T-Works (Telangana) visit

Collaboration
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I visited T-Hub (startup hub) and T-Works (hardware prototyping and R&D centre) in Hyderabad, two Telangana state run institutions last weekend, and was truly mind blown. Ossus and BlueJay (recent Rainmatter investments) both work out of T-Hub.

With T-Works specifically—which absolutely blew me away—I think the foundation could have a very meaningful partnership. They have the state-of-the-art machinery from all across the world (electronics, 3D printing, CNC, laser cutting and molding of metal, woods etc.) for rapid design and prototyping, which is open to startups, hobbyists, and the maker community. I’ll write to them shortly to start an official conversation.

Saw one particular project which was right up our alley. A school girl was hand-making biodegradable pots for nurseries. She was doing a dozen units a day. Folks at T-Works designed and prototyped a mechanical hand-operated molding machine that let her test it out. Telangana govt. is apparently helping her setup a unit in her village. Another one was a similar plant-waste agarbathi holder maker which they developed for an artisan co-operative society.

@NithinKamath the bio-degradable nursery pot problem we’ve talked about multiple times, I think this may be the one.

  • T-Works has passionate hobbyists and technicians who can help design, R&D, prototype anything. There’s a really cool wooden aircraft that can deliver a 1KG payload which they’ve prototyped and built. Their model is to help people get to the prototype stage where it can be taken else where far manufacturing.
  • Saw EV startups also R&Ding and prototyping stuff there.
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There are a few of them out there.

The K-tech in Bangalore, Deshpande startups in Hubli to name a few.

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Those plastic bags are popular because as the plant grows, nurseries keep changing the size of the bag. Otherwise, folks could use clay pots, which have scale and reach.
Doubt that this can solve that use case (maybe others can share their view). But it is quite cool to see the support she has gotten for this.

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It’s not just size. It’s heavy, hard to transport and maneuver, and of course, expensive (plastic is dirt cheap).

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Yeah, transporting using clay pots isn’t viable. But if it is just about shifting plants from smaller to bigger bags as they grow, clay pots would do the job. But yeah, can’t match up to the convenience or the cost of plastic bags.

The only real solution to plastic is maybe a bio-based alternative to plastic at the same price. On the lines of https://www.zerocircle.in/

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Exactly, I’m also impressed to see the level of support she has got.