Uddhab Bharali, is an Indian inventor from the Lakhimpur district of Assam. Bharali is credited with about 118 innovations, starting from the late 1980s.
Life
Early life
Bharali was born on 7 April 1962 in the Lakhimpur district of Assam. His father was a businessman.
Student life
He studied in the Government Higher Secondary School of North Lakhimpur. He was often punished to stand outside the classroom because he often asked difficult questions to his mathematics teacher. He was awarded, and double promoted twice, first from Class I to III, and then again from Class VI to VIII. While he was studying in Class VIII, he was able to solve some of the toughest sums of Class XI and XII. He then went on to study Mechanical Engineering in Jorhat Engineering College, Institute of Engineers Madras Chapter in Chennai. However, he was only able to complete AMIE sec 1, due to the prevalent financial burden on his family.
Career
In 1988, when his family was in debt, he decided to start a polythene cover making business catering to Tea Estates in Assam. Instead of spending about on buying a machine, he designed his own machine for about. Bharali was then determined to continue building machines, rather than buying them. Bharali's family was under heavy-debts and Uddhab was always under pressure from Banks for repayment. His brother died in 1995, after which he was the sole earning member in his family, and he started earning money by his innovations, focused to solve issues around Lakhimpur district with Agriculture and small-scale industries being his targets. Focusing on agricultural output, Bharali went on to build a variety of peeler machines to peel betel nut, cassava, garlic, jatropha, coconut and safed musli, and also re-designed Assamese paddy grinder, that could be operated by only turning a wheel. He also invented bamboo processing machine to cut-polish-surface finish long bamboos, cutters for and green tea leaves, etc. The best part of all these are being they were indigenous, low-cost, and could be operated by a single person. He gathers the raw materials for his inventions from scraps. His last facet is expected to be a life-saver in the coming years for disabled people around Lakhimpur.
Helping differently-skilled people
With his machines being used around the locality, Bharali was approached by needy, if he could help them. Bharali started offering support both in the form of monthly-monetary support and calipers and others to better their lot. Machines to feed the disabled, slippers for knees, cleaners, and de-weeders for amputees, the list of his inventions kept growing. Bharali makes it a point to avoid publicity and shuns the marketing budget to sell his wares.
Commercial establishment
Under his own firm, U.K.B Agrotech at Lakhimpur, Bharali works on assignments he receives from various establishments.
Swayamsiddh- Shri Rashtriya Swayamsiddh Samman-2017 by JSPL
Winner Of Engineering Design Contest Organized By NASA Tech Briefs Media Called "Create The Future Design Contest- 2012" for Bench-top Pomegranate De-Seeder. It was placed 2nd in the Top Ten Most Popular Invention.
Winner NASA tech brief "Create the Future Design contest—2013", for invention of -Detention Chair for mentally challenged Person.
Qualified for NASA tech brief "Create the Future Design contest—2014" for invention of feeding device for person without hand.
Qualifier –World Tech Award—2012 –For the invention of Mini Tea plant.
