Innovations aside, Narendra Rahul Amuloju from Visakhapatnam is also into bee-keeping of a particular Italian species and is working on traditional farming practices as well. Here’s what else he does
Curiosity has been the driving force behind all of Narendra Rahul Amuloju‘s life decisions — like when he started researching traditional farming practices in 2015 that eventually led him down the path of hydroponics, a technique of growing plants without soil. In an attempt to bring plants the best of both worlds, he started researching the best soil that would aid optimum growth. It started with culturing spirulina algae and three types of essential bacteria. A thin layer of soil made of vermicompost, neem and tulsi powder, followed by layers of cultured algae and bacteria, topped with soil created a food cycle within the soil that gives much better yield. “I have named this new soil Amrit,” begins the 25-year-old. For all his work in hydroponics and on Amrit, he won the bronze medal from former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu at the International Innovation Fair. “I love doing research. Most times, I start by researching about one thing but end up in a whole new place,” says Narendra. Well, that explains his down-the-rabbit-hole tendency! So, to ensure that his research on paper actually translates into action, he started Prana Tech.
Narendra Rahul Amuloju says that when one feels hungry, they eat and then it’s fine. But his never-ending hunger for research is insatiable
Via his start-up, the Visakhapatnam-born has fulfilled 350 orders of hydroponic kits from his hometown and Vijayawada. Another service he offers is remote monitoring of the hydroponic plant — the humidity, water level, nutrients and so on — via a circuit that he developed himself. “Via a web host and a customised app, when the plant parent is away, they can continue to take care of it in the best way possible. We have installed over 25-30 units of these at homes and offices as well,” says the youngster who is now working on a 45-acre farm that will have hydroponics as well as traditional plants. The start-up was incubated at his alma mater Gayatri Vidya Parishad College of Engineering till he graduated, after which he pursued his MBA in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune.
Narendra’s latest research is on bees! “Apart from honey, bees also produce royal jelly, bee venom and wax. Of the 44 species of bees in the world, India houses only three of them. I have purchased a few bee boxes of an Italian species from a licensed breeder in Latur, Maharashtra, to learn more about their various byproducts,” shares the excited youngster, who is also working on completing one of his research papers. Since bees are responsible for most of the pollination on Earth and have some truly unique byproducts, he is working on…