He is an innovator with a difference. Humble to the core, he epitomises the very spirit of innovation. Enthusiastic about work, he strives to better his engineering skills by the day. That’s Mr Narasimha Bhandari for you.

Born and brought up in Sringeri, the heart of Malnad, Mr Bhandari has been familiar with the problems faced by farmers right from his childhood. A true son of Malnad that he is, he strives to better the lives of farmers by designing equipments that make their jobs easier. Till date, he has engineered to success many equipments that are not only innovative but very useful for farmers. Power tiller fans, arecanut de-husking and crushing machines, hand pumps, pepper decording machines, alternators, pappad making machines, single-wheeled push carts, hydro-pumps... the list is endless.

It all started when Mr Bhandari was unable to pursue his higher studies after SSLC as further studies meant going to a college in Chikmagalore, the district headquarters, which was quite far from his hometown Sringeri. His interest in industrial products made him take up a job in a local industrial unit. A quick learner that he was, he mastered the art of mechanics in no time and was very soon travelling all over the district servicing power tillers, one of the main products dealt with by his employer.

“This was just the beginning, almost 30-odd years ago. As the district then had no proper roads and transport facilities, I was sometimes forced to stay overnight with the farmers’ families I would visit to service power tillers. Watching them slog day and night even for simple tasks like separating paddy grains from the husk set me thinking,” says Mr Bhandari.

In the absence of a system to separate paddy grains from the husk, farmers depended mainly on wind to blow the husk away. Hence, Mr Bhandari decided to come up with a fan that could make their job of separating the grains from the husk easier. It did not take him long to translate his ideas into action and the result was nothing but spectacular as farmers realised the usefulness of the product and placed orders by the dozen.

Moving to Koppa and setting up his own industrial unit further fanned his enthusiasm to design farmer-friendly equipments. Soon followed many more products like the arecanut dehusking machine.

“Designing an arecanut dehusking machine was a real challenge. While the machine meant for the dehusking of dry arecanut was quite easy, the one meant for fresh arecanut took real long, as it required a lot of money, a commodity that was in real short supply then,” recalls Mr Bhandari.

Apart from money, another major problem he faced with the designing of a machine meant for fresh arecanut was with its variety as the arecanut from different areas requires different treatment.

“I had to come up with a machine that suited all types of arecanut, taking into consideration variations in their size and produce,” says Mr Bhandari.

Soon followed an arecanut dryer that could dry the produce within 24 hours. This product has been a great hit with the farmers of the region as arecanut doesn’t dry easily in Malnad owing to the cool climate that prevails for most part of the year. Once again, the designing of this machine was no mean task as care had to be taken to see that the machine dried arecanut without affecting its quality, colour and weight.

Mr Bhandari’s pepper decording machine is another much-sought-after-equipment that has found wide acceptance. “We have catered to many orders from Coorg  as well,” he says.

But, Mr Bhandari’s road to success has not been an easy one as it was strewn with problems, especially in the early years of the setting up of his industrial unit.

Problems notwithstanding, the journey so far has been quite satisfying, he admits, especially when he realises what his equipments mean to farmers. No wonder, his equipments are selling only on the basis of word-of-mouth publicity.

Mr Bhandari’s arecanut and cardamom drying machines, available in five different models, have been approved by the Indian Institute of Science, and attracts a huge subsidy for buyers.

A recipient of many awards and accolades like the Essel Karnataka’s Best Entrepreneur/ Innovator Award and the 2001 National Award instituted by the National Innovation Foundation, Mr Bhandari has come a long way. But, the innovator in him says the fire to innovate is still burning bright in his heart. He can be contacted at 9448530454.