Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has tried his hand at a new pesticide sprayer made by a startup here, creating a more handy and efficient option for farmers to help them safely cover more crops at a time. The company has so far sold more than 5,000 sprayer units and generated 100-plus direct and indirect job opportunities. Bill Gates tried his hand at operating the sprayer at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi on March 17.
With this sprayer, farmers do not need to carry heavy chemical tanks on their back for spraying pesticides. They can now spray chemicals over four rows of crops at the same time with this innovative device which is operated on wheels. Gawande has a unit now and the sprayer is sold in 22 Indian states. They have also started getting orders from African countries like Kenya and Namibia.Subsequently, he dropped the idea to manufacture it further because though the product was applauded, it could not be converted into a business.
Presentation -Dibyabharati Nayak