Lede

IAS Officer Nidhi Siwach, who bagged AIR 83 in UPSC CSE speaks about how she picked herself up and changed her preparation strategy after two failed attempts.

A sustainable startup, Ricron Panels was started by Rahul Chaudhary to recycle multi-layer plastic into sheets that are fire-retardant, waterproof, termite-proof and heat-resistant

Former Mumbai resident, George Remedios is creating food forests with saplings of papayas, guava, pomegranates, bananas, mangoes, drumsticks and more, while also helping communities like the tribals of Yeoor hills benefit from the harvest.

Fairer Foods, a Chandigarh-based venture started by Cambridge University Law degree holder Meher Kairon, supplies freshly-harvested spices that are free of all additives. They claim their spices contain no food coloring, preservatives, fillers or anticaking agents.

In Patharkatti village in Bihar, artisans have been making decorative, household and prayer items from black granite for generations. There's an interesting folklore behind how this came to be, thanks to Maharani Ahilyabai.

S Jayalakshmi from Chennai is a natural farmer who grows chemical-free fruits, vegetables and paddy and helps hundreds of city-dwellers live toxin-free with her brand, Namma Boomi

PlayShifu, an Augmented Reality (AR) toymaker founded by IIT Kharagpur alumnus Vivek Goyal and Dinesh Advani, has its presence in over 35 countries and a customer base of over 7 lakh.

Kerala-born Shaji Thomas, an environmental conservationist and lawyer, went to Brazil as a young exchange student, but stayed back to protect the Amazon forests and the rights of over 60 communities living in the heart of the region.

Saajan Singh from Jalandhar, Punjab, is a self-taught b-boy dancer. His unbridled passion took him to the Dance India Dance stage, made him a choreographer, teacher and a body double for Salman Khan in moves like Race 3 and Tiger Zinda Hai.

A resident of Merces in Goa, Madhusudhan Joshi doesn't pay a single rupee for his electricity bills, thanks to a sustainable home that's powered by solar energy.