Lateral Sparks, the weekly quiz from YourStory, tests your domain knowledge, business acumen, and lateral thinking skills (see the previous edition here). In this 209th edition of the quiz, we present issues tackled by real-life entrepreneurs in their startup journeys.
What would you do if you were in their shoes? At the end of the quiz, you will find out what the entrepreneurs and innovators themselves actually did. Would you do things differently?
Check out YourStory’s Book Reviewsection as well, with takeaways from over 355 titles on creativity and entrepreneurship, and our weekend PhotoSparkssection on creativity in the arts.
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Q1: Textile waste
Over 90 million tonnes of textile waste are generated globally every year, but only a little of this is recycled. Textile waste also accounts for a large proportion of plastic waste. How can this waste challenge be tackled?
Q2: The coffee market
The coffee and café market is dominated by the likes of Starbucks, Nescafé, Tim Hortons, Costa Coffee, and Lavazza. Where is the opportunity for entrepreneurs to break into this space?
Q3: Manual scavenging
Manual scavenging still exists in countries like India, and the laws against it are not powerful enough to stop this practice. How can this persistent problem be addressed?
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Q4: Art markets
Traditional artistry in states like Rajasthan spans furniture, textiles and metalwork. How can global opportunities be tapped for such local cultural legacies?
Q5: Solid waste
India is a leading generator of municipal solid waste, but not much of it is treated before disposal. The discarded waste threatens public health and also causes reputation damage. How can this challenge be addressed?
Answers!
Congratulations on having come this far! But there’s more to come – answers to these five questions (below), as well as links to articles with more details on the entrepreneurs’ solutions. Happy reading, happy learning – and happy creating!
A1: Textile waste
Founded by Soumya Kalluri, Dwij (‘second life’ in Sanskrit) rescues textile waste and transforms it into functional, ethical, and aesthetically pleasing products. It has created a circular ecosystem where discarded fabrics find meaningful second lives.
Dwij offers a range of everyday bags and accessories made out of discarded denim, including totes, backpacks, slings, and pouches. Read more here about how it has upcycled over 10,000 post-consumer jeans, 2,000 metres of shirting and kurta lining, and 750 metres of recycled felt.
A2: The coffee market
Founded by Bharat Sethi, Rage Coffee uses a proprietary crystallisation technology to produce vegan-friendly, vitamin-infused instant coffee in various flavours. Sleepy Owl, founded by Ajai Thandi, Arman Sood, and Ashwajeet Singh, offers at-home and ready-to-drink coffee, hot brew bags, cold brew bottles, ground coffee, DIY kits, and coffee merchandise.
Founded by Aditi Somani Satnaliwala and Aneesh Satnaliwala, Country Bean Coffee offers gourmet flavours like caramel, hazelnut, and strawberry cheesecake. Read more here about other entrepreneurial brands like Roastery Coffee, famous for its trademarked offering of Cranberry Coffee.
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A3: Manual scavenging
Vimal Kumar founded the Movement for Scavenger Community (MSC) to empower members of the lower-caste community through educational programmes, leadership development, entrepreneurship support, and advocacy for policy change. It operates six centres in Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Since its inception, MSC has impacted around 500,000 people from the community. Read more here about how Kumar uses academia as a platform for change to raise awareness about caste-based violence and manual scavenging.
A4: Art markets
Founded by CM Kumawat, Lavanshi Arts manufactures handicrafts made from wood, brass, marble, sandalwood, metal, and bone inlay. Remtex Export specialises in cotton, rayon and printed garments for women.
Raja Arts, founded by Rajeev Akar, exports wooden furniture, antiques, and traditional Rajasthani craft products. Read more here about other brands like Priyansh Bubber’s Handicraft House, which specialises in handcrafted clocks, meenakari metalwork, and silver-plated brass bowls.
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A5: Solid waste
Founded by Maninder Singh Nayyar, CEF Group uses aerobic digestion processes to convert organic waste into bio-CNG, a renewable fuel. This fuel can reduce the need to import gas from other countries for energy needs.
The company has secured €38 million in equity and debt funding to set up two flagship compressed biogas plants in Jammu and Ahmedabad. Read more here about how it produces over 100,000 tonnes of organic fertilisers and bio-stimulants annually, with plans to scale soon to 500,000 tonnes annually.
YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple,Android).
Original Article
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