Suneel Singh from Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, has bagged the 2024 Honey Bee Network Creativity and Inclusive Innovation Award. A former soldier and now a farmer, Mr. Singh has developed a new variety of walnut trees that are half the height compared to regular trees, thereby reducing the chances of injury for tree climbers while harvesting. These trees start yielding after three years compared to the regular ones that start yielding after eight. The new variety also bears more fruits. The shells of these walnuts are soft. They don’t break easily and command higher premiums in the market. The winner gets a cash award of Rs. 5 lakhs.
Samirbhai Ghani, a grassroots innovator, from Banaskanta, Gujarat, bagged the second with a cash prize of Rs. 3 lakhs. He won for his innovative farmyard manure spreader. The manure spreader evenly spreads wet and dry manure. It reduces drudgery and increases soil fertility.
The third prize of Rs 1 lakh went to Md. Ishfaq Ahmed Wani from Anantnag, J&K, for making an innovative clipper which helps to bind branches of apple/fruit trees and protect them from bending downwards and getting damaged due to hail storms and snowfall. Twelve innovators received appreciation awards of Rs. 50,000.
The award ceremony, held recently in Delhi, was part of the People’s Festival of Innovations (PFoI) 2024. This festival celebrates and recognizes creative, inclusive, and impactful innovations aimed at addressing pressing societal challenges. The awards are organized in partnership with Amazon, GIAN (Gujarat Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network).
The nationwide campaign received 2500 entries. Of these, 33 ideas were selected following regional meetings and further evaluations. Fifteen finalists were recognized for their ingenuity and contributions during the award ceremony.
The jury was headed by Dr. R A Mashelkar. The jury included Prof. Bharat Bhaskar, Director IIIMA, Prof Dhar, Director AcSir, Dr. M.N. Patel, Prof. Udai Desai, former director IIT-H and many faculty members from premier institutions like IIMA, IITs, IISc as well as investors and practitioners. The awards were given by eminent agriculture scientist, Dr R S Paroda, former DG ICAR.
The Honey Bee Network Creativity and Inclusive Innovation Awards aim to not only acknowledge the creativity of grassroots innovators but also create a platform for innovators to connect with investors, policymakers, and technical experts. The event featured insightful sessions where participants learned about funding, investment opportunities, IPR support, and policy support that can help them scale their innovations.
Entries for 2024-26 awards can be sent to hbncriia@gian.org.
