A 14-year-old Tamil Nadu schoolgirl’s solar-powered ironing cart project and a Delhi entrepreneur’s agricultural waste recycling concept were on Friday named among 15 finalists from hundreds of nominations across the world for the first-ever Earthshot Prize, launched by Britain’s Prince William last year.
Vinisha Umashankar made the cut within the “Clean Our Air” category with her concept of a solar-powered clean alternative to the charcoal-powered street irons that press clothes for millions of Indians each day. Takachar, co-founded by Vidyut Mohan, has also been nominated in the same category for its cheap, small-scale, portable technology that converts crop residues into sellable bio-products.