A lot earlier than the Central Authorities’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) marketing campaign, there was a younger academician in New Delhi who lived by these tenets.
Whereas pursuing a PhD in polymer nanotechnology on the Indian Institute of Know-how (IIT) in Delhi, Dr Anasuya Roy determined to take her analysis past paper.
“India, at that time of time (2018-19), was importing all its anti-microbial know-how from different nations. Once we don’t have a dearth of brains, why ought to we be importing?” Anasuya shares with The Higher India.
This thought gave delivery to the entrepreneur contained in the researcher. She determined to create an impression utilizing her patented antimicrobial lively copper know-how.
However tips on how to go about it? The reply to this query introduced itself within the type of COVID-19.
The world was trying to make masks and there was a large scarcity at first. The textile engineer used her patented know-how and made ‘NSafe masks’ which turned out to be a gamechanger. The material-based antimicrobial face masks was made in India, lowering the necessity for imports.
Along with her idea validated, the 36-year-old Delhi resident then moved on to make use of her know-how throughout totally different industries like polymers, textiles, and coatings, creating use circumstances in merchandise like metal bottles, water tanks, building chemical substances, mattresses, leather-based upholstery; even the car business!
Up to now, her firm, Nanosafe Options, has created 40 merchandise utilizing their lively copper know-how. Additionally they closed their maiden funding spherical of Rs 3.13 crore not too long ago. It will give a fillip to their mission of stopping imports in area of interest materials science merchandise.
Making India Aatmanirbhar
Anasuya pursued an MTech in Fibre Science and Know-how from IIT-Delhi, publish which she enrolled for a PhD program in the identical establishment from 2014 to 2019.
It was throughout her PhD course that she had a major realisation — she wished to make an impression past academia.
“I used to be researching antimicrobial supplies, focusing particularly on polymers. The main focus of my doctoral analysis was creating such supplies. Whereas we labored with totally different inorganic supplies like silver, copper, our main focus was on the antimicrobial properties of copper nanoparticles,” says the scientist.
Her analysis targeted on creating antimicrobial supplies that might inhibit the expansion of microorganisms. In her ultimate yr of doctoral analysis, she determined to develop indigenous antimicrobial applied sciences that would offer options throughout totally different industries.
She acquired a Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG) from the Biotechnology Business Analysis Help Council (BIRAC) in 2019, which helped kick off her enterprise. Moreover spending time on the lab, she additionally spent an equal period of time within the industrial space of Bawana in Delhi.
“Seeing the equipment helped me formulate the enterprise in an industrially-compatible method. Past my work on the lab, it took me virtually a yr to grasp the method on floor. On this one yr of incubation, I understood how I wished to supply the anti-microbial know-how for various industries,” shares the engineer.
Whereas she labored on her startup child, she additionally grew to become a mom. By March 2020, she had all of the processes discovered and was near-ready to begin manufacturing. And what set the ball rolling have been the antimicrobial masks.
What’s the know-how? Why copper?
Nanosafe’s patented know-how relies on lively copper and protects towards the totally different microbes like micro organism, virus, fungi and algae within the atmosphere.
“It’s a micronutrient and has antimicrobial properties. This makes our know-how secure and sustainable,” says the scientist.
Copper in India is usually used for disinfection due to its ‘purifying’ properties as per conventional sciences.
“We’ve got developed know-how which stems from the normal science that advocates the usage of copper for the purification of water. We’ve got synthesised it to behave towards 4 totally different microbes — micro organism, virus, fungi and algae. Whereas most firms act solely towards one of many 4, we’re the one ones working towards all,” shares Anasuya.
The startup has 4 patents for the utilization of lively copper in numerous methods. The founder additionally shares that what makes the know-how distinctive is copper, the core ingredient.
“There are lots of applied sciences based mostly on silver. Whereas nano silver is poisonous for human consumption, copper is secure on all these parameters; is sustainable and can be a vital micronutrient,” she provides.
To place it merely, the know-how harnesses the facility of lively copper to disinfect the product from microbes.
Nanosafe’s patented course of synthesises supply copper into lively micro-size particles, which is then used to create formulations in powder, liquid and different kinds, which then kill the microbes.
These particles are then mixed with different supplies to supply commercially-viable merchandise. These merchandise are used throughout totally different supplies like plastic, foam, textiles, polymers, paints, coatings and cosmetics.
“All of our formulations are substantiated throughout totally different ISO (Worldwide Organisation for Standardisation) and ASTM (American Society for Testing and Supplies) testing requirements with constant 99.99% antimicrobial exercise,” she provides.
Off the overwhelmed observe
Whereas promoting masks, she was launched to her co-founder Nirav Mehta, who advised pivoting to different industries. They diversified to plastic, polymer supplies, beginning with water tanks and pipes, that are liable to microbial infections.
After the water phase, they moved to foam utilized in mattresses, the place there was a transparent want for disinfection. They’re now additionally working with vehicle firms to make the frequent contact factors inside antimicrobial.
Their clients embrace Astral Pipes, Supreme, LG and extra. The scientist provides that they customise the know-how based mostly on the wants of the shopper.
Nanosafe has gained a number of awards for its pioneering know-how together with the Nationwide Begin Up Award 2023 and the Nationwide Know-how Excellence Award 2022 by the Division of Science and Know-how.
Going forward, Anasuya needs Nanosafe to turn out to be a powerhouse within the materials science’s area.
“We’re engaged on constructing different area of interest applied sciences to champion the reason for import substitution and export promotion,” she provides.
Edited by Padmashree Pande, Pictures Courtesy: Dr Anasuya Roy.
