Choudhary Kamruddin (60) is a native of Ratnaki village of Alwar district, Rajasthan and has 40 years experience in repairing watches as well as various mechanical instruments. He owns a watch repair shop and a bicycle/ scooter/ motorcycle repair shop in Bakhtal-ki-chowki. Though he has only completed his primary education, he has managed to learn Urdu, English and Arabic. He earns Rs. 36,000/- per annum presently. He has five sons who are all married and settled.

 

Alwar district situated in the North Eastern region of Rajasthan is also known as Mewat, because of the Meos, who symbolize a cultural communion of two great religions of India: Hinduism and Islam, who populate it. Kamaruddin is one such Meo who has come up with this interesting improvement of the common man’s bicycle- the Mewat Ajuby Easy Cycle.

 

 

Once it happened that he procured a functional cycle rickshaw in scrap. He tried to experiment with this. In 1977 he attached a 50 cc moped engine to a cycle and rode it for one year. This inspired him to attach various interesting things to the cycle and for the past 25 years he has engaged himself in improving the design of the common bicycle to make it more comfortable, useful and safe and above all as a means for earning a livelihood. His 25 years of hard labour resulted in the development of the Mewat Ajuby Easy cycle in 2002. In the same year, the district authorities inspected his cycle and awarded him with a certificate. He has prepared only cycle so far. His dream is to produce this model commercially on a large scale for the welfare of society on a very low profit margin but the paucity of funds has prevented him from doing it so far.

 

 

Kamruddin has modified an ordinary bicycle by adding tools and accessories as well as making it a mobile work platform to service diverse village needs. It has tools for carpentry and blacksmithy combined.

 

This bicycle is 25% lighter than the ordinary cycle and due to the presence of an auto gear it is much easier to drive. It has an umbrella attached to it which comes with a sliding arrangement and a locking system and operates automatically. Once the bicycle starts off, current generated by a dynamo, powers the head and backlights and seven indicators (five on the umbrella and two in the front). The cycle also has a large bag batti, a wind shield to protect the rider from strong winds and decorative light bulbs. A 12 V lead battery is attached between the frames of the bicycle. It helps to power a host of utilities at the back side such as drilling unit (for wood, metal), a grinder for sharpening tools, a motor winding attachment and a wood sawing unit with a lock and lever which can cut plywood of up to 6” thickness.

 

Kamaruddin had filed a provisional patent application and later a complete patent application was filed by NIF on his behalf. But he hasn’t approached any commercial organisation as he waits to get a patent before doing anything further. NIF has sanctioned Kamaruddin a sum of Rs.13, 125 from the Micro Venture Innovation Fund for concept testing of the multipurpose bicycle in the rural market.

 

 

This is an incredible innovation which assimilates an assortment of functionalities on a common bicycle while reducing the weight and improving the basic function. This is a mobile workstation that can generate revenue for the user who goes from village to village offering services such as sharpening of blades by grinding, drilling, motor winding, sawing etc.