By assisting them in switching from coal to better LPG iron boxes, the Istri Project is enabling Istri vyapaaris to improve their economic situation by transforming iron business.The industry is being disrupted by the innovative approach of the Istri Project, an effort that aims to empower communities and alter ironing practises. The initiative is pushing economic growth, facilitating market change, and promoting sustainability in Bangalore and Chennai by introducing LPG iron boxes as an excellent substitute for conventional coal-based iron boxes. Traditional challenges for vyapaaris who iron clothes include spending up to two hours a day heating coal and the iron box and travelling great distances to obtain coal. These factors have a negative impact on productivity and waste time.
LPG iron boxes have offered a revolutionary approach that is more convenient and efficient. They take less than two to three minutes to heat up, thus cutting down on vyapaaris' waiting periods. An ironing vyapaari from Bangalore who has gone through the changeover said that they don't need to drive 20 kilometres in order to get coal. I've said goodbye to those tiresome trips with the LPG box. It has greatly increased my revenue in addition to saving me time. I can't wait to tell other ironing fans outside of Bangalore about this.
The World Health Organisation states that burning coal releases chemicals harmful to human health, such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and particulate matter.
In addition, coal is costly and in unpredictable supply, and its particles can burn clothing.
In order to assist in cleaning up this industry, Udhyam, which focuses on skill development for small business owners and schoolchildren, created The Istri Project in 2019. Because LPG was more affordable and efficient than coal, Udhyam decided to use it. The nonprofit created a prototype, gave it to ten iron workers in the city, along with a free trade 5-kg LPG cylinder, and provided them with training on how to use the apparatus. The iron box functions similarly to a gas stove since a conduit connects it to the cylinder and directs gas into the box.
The iron vyapaari warms the base by lighting a small flame within the box with a lighter, which ignites the gas. A knob is used to regulate the flame. Any commercial gas agency can replace the gas cylinders once they have been used. Because these free-trade cylinders don't need an address proof, they may be obtained by only depositing the equipment's cost, which can then be refilled at a rate set by the state government. After getting preliminary feedback from the ten ironers, Udhyam distributed more irons and cylinders on a bigger scale with funding from other financiers and corporate responsibility programmes.
Similar to Babu, a number of ironers mentioned that coal irons required almost an hour to set up, but LPG irons heated up in about two minutes thus transforming iron business. According to the non-profit, using LPG irons allows ironers to press 9–12 more items and save an average of 133 minutes each day. Additionally, they save about Rs 850 a month on petrol.
It thus becomes easy to increase their monthly income by up to 27% by switching to an LPG iron. Udhyam's LPG irons are now used by 3,000–4,000 ironers in Bengaluru. The effects of the Istri Project- transforming iron business go beyond ease of use and financial gain. With an annual decrease of 2.5K tonnes of coal, the initiative has made significant progress towards a more environmentally friendly future.
Additionally, it has improved the lives of more than 5,000 vyapaaris, leading to a notable yearly uplift of more than Rs. 25 crores. The project's scalability and efficacy are shown by its impact multiple of money (IMM), which is 44x for indirect value and 22x for direct value.
We are thrilled to see how the Istri Project is changing lives. The goal is to provide sustainable solutions that will enable nano entrepreneurs to make a living. By substituting cutting-edge LPG alternatives for conventional coal iron boxes, we are not only improving the vyapaaris's economic circumstances but also clearing the path for a more efficient and greener future.
The Istri Project by Udhyam Learning Foundation has spread its influence to several other cities around the nation after its incredible success in Bangalore and with a track record of community empowerment and sustainable practices. For further information on the Istri Project and its aim to transform ironing procedures, kindly click on: www.udhyam.org/vyapaar/theistriproject.