Photo Courtesy: Michael Randall

After an initial hick up, four of our team members courageously got out of their shells and are actually spending time out on the field trying to use their seed money to save carbon emissions through a legitimate business transaction.

Remember that they have never ever done a business in their lives. This is their first time risking it out in the real world. I am waiting here nervously like an anxious man outside the maternity room. News is trickling in bits and pieces.

Sriram has found a fluorescent tube light fixture original equipment manufacturer in Bangalore who regularly supplies for companies like Philips and Wipro. He knew from our earlier research that a T8 fixture with an electronic ballast fitted with a tri-phosphorous tube light can not only save 20 watts of energy but also can emit whiter light. He has struck a sourcing deal with the producer to directly supply to the end consumers without any dealers or retailers as intermediary. He has already succeeded in selling three tube lights at a price 40% cheaper than retail market rates. Bangalore city, we understand, sells around 600,000 tube light fixtures a year. Most of them are fitted with magnetic ballasts. If Sriram manages to swing the market towards greener electronic ballasts that would mean a significant savings in carbon emissions. Besides the fixture and bulb initiative, he is excited about the solar lantern opportunity as well. He is trying to get a prototype made as well. He seems to have a head-start over others in the team.

Javed sent a text message to me last evening saying he tried 'whaling' - a concept of going after bigger business deals, and failed. He is probably going to partner with Sriram on the fluorescent tube light business. We are still not sure what he is up to.

Amit and Jitendra have joined hands together to design and assemble a Sun Jar and a Moon Jar. They are going around trying to piece together a solar energy prototype of the jars. That will be a tall order for the two as they have never worked on electronics before - one is a bio-technologist and the other is an agricultural engineer. Knowing Amit, the experimenter at office, it might still work although we are not sure if it would be market-worthy. I know not to whom he is going to sell it either!

Varun is busy supporting various causes of our institution. Poor chap has no free time to concentrate on this exercise. Yet, he has smartly put a deal with Sriram to buy his solar lantern prototype and sell it in the market.

I am very excited about this experiment. One can say for sure that no matter what happens in the end, our team will win.

Tomorrow is the D-Day for the team; less than twenty four hours to go.

Everyone simply needs an opportunity. Goodness is waiting to spread its wings.

--
I Am New,
Krish Murali Eswar.