Srinagar: The Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneur Development (IIED) Centre at NIT Srinagar in partnership with School of Management, Zhejiang University, and Kashmir-based entrepreneurs on Thursday announced the results of the Covid19 Open Innovation Challenge at the Banquet Hall, MA Road.
The competition had received project ideas in the categories of Developing Ventilators, Robotics, Personal Protective Equipment, and Face Shields. Engineering Students Sajid Noor, Arshid Iqbal and Jahangir Ahmad Lone won the first prize in the ventilator category and received cash prize of Rs 35,000. The second prize was bagged by Wasim Ahmad Nadaf and prize money of Rs 20,000, the third prize by Titus Gall and prize money of Rs 15,000 and at fourth place was Sheikh Zubair, who received consolation prize of Rs 10,000.
In the Robotics category, Najeeb Shafi bagged first prize and Mudasir and Adeel bagged the second position.
In Personal Protective Equipment, Moonis ul Islam bagged first prize. For Face Shields, Farooq Ahmad Pandit bagged first prize and Jawaz Ahmad the second.
District Development Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Choudhary at the award ceremony appreciated the innovators who provided frugal solutions to issues related to Covid19. “We should support such innovations and we have decided to provide an equal amount of money to the innovators as given by the organisers,” he said.
Dr Sheikh Fayaz, Innovation Researcher at Zhejiang University, China, said that the award ceremony was a small gesture to appreciate the innovations.
“Innovative products mostly come during the times of adversities. The response in terms of innovations was more than expected. In less than 10 days, with no access to mechanical/electrical shops or to engineering or university departments, unsung heroes from Kashmir managed to innovate during a physical and internet lockdown. These revolutionaries contributed more than 100 working prototypes by reusing and repurposing locally available second-hand materials. The UN named 21st April “World Creativity and Innovation Day.” As we celebrate the originality of our own, we would again like to extend our gratitude to the creative minds of Kashmir. Rather than waiting for the world to solve our problems, these resourceful innovators crafted their own solutions. It was a day to celebrate local ingenuity. We hope that these ideas will inspire an innovation system rooted in self-reliance and local creativity with little need for technological dependence,” said Dr Fayaz.
Ab Hamid, who runs Raheem Greens and was partnering as the local entrepreneur, said that the response to the Covid19 challenge showed that necessity is the mother of invention.
Prof Saad Parvez, who heads the innovation Centre at NIT, said that the hard work put in by the innovators will help in resolving health care issues in a sustainable and frugal manner.
The innovation challenge was launched by IED-NIT in partnership with Raheem Greens, Aaraf Foods, STC Srinagar and School of Management Zhejiang University, China.

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