When waste flowers bloom

Ambika Sharma

Organic incense sticks prepared from flowers offered by devotees at religious places will be available to people soon. 

An Una-based entrepreneur, Ravinder Prashar, with technical guidance from the scientists of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, has developed incense sticks using flower offerings from temples.

The idea, supported under the Chief Minister’s startup scheme aims at providing a novel solution to the problem of disposal of flowers offered by devotees at the places of worship. It also helps in gainfully utilisation of flowers offered in religious places and functions on an everyday basis.

Ravinder Prashar, who has completed his bachelor degree in engineering from BITS Pilani has registered a company — Yuvan Vendors — during the last semester of his MBA. 

He mooted his proposal through the CM Start-Up Scheme (CMSS) of the state government and after its approval Department of Floriculture and Landscape Architecture was allotted to him as his incubator. University scientists have helped him in developing the product. Under the mentorship of Dr Bharti Kashyap, Dr YC Gupta and Dr Manoj Vaidya, he was provided the scientific inputs for the product development, whose testing was done at the Floral Craft Lab of the university. 

Prashar, while lauding the CMSS and the university scientists for their guidance and support in making the product a reality, said: “The objective was to utilise the pious flowers offered at temples and make organic incense sticks. I also wanted to provide an alternative to the disposal of these flowers in drains and other places.”

Vice Chancellor Dr HC Sharma recently launched the incense sticks during the rose festival of the university.

He said: “It is very heartening to see young entrepreneurs coming up with novel ideas that not only generate jobs but also address some problems which society faces. The university regularly helps farmers to establish new enterprises through the dissemination of information and transfer of technology and will continue to support such initiatives in future as well.”

Dr Sharma said to give respect to the agricultural profession, people particu- larly youngsters will have to take up entrepreneurship in this field. The scheme envisages practical exposure, orientation training, entrepreneurial guidance and hand-holding to potential entrepreneurs, whose projects are approved. Once a project is recommended by the host institution and approved by the empowered committee, monthly support is provided as sustenance allowance for a year. 

One such incubation centre was established in the university in 2017. 

The centres support start-ups and innovation by providing mentoring services, access to their labs and facilities at zero cost.