard and create a fridge that could be used by rural masses. In 2002, he started working on the refrigerator design and came in contact with GIAN (Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network), which assisted him in various stages of product development.
The principle of cooling used in this simple machine is the same as that of earthen pots. It does not require electricity or any artificial energy and therefore has no recurring costs. The refrigerator preserves the original taste of fruits and vegetables.
During testing, the shelf life of coriander was extended by 4 days as against 1.5-2 days in room temperature. Shelf life of vegetables like brinjal, chilly & okra was increased on an average by 5-6 days vis-à-vis room temperature.
GIAN facilitated design improvements in the fridge through National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. Mitticool refrigerator has been featured at a conference organized by the Centre for India and Global Business, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, UK in May 2009. Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte (BSH), Germany, one of the world’s largest home appliance companies, have also written to GIAN and showed interest in the product.
That’s how Mansukhbhai created Mitticool, a company that specialises in creating earthenware products like refrigerators, cooker, filters amongst other products. A refrigerator made by his company costs Rs. 3,000/- and can be afforded by poor people. It is based on the simple scientific principle that evaporation results into cooling. His refrigerator has channels where water can be filled up and allowed to vaporise, leaving behind a cool space which keeps fruits and vegetables fresh.
Born in Nichimandal village of Morbi, Rajkot, Mansukhbhai was exposed to traditional clay making since childhood. But, due to the precarious financial situation of the family, he had to leave studies early and take up various odd jobs to support the family.
In 1988, he left his job and took a loan of Rs. 30,000 to start his own earthen plate manufacturing factory. Mansukh bhai modified the roof tile making hand press and developed a hand press machine having a capacity to produce 700 earthen pans per day. He sold one pan for 0.65 paisa and within 2 days he could sell the entire 1st batch.
This continued for some time. However, he started getting negative feedback from customers regarding the durability of the tavas (pans). He then experimentally varied the proportions of clay to get a mix which was more heat resistant and durable.
In 1990, he got his unit company registered. And in 1995 he got a bulk export order for water filters from Nairobi, Kenya. Finally, the Trade Mark ‘Mitticool’ was registered in 2001.
In the calamitous earthquake of 2001, Mansukh bhai suffered huge irreparable loss. His stock was decimated to a large extent, and whatever remained, he distributed it among the earthquake victims in Kutch.
Idea for Mitticool Fridge
In February 2001, Sandesh Gujarat Daily carried a photo feature on the earthquake where at one place it showed a broken water filter of Mansukhbhai with the caption ‘Garibi Ka Fridge Tut Gaya’ (Fridge of the Poor got broken)
This caption motivated him to work hard and create a fridge that could be used by rural masses. In 2002, he started working on the refrigerator design and came in contact with GIAN (Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network), which assisted him in various stages of product development.
Mitticool – The Natural Refrigerator
The principle of cooling used in this simple machine is the same as that of earthen pots. It does not require electricity or any artificial energy and therefore has no recurring costs. The refrigerator preserves the original taste of fruits and vegetables.
During testing, the shelf life of coriander was extended by 4 days as against 1.5-2 days in room temperature. Shelf life of vegetables like brinjal, chilly & okra was increased on an average by 5-6 days vis-à-vis room temperature.
GIAN facilitated design improvements in the fridge through National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. Mitticool refrigerator has been featured at a conference organized by the Centre for India and Global Business, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, UK in May 2009. Bosch and Siemens Hausgeräte (BSH), Germany, one of the world’s largest home appliance companies, have also written to GIAN and showed interest in the product.
That’s how Mansukhbhai created Mitticool, a company that specialises in creating earthenware products like refrigerators, cooker, filters amongst other products. A refrigerator made by his company costs Rs. 3,000/- and can be afforded by poor people. It is based on the simple scientific principle that evaporation results into cooling. His refrigerator has channels where water can be filled up and allowed to vaporise, leaving behind a cool space which keeps fruits and vegetables fresh.
Mitticool has a turnover of Rs. 45 lakhs and employs 35 people. Mitti-Cool’s products have reached countries like Africa and Dubai apart from many cities in India. The manner in which Mansukhbhai has brought forward the traditional business of clay craftsmanship to newer heights with his entrepreneurial abilities, is truly commendable. Moreover, his innovation has resulted in a low cost technology that does not require electricity to run!
Future Plan
Mansukh bhai is an innovator who is always open to new ideas on innovative products and design. NIF-India shared with him an idea about developing an earthen thermos flask. Manuskhbhai, paying heed to the consultation given by NIF-India on design and development, promptly manufactured thermos of 1 and 2 liters capacity.
GIAN & NIF-India also assisted Manuskh bhai in collaborating with the retail giant, Future Group. Now, his products are sold at various branches of Big Bazaar. Watch Mansukhbhai talk about his journey at an INK Conference:
Mansukhbhai is a man on a mission. If he is not experimenting in his factory, he is travelling across the country to market his products. After inventing a fridge made of clay, he is improvising to make small ‘Minute Mitticools’ like 5 minute mitticool or 2 minute mitticool, which would be able to cool water in 5 or 2 minutes. We look forward to hearing all about his brilliant innovations in the future as well!
Next on cards is a Mitti Cool home, where the lighting and cooling will be completely natural and without electricity.
No wonder former president APJ Abdul Kalam called Prajapati a 'true scientist'.
Visit the official website of Mitticool : mitticool.in
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