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Chulah Story

Growing up in Delhi, with parents in government service, I often visited rural Bihar, where the acrid smoke from chullahs lingered in homes, choking families and clouding futures. These memories, coupled with Delhi's smog, shaped my resolve to use technology for societal and environmental good—not as charity, but as sustainable, scalable solutions.

As a Class 12 student at Sanskriti School, I've pursued this vision through engineering, dance, and advocacy, aiming to build a world where technology uplifts communities.

My internship at Chakr Innovation in 2024 was a turning point. Analyzing data for nitrous emissions from internal combustion engines, I was able to contribute towards development of an emission control system that could reduce these emissions by over 70%. I was able to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to design these systems in a way that the pressure drop across these emission control systems was much below the permissible limits.

This hard skill fueled my ambition to tackle the chullah's smoke problem, a personal mission rooted in Bihar's kitchens.

Using CFD analysis, I designed a smokeless chullah, optimizing gas flow to cut emissions by over 20% while maintaining affordability.

By open-sourcing the designs, I empowered rural innovators to adapt and scale this solution, aligning with my belief in profitable impact.

Parallel to my STEM pursuits, I founded Nrityaamrit in 2023, using my nine-year Kuchipudi training under Padmashri Gurus Raja Radha Reddy to deliver dance therapy to 150+ underprivileged girls and veterans. By quantifying this impact, I merged STEM with social good, a skill I honed at Chakr. Leading Nrityaamrit sessions for girls like Sonakshi, who found confidence through Katakamukha, taught me that technology—whether a chullah or data—must serve human dignity.

My experiences in Bihar's villages and Delhi's urban sprawl drive my commitment to environmental and mental health solutions.