Category Archives: Business & Economy

Meet Manjuwara Mullah from Assam’s riverine sandbank who is leading Muslim women to social, financial empowerment

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), , , , , , ,

Rupakuchi Village (Barpeta District), ASSAM:

Manjuwara Mullah from the north-eastern state of Assam is a social activist whose initiative Amrapari has changed the lives of many women in the poorest region of Assam. This is her story.

Manjuwara Mullah | Picture by Amrapari

Guwahati :

As a woman social activist Manjuwara Mullah from Barpeta district’s Rupakuchi village in the north-eastern state of Assam would get anxious when distress phone calls from numerous women from the Char areas would pour in seeking her help to get their male family members back home during the Covid-19 lockdown. She faced twin problems — getting the sole breadwinners of the families back home and ensure income for these people so that the impoverished families can sustain the pandemic as well as the economic hardship.

The people of the riverine sandbanks, known as Char areas in Assam, are one of the poorest in the state, have the highest illiteracy rates, a fewer number of landholders and very limited source of income. This crisis, along with the devastating yearly floods force massive labour migration from Char areas of the state to southern Indian states where they work as daily wagers.

For 36-year-old Mullah facilitating the process of getting the migrant labourers back home was an immensely difficult job, and as the migrant labourers took the uphill task of travelling thousands of kilometres to their homes, she started to focus on the women members of the migrants’ families and how they could be engaged in something that earns them money to fend for their families.

Being an activist and with academic exposure to the workings of non-profit organizations, Mullah incorporated her learnings from the sector to form a collective called Amrapari, which eventually turned into a non-profit organization, intending to employ the organic and traditional knowledge of the women from Char areas to provide them financial independence.

Amrapari, a Bangali as well as Miya (dialect) phrase for “we can”, initiative weaponized the traditional knowledge of the women of stitching Kanthas, an embroidery craft on clothes with multiple usage (used as bed covers or also as summer blankets) and also considered as a traditional and cultural artefact of the Bengali origin Muslims of Assam.

“I have been working with urban as well as rural communities for more than a decade. That’s how I am connected with the people at large. My work involved microfinance for the upliftment of women, citizenship issues, child marriage and women rights in the chars. When I got to know about the ensuing financial hardships of these families with whom I have been connected, I was in a lot of distress,” Mullah said when she narrated the circumstances that led to the foundation of Amrapari initiative.

The Char areas are also grappling with issues of girl-child rights violation, women rights violation apart from women in the family facing the economic burdens as men generally migrate for work to other states.

“Amid the trying times of coronavirus induced hardships, I was thinking about change in the Char areas. Merely supporting the women would not help them in the long term. Until they are financially independent their social condition will not change much,” she said.

The women from Char areas and the community, in general, are traditionally skilled in stitching kanthas. “I facilitated the use of the craft and ancestral knowledge to weave for their independence and empowerment,” she said.

The initiative is currently operating from Rupakuchi village, around 130-kilometers away northwest from state capital Guwahati, and sandwiched between Beki and Chaulkhua river which cause ravaging floods and erosions during the monsoon months.

At least 35 women are working as stakeholders, following a model of cooperative benefit sharing at Amrapari.

Women supported by Amrapari doing stitching work | Photo by Amrapari

Mullah said that during the initial days of the organization, Anjuman Ara Begum, a human rights activist, helped her a lot. “We discussed at lengths with women from villages and they said that they know stitching and were interested in engaging with the traditional craft,” she said.

More than monetary gain
For 24-year-old Nur Nehar from Rupakuchi village, her engagement with Amrapari means she can bear the educational expenses of her two children.

Married in 2009 as a child bride, Nehar used to stitch small fishing nets at her village which would earn her a meagre amount and living on the constant fear of being uprooted from her house by the annual flooding waters from Chaulkhua river, she is now confident that she will be able to earn the months ends by weaving the quilts.

