IGNITE 2009 award  

What’s the Big Idea?

An automated cloth-line that pulls clothes inside when it rains.

How does it Work?

The clothesline has a motorized system that works on sensors.  The motor has wires that are immersed in salt.  When it rains, the salt absorbs moisture to conduct electricity.  This triggers the motor.  It then pulls the rope inside on which clothes are hung, saving women an additional chore.

Piyush came up with this idea when he saw his mother taking clothes off and putting them back on the clothesline many times in a day, especially in the rainy season.  

On Winning IGNITE

 Getting the IGNITE award from Dr Kalam was a big achievement for Piyush. “I remember that the result came out on ‘Dhanteras’.  My father was so happy that he couldn’t stop crying.  Reporters took my interview.  My friends and relatives came to our house to congratulate me. I felt like a celebrity.  But the best part was that all the teachers in my school were very happy, and they would come to my classroom to ask about the idea.  So, we had no studies for almost two-three days,” Piyush shares with a grin.

Support from Family

Piyush is a younger brother to four sisters, three of whom are married.   He lost his mother to cancer a couple of years back.  His parents often travelled to different cities for treatment.  His sisters were a big support to him during that difficult time.

He explains, “We have a bicycle shop. Whenever my father was not there, I had to open the shop and manage it.  I could take care of the shop by myself since I was 12 but my sisters helped me a lot.”

After class 12, he did not want to leave his father alone.  It was only on his sisters’ insistence that he went to Delhi for further studies.

Just for Fun

Since class 6^th, Piyush had to miss school frequently to take care of the shop.  He looked forward to days when he went to school.  “Sitting in the shop and dealing with customers was boring, so going to school was fun,” he says.

He had many friends there who helped him with notes and his Principal was also very supportive.  However, he was a mischievous child who was forever getting into a scrape.  “I was often threatened that my father will be called to school.  But he was usually not around, so I wouldn’t get too worried about that,” he shares laughingly.  

However, he mend his ways and went on to become the Head boy of his school.

He is also a good photographer.  In 2010, he won a photography competition for school children organized by NCERT.  “My father gifted me a camera in 2007.  Back then, I only took photographs of family functions.  But slowly, I got hooked on to photography and started taking outdoor shots of nature,” he says.  In fact, his winning photograph for the competition was also that of a peacock.

Awards & Accolades

Apart from winning IGNITE, Piyush has got a huge number of awards.  He holds the Golden Book of World Record for his idea of an automated cloth-line.  He was also an India Book Of Records holder in 2012, again for the same idea.  He was also a Gold Medalist in the National Cyber Olympiad in 2008.

Note:  Piyush won IGNITE 2009 when he was in class 11.  NIF made a basic prototype based on his idea and also filed an application(157/DEL/2012) for a patent in his name.  Later, he also participated in the Innovations’ Exhibition at President House in 2010.  Piyush is currently doing graduation in commerce from Delhi University.