Rajnish Jain bags IMC Inclusive Innovation Award

Awarded for his product - electricity and cooking coal from pine needles - Uttrakhand-based Rajnish Jain has been conferred the IMC Inclusive Innovation Awards 2012, an official said Wednesday.

The award, instituted by the Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC), recognises products or service innovations which are inclusive, capable of commercial exploitation, sustainable and scalable.

Rajnish Jain

Jain received financial support of Rs.20 lakhs at a ceremony here Tuesday night.

Jain's product helps in harnessing the destructive energy of pine needles for meeting energy needs and improves rural livelihoods.

The central Himalayas have 1.5 million hectares of pine forests, where excessive forest fires spread by pine needle litter destroys natural resources.

Jain's company, Avani, converts this destructive biomass into clean, affordable electrical and cooking energy for driving economic growth.

"The award is a commendable project to discover the hidden ability of an innovation, provide a useful platform to an entrepreneur to showcase his talent and help the society to become technologically advanced," IMC President Niranjan Hiranandani said.

Jain was selected from five short-listed entries through a question and answer session conducted by the jury. - IANS

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