Development of an innovative eco-friendly rice puffing machine for modernizing a traditional cottage industry

Abstract

Traditional enterprises are economically less viable although they impact the environment less adversely. Modern industries that have replaced traditional skills for mass manufacture of the same products are capital intensive and more polluting. A midway is essential that can upgrade the age-old, traditional business to generate more profit without harming the environment. Cereal puffing has long been undertaken as an arduous cottage industry across rural India. The practice of cereal puffing, chiefly rice, by the conventional method is polluting and adversely affects the health of the maker. Large puffing mills are economically not viable alternatives for small-scale, rural entrepreneurs. A unique, innovative, manually operated machine has been designed and patented that modernizes the practice of rice puffing and increases the production efficiency by 1100% (approximately), thereby increasing the profit margin significantly. It drastically improves the working conditions, enables operations for long durations, produces traditional quality products and is also environment friendly, generating much less smoke and heat compared with the traditional method of rice puffing. The machine has shown tremendous potential in economically empowering marginalized sections of Indian society, chiefly rural and tribal women in different states across India.

Keywords:

• cereal puffing machine
• ecofriendly machine
• innovative
• sustainable income generation

ORCiD

Manjishtha Bhattacharyya http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5693-2275