Five Indian Grassroots Innovations Win Recognition At Paris Club of Innovation Awards 2026

New Delhi, Jun 29 (KNN) Five Indian grassroots innovations backed by the Honey Bee Network and the Gujarat Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) were recognised at the Innovation Team Best Practices (ITBP) Awards 2026, held on 4 June in Paris.

India participated as the official Guest Country at the 19th National Meeting of Chief Innovation Officers — France's premier annual gathering of innovation leaders from corporations, universities, research institutions, and public agencies. 

The 2026 theme was ‘Innovation for and with Emerging Countries’. The event was jointly organised by the European Institute for Creative Strategies and Innovation, the Paris Club of Innovation Directors, and the Sorbonne School of Management.

The five recognised innovations span clean energy, sustainable textiles, cold storage, silk processing, and traditional knowledge-based wellness — each emerging from rural or grassroots communities across India.

The Awardees

Little Himalayan Co., founded by Dr. Anamika Dey and her team, is an ethical bio-enterprise connecting traditional Himalayan knowledge systems from Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, and Nagaland with contemporary wellness markets. A distinctive feature of the venture is the acknowledgement of knowledge providers by name on product labels, ensuring visibility and benefit-sharing.

Nabajit Bharali of Assam developed a multi-silk spinning and reeling machine capable of processing Muga, Eri, Mulberry, and Tasar silk through a single affordable system, empowering rural women engaged in sericulture. Bharali has also developed an automatic feeding device for persons with upper-limb disabilities and an atmospheric water extraction system for balcony plants.

Rai Singh Dahiya of Rajasthan developed the Enersol Biopower biomass gasifier system, a decentralised technology that converts agricultural residue into clean rural energy, helping reduce stubble burning and fossil fuel dependence. He has also designed fuel-efficient smokeless cookstoves to cut firewood consumption and indoor air pollution.

Vishal Singhal of Telangana developed ColdEasy, a low-energy decentralised cold-storage solution aimed at reducing post-harvest losses for small farmers, street vendors, and rural entrepreneurs. He has also developed a heat-exchanger-based cooling system capable of bringing a two-tonne room to 18–25 degrees Celsius at a fraction of conventional costs.

Tongbram Bijiyashanti Devi of Manipur developed a process that transforms discarded lotus stems into eco-friendly natural fibre products, generating livelihoods for rural women artisans. The enterprise has since expanded into banana fibre and other natural-fibre textiles.

The innovations were shortlisted jointly by the Honey Bee Network, GIAN, the Sorbonne School of Management, and the Paris Club of Innovation Directors as part of the Franco-Indian Year of Innovation 2026. 

(KNN Bureau)