At 17, Ashin P Krishna missed presenting his energy-saving air cooler at India’s top science stage — a regret that stayed with him for years.

Stepping off the safe road That regret shaped his choices in college. He turned down a BTech seat and job offers, determined to build something that truly mattered.

One morning in 2020, while bathing, he looked out at the coconut trees near his home in Kozhikode. An idea struck him — a robot climbing a tree.

Ashin had built a projector in school, his first true innovation. Now he wanted to go further: create something unique, practical, and useful for farmers.

Still watering the dream Money was short, ideas were raw, and machines failed often. Yet Ashin kept at it, sketching, coding, and rebuilding his vision.

In 2023, his prototype ‘Coco-bot’ won Kerala’s Vaiga Agri Hackathon. Soon, NABARD and Vadagara Coconut Producers Company offered support.

With his startup Altersage Innovations, Ashin built Coco-bot to be farmer-friendly: under 10 kg, easy to learn in 2 hours, with an arm to pluck coconuts.

Getting the green light Today, Coco-bot has drawn attention from farmers, cooperatives, and even Marico, makers of Parachute coconut oil.

Ashin hopes Coco-bot will reach panchayats and women’s groups, where operators could earn Rs 18,000–20,000 a month from safe coconut harvesting.

By 2025, his team aims to build a market-ready prototype priced under Rs 1 lakh. “If I don’t start now, it’ll be another regret,” Ashin says.

Curious how Ashin turned one regret into Coco-bot? Tap to read his full journey — from a balcony spark to a robot changing coconut farming.