Ankit Kumar Changawala from Veer Narmad South Gujarat College, lately patented a chair crafted from Bambusa bamboo, a in the neighborhood plentiful number of South Gujarat, to advertise using bamboo in furnishings making.
Within the wealthy tapestry of South Gujarat, bamboo stands proud as one of the most area’s prides. The realm is famend for its manufacturing of Bambusa Bamboo, a local species valued for its energy and sturdiness. The tribals of the area take nice pleasure of their bamboo produce.
This number of bamboo is robust and excellent for changing into furnishings. Alternatively, no longer many have absolutely harnessed the fabric’s attainable.
Talking in regards to the plant with The Higher India, Professor Ankit Kumar Changawala states, “Bamboo is the long run.”
Ankit is among the few people who have made efforts to utilise the fabric to its fullest extent, lately acquiring a patent for a bamboo chair.
“The chair is robust, robust, and will last as long as twenty years. It’s the first bamboo chair to be patented in India,” he informs.
Sustainability meets design
Raised in Surat, Ankit had at all times sought after to pursue design, however he lacked course.
“I used to be pursuing a degree in civil engineering, thinking it would lend a hand me in designing issues. Alternatively, right through the direction, I realised it used to be no longer one thing I sought after to pursue. It used to be my professor’s brother, an inner clothier, whose paintings impressed me and made me realise my true interest,” says Ankit.
At a loss for words about tips on how to pursue his pastime, he determined to enrol in an inner design direction at Veer Narmad South Gujarat College (VNSGU).
Recently, he serves as an assistant professor on the identical college. “Instructing made me realise how a lot I revel in it. I discovered my true calling in each designing and instructing scholars about it,” he says.
When requested about his creation to bamboo and his thought of a bamboo chair, he remembers, “I used to be given the chance to wait a workshop in 2019 in Manipur. The International Bamboo Workshop used to be the primary symposium in India concerned about bamboo and its makes use of.”
The symposium profoundly modified Ankit’s belief of bamboo. Prior to now, there used to be simply plentiful crops within the area. “I may just see its untapped attainable and the way it used to be being wasted. Moreover, I found out a group of bamboo artisans whose craft used to be fading,” he explains.
“The Kotwaliyas within the area are famend for his or her ability, however sadly, their artwork used to be being not noted and demise,” he provides.
Ankit additionally started instructing his scholars about the advantages of the use of Bambusa bamboo.
“Whilst I used to be within the procedure of teaching extra other folks and attaining out to craftsmen, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, disrupting the whole lot,” he says.
All the way through this era, Ankit encountered craftsmen struggling because of the decline in tourism. “I realized that the more youthful generations of those craftsmen have been reluctant to proceed the custom as they noticed no long run in bamboo,” he stocks.
For Ankit, demonstrating the immense attainable of bamboo changed into an important. “I didn’t need them to desert their craft and migrate to towns searching for jobs. So, I determined to create daily-use furnishings with trendy designs to attraction to city customers,” he explains.
In 2021, Ankit, along side a couple of scholars and 4 native craftsmen, launched into developing sustainable but trendy designs.
Strong, Sustainable and Trendy
Step one for Ankit used to be to know the bamboo. “As designers, we paintings with measurements however those conventional craftsmen have their very own approach of operating. We realised how the wooden in bamboo in opposition to the decrease finish used to be more potent and thicker than the higher finish,” he says.
To make the craftsmen comfy and win their self assurance, Ankit took his designs to their workshops. “I sought after to cause them to really feel comfy and paintings as a workforce. They have been at their absolute best shape after they have been the use of their very own conventional machines and fabrics. I used to seek advice from their workshops with the intention to paintings at the chair,” he says.
Speaking about Bambusa bamboo, he says, “I selected Bambusa as it has an ideal load-bearing capability. It’s long-lasting and durable sufficient for use for a very long time. The knots within the selection are very shut making it very robust.”
Moreover, the range could also be abundantly to be had within the house. “There are lots of corporations making furnishings from bamboo imported from other nations. If you go surfing and take a look at to discover a easy piece of furnishings produced from bamboo, it’s going to be slightly dear. The reason being easy — as a result of they don’t seem to be the use of Indian bamboo,” he says.
Ankit provides that he used a local selection as a result of he sought after to stay the price of the chair reasonably priced and inexpensive.
“There’s no level in creating a product that the hundreds can’t have enough money. It defeats all of the sustainability attitude at the back of the product,” he says. “Gujarat govt has additionally launched numerous schemes for the farmers to inspire them to develop the plant,” he says.
As for the price of investment the challenge, he says, “I did it out of my very own pocket. I knew if I had long gone out in search of investment then this should not have took place. Buyers would lack self assurance within the thought because it used to be new again then,” he says.
It took Ankit just about two years to finish the design and make the chair.
“In 2023, I determined to move forward and get the chair patented. The primary explanation why at the back of it used to be to exhibit the possibility of local bamboo species to the arena. As soon as my design were given patented, it generated a dialog amongst other folks about the possibility of bamboo,” he says.
Talking in regards to the chair, Ankit explains, “The polish at the chair is completed the use of herbal oils. It could possibly bear weights of greater than 150 kg, and the furnishings has additionally been handled to give protection to in opposition to any roughly bugs. The lifetime of the chair is as much as twenty years,” he says.
Ankit does no longer wish to commercialise the chair. “I’ve gained a lot of inquiries about whether or not I’m promoting those chairs. Alternatively, my objective isn’t benefit or loss. My goal is to boost consciousness and supply coaching,” he says.
“Recently, I’m operating on a suggestion to give to my college to start up a program the place folks can come and learn to make chairs and collaborate with me to create extra furnishings. This manner will permit me to coach craftsmen in generating sustainable but trendy furnishings,” he explains.
To view Ankit’s patent, seek advice from this hyperlink.
If you want to get involved with Ankit, You’ll be able to succeed in him at 9879262737.
(Edited through Padmashree Pande; All footage credit score: Ankit)