rural innovation

For 100+ years, West Bengal’s Mathurapur has hosted Bhanga Mela, a fair where broken pots, cracked pans & old radios are repaired, reused & find new homes.

What if waste could earn you money, feed your soil, and bring jobs to your village? That’s what Mohammad Aamir Khan is proving with Green Wave and Waste to Health in South Kashmir.

Navnath Kaspate’s breakthrough custard apple varieties are transforming drought-prone farming, doubling yields, and inspiring thousands.

What started as a simple experiment on one farm is now helping thousands escape drought. With pits dug by hand and powered by rain, farmers are growing more, earning better, and living without tankers. The method is so simple—it’s changing entire villages without a single drop wasted.

Trellis systems provide a vertical cane support so that the chosen plants are kept off the ground. This improves exposure to sunlight, air movement, and easier spraying access throughout the canopy. Odisha's Hirod Patel ​​built this unique system over a pond. Today, his farm has become an experiment lab for other farmers and agricultural scientists.

The Better India Showcase 2025 honours changemakers who build, teach, heal, and uplift, far from the spotlight. Join us this September as their stories of courage, care, and relentless action finally get the recognition they deserve.

Faced with crop spoilage in his village, 26-year-old Swuyievezo Dzudo used his science background to build a solar dryer that costs Rs 7,000. Now used by over 500 farmers in Nagaland, his invention is saving crops, boosting incomes, and earning national recognition.

Kota's Aryan Singh (18) developed AgRobot — an AI-powered rover to assist farmers in reducing the burden of farm labour.

Karnataka teacher Akshay Mashelkar wanted to make education more interactive for children in his village, and so he built Shiksha, a humanoid robot that imparts education to children under Class 4.

Manipur-based Maidem Deben Singh’s innovative biomass smokeless stove can cook and dry meat and vegetables, saving hundreds of lives