“Though I knew stitching, but I didn’t know the designer works. It was Manjuwara madam who introduced the designs to us,” Nehar told TwoCircles.net, being happy with the fact that she has earned Rs 15,000 by working with Amrapari.

Moreover, the small initiative has been a ray of hope for many women from remote Muslim villages. Many find respite from the mental trauma that they endured when their husbands had done injustice to them.

A note on the social media page of Amrapari narrates the mental trauma that a woman had to go through. The post reads, “The most painful incident that had happened in my life was when my husband married twice. My mental health was badly affected. But upon working here, I can distract myself and pay the fees of my kids for their education which matters the most,” said one of the members from the group no. 2.”

It has also boosted confidence among many of the participants associated with the organization.

30-year-old Inuara Begum was said, “I would get shy and angry when I first saw my photograph in the posters. But now my photos have become some kind of viral on (social media). The people here and my family encouraged me so much so that I am not shy anymore. This has given me a lot of courage.”

For Umme Sabira Khatun, who is in her mid-twenties and coordinates among the women groups at Amrapari, her imaginations becoming arts on the kanthas is more than satisfactory. “Amrapari has given that platform where I can see my designs turn into appealing arts which I could never have imagined before,” Sabira said.

Mullah said that more than financial aid to the women, Amrapari envisages empowering the women from very remote places. “The experiences shared by the women reflect their own sense of self-identification as well as their independence,” she said.

Promoting their products via social media and e-commerce platforms, the women from Amrapari have been able to tap the market for their traditional kanthas and the women are extending their range of products as well.

source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> Lead Story / by Mahibul Hoque, TwoCircles.net / May 28th, 2021

Find out why Aslam TP and Mujeeb Rahman are walking from Kasargod to Kanyakumari

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Kasaragod, KERALA :

Mujeeb (left) and Aslam share a laugh with locals along the highway   | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The two will cover a distance of 600-odd kilometres on foot, to raise money for children’s education

Ambling through the streets of Kozhikode, a visibly tired Aslam TP and his childhood friend Mujeeb Rahman are intercepted by an auto driver.

He wants to know where they are heading, and why they looked so drained. When Aslam tells him about the cause they are trying to raise money for, the auto driver promptly pulls out ₹100 from his pocket and hands it over.

In just seven days of their walk, Aslam and Mujeeb have been met with overwhelming tales of generosity, and as a result, 62% of their target amount (₹7 lakh) has been raised. They are covering a distance of 600-odd kilometres on foot, from Kasargod in Kerala to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, to raise money for children’s education in Kasargod for the Najath Educational and Charitable Society. With the amount raised, they will buy smartphones for online classes. “We walked from Vadakara to Kozhikode on Monday, covering around 49 kilometres, the longest stretch so far,” say Aslam over a call from Kozhikode, Kerala. A serial fund raiser, Aslam took up a similar challenge in Bali last year, where he cycled 397 kilometres to support the education of 45 Balinese children. Currently, he runs a company called Yourfitrip in Bali, which encourages fitness holidays. These include surfing, kayaking, volcano trekking… activities that have helped Aslam stay fit over the years.

He also runs a community called Cause is Life that connects blood donors to receivers. It kept him and his pan-India volunteers busy through the second wave of COVID-19. Just before the lockdown this year, Aslam was in Nagaland, setting up Yourfitrip there, running up hills and walking from one village to another meeting the locals.

“For this walk, Mujeeb and I trained in Kasargod, our hometown, walking 15 to 18 kilometres everyday. We are training our brain to know that we are good to go, even when we are tired,” he laughs. They prepare a chart, based on which their daily route is fixed. “We average about 30-35 kilometres a day. On somedays, it goes up to 45 to 48.”

They start walking at 6.30am and wind up for the night by 7pm. “In case of emergency, we have a backup car that stays 15 kilometres ahead of us,” he adds. They take the highway, spilling into Tamil Nadu from Nagercoil before heading to Kanyakumari. With everything functional in Kerala and food available for takeaway, things have so far been under control.

