What A Cool Idea: A Fridge That Doesn't Need Electricity
An eco-friendly wonder from a school-dropout Gujarati
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Raj Goswami
The third „Mansukh‟ to figure in the „Forbes‟ powerful rural entrepreneur from India is a school dropout,
and he has already made it to the Discovery Channel, and also become the subject of a film. Manshuk Lal
Raghavji Bhai Prajapati, born October 19, 1965, in Village Wankaner in the Rajkot district has made a
refrigerator from terracotta clay which runs without electricity.
Though Prajapati‟s Mitti Cool had been recognized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF) some time
ago, he his now sitting along with seven Indians in the Forbes list whose innovations are changing the
way people in India‟s villages live.
Prajapati, a potter, came up with this terrific idea of a building a clay refrigerator for people who cannot
afford refrigerators. This earthenware refrigerator costs Rs 2,500. Called as the Mitti Cool fridge, the
contraption measuring 18.5 inch in height and 11 inch in width has two water tanks – one each at the top
and the bottom. The working of the fridge is similar to that of clay pots used in rural areas, ones that keep
water cool in the summers.
Mitti Cool‟s top tank can store about 20 liter of water, while the center cabinet has space for storing fruits,
vegetables and milk. The natural cooling process inside the refrigerator keeps the vegetables and fruits
fresh for up to seven days, while milk can be preserved for three days. The fridge keeps the temperature
down in the 5 to 8 Degree Celsius range.
The Big Idea
How did he come up with this idea? He spoke at length to the FT Foundation and it was a surprise for us
to know that the whole idea came to him from a most unexpected quarter.
In 2001, Gujarat was devastated by a massive earthquake. “At the time I was roaming in the Saurastra
region, and the aftermath of the earthquake affected me deeply,” recounts Masukhbhai, “the survivors
were facing, among myriad other problems, a scarcity of earthen utensils that are normally used in these
regions to store drinking water. Since I was selling matakas (earthen pots) there, some newspapers took
photos of me and wrote stories with headlines like: Poor People’s Fridges Crushed.”
Saurastra is an economically backward region and like many such regions, here earthen pots are a luxury.
Mansukhbhai continues, “In those trying times, my matakas were in great demand. Moreover, the area
did not have any supply of electricity. Hence from those newspapers headlines, a thought struck me:
How about a fridge for poor people made from mitti (clay)?”
Sometime ago, Mansukhbhai had worked as a supervisor in a roof-tile manufacturing company. Says he,
“So I had known how tiles that are made from special clay work. Using this knowledge, in 1989, I started
making tavdi (griddle) from terracotta clay. It was my way to make a non-stick cooking pan.”
He got a great response from people for clay-griddles. Then, in 1997 he started to develop clay waterfilters. This was also a success. In 2001, earthquake struck and in 2002, he came out with the clay fridge.
The rest is history.
Broke, Not Broken
His story looks simple at the outset, but a closer look reveals his to be a most challenging journey. When
he was working on the idea, he was barely making ends meet, and this was also the time he was working
on something nobody had ever thought of.
“From 2002 to 2004 I was running a huge debt – Rs 11 lakh to be exact,” he recalls, “my house was sold.
I was on the verge of bankruptcy but by the grace of god, my family supported me through the ordeal and
that kept me on track. I was determined to prove that a clay fridge is possible.”
For his silent but relentless quest, a much-needed help came in the form of Professor Anil Gupta,
Executive Vice-Chair, National Innovation Foundation.
“I have no problem if you do not write my name in your article,” the modest-to-a-fault Mansukhbhai told
the FT Foundation, “but please mention Anilbhai‟s name. To me he is god. He helped me a lot in my
endeavor. He had put his faith in my innovation and he knew that if I did not receive support I would go
broke. He said to me, „Don‟t worry. I am there for you.‟ I am very thankful to Anilbhai that today my
name is mentioned in the „Forbes‟ magazine‟.” There was a genuine appreciation in his voice.
Following the Forbes article, many stories have appeared in the Indian media on him and his innovation.
The Hindu Business Line wrote thus:
“The brown, rectangular refrigerator has an inlet for water, which is circulated in the system through
internal piping. The refrigerator has a tap from which chilled drinking water flows out. Mansukh
Prajapati, who put together the contraption, says, “What I have devised is „Mitti Cool – a village fridge‟.
It is a refrigerator made from special clay with three or more chambers for cooling water and storing fruits
and vegetables.”
Simone Ahuja is the founder and Principal of Blood Orange Media, a vertically integrated media
company based in Minneapolis, USA. Her company, Blood Orange, develops, produces and distributes
non-fiction television programs in genres that include travel, history, lifestyle, business and world culture
for US and international broadcast, and develops concepts for fiction programming.
Simone has produced award-winning programming for CNBC, USA, founded an online film competition,
and produced and directed the 2007 travel series Indique – Untold Stories of Contemporary India that airs
in the US, including onboard international airlines like Northwest Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Mansukh
Prajapati and his Mitti Cool was one of her many subjects in her series.
Soaring Fame
Thanks to media, his innovation has become the object of so much curiosity that Prajapati is getting
queries from all over the country and the world. To make people‟s access to his products easy, and for
future growth, Mansukhbhai has set up his own website (complete with product details, achievements and
contacts) which proudly announces the number of awards he has won.
He states on his home page, in staccato English, with a hint of exuberance: „In 2004, MITTI COOL
(NON-STICK TAWA) 2005 I got award from National and State RURAL DEVELOPMENT now I
am roaming all over India with my different artistic products now days I got orders from abroad and
peoples like to use my natural Refrigerator/Filter (sic).‟
An eco-friendly clay refrigerator, Mitti Cool, proved to be a big draw at the Vishwa Show 2010 which
annually showcases green initiatives. Mumbaikars, who are now more eco-conscious can look forward to
this unique product.