Aslam says he will complete the walk in 21 to 23 days. Though planned as a 21-day project, the end date is uncertain as they get enveloped by hospitality from people they come across. So far, the duo has been pleasantly surprised by receptions planned in their honour, invites for meals from strangers, and the willingness of people to contribute even if it means handing over the last penny in their pocket. At one of the villages, a group followed them in a car as they wanted to be part of this mission. “I want people to know that we are collectively strong and can do so many things to give others a better future,” he says as he and Mujeeb stretch, lunge and soldier on, with the rain for company.

For details, check out Aslam’s Instagram handle @aslucha

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Priyadarshini Paitandy / June 30th, 2021

Shafeeq UR Rahman

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

A thorough businessman who believes in work hard and celebrate harder.

When you are determined, Nothing can Stop you!!

Shafeeq runs the company, The star life- Hyderabad with an objective to promote the new talent in the field of fashion and to provide the right platform and the opportunity to the youth to achieve their dreams and inculcate the habits of dreaming big star life as it introduces many top class models and fashion designers.

Mr. Shafeeq ur Rahman is also a well-known personality in the field of fashion lifestyle and entertainment publications and he is also an Editor-in-chief City Hi-life magazine Hyderabad. So far he has attended 100+ fashion pageants as a chief guest. Star life Hyderabad is one of the renowned entertainment companies which organizes Beauty pageant, fashion photo shoots with well-known celebrities, fashion houses, and fashion designer. It is the wide variety of activities being celebrated at Star Life which makes it extremely unique.

Passion Vista got an opportunity to meet Mr.Shafeeq Ur Rahman on the sidelines of 3rd Business Leadership Awards, an event conceptualized by Unified Brainz powered by Passion Vista Talks in association with Asian-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry in June 2019 at the Taj, Santacruz, Mumbai.

Mr.Rahman was honored for running a Promising Emerging Enterprise in Event Management.

Here are the excerpts of our conversation with Mr.Shafeeq Ur Rahman

Mr.Rahman, how did you feel being a part of the 3rd Global Business Leadership Forum?

‘Star Life’ is just five years old and yet, it has been able to create a niche for itself and the right kind of people have started noticing us.

Mr.Rahman, what influenced you to start The Star Life and what are your plans for it?

I want to create a platform where all new models and actors can approach and showcase their talent. I want to especially reduce hardships faced by them till the point of nullifying them. I eventually would like to extend Star Life internationally too.

Is The Star Life your core profession or you are also involved in other businesses?

Well, earlier I was also into constructions but nowadays, with the positive response and multi-skilled hard work talents coming in, I plan to be dedicated to The Star Life.

That’s about business, tell us what your hobbies are? How do you usually Chill?

Well, it is not too tough to guess, whenever I get time from my schedule which is extremely tough these days, I like to watch old movies, I love yesteryears performances.

That’s interesting. Which are your favorite ones?

I can watch the old Devdas and Andaz Apna Apna infinitely. In fact, I would also urge the makers of Andaz Apna Apna to either remake the movie or release it again. Current generation needs to witness the purest form of Comedy of Errors on the Silver Screen.

Being a movie buff, Your favorite actors?

(Lol, Before the question is completed) Shahrukh Khan of Darr & Kareena Kapoor of Jab We Met

Who is your Role Model?

I have followed the life of Shri Amitabh Bachchan very closely and I would definitely like to meet him once in person to ask whats the best way to deal with the ups and downs.

Your Midnight Friend/ Philosopher/Mentor for advice?

My older brother Khaleeq Ur Rahman. I am thankful for the almighty to bless me with a brother like this, without whom I am incomplete. He has this calm demeanor that helps me always.

What is your Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs?

There is no short cut to the most beautiful place in life, hard work eventually succeeds, keep sharpening your skills, the day you don’t sharpen them, you are heading for decline.

source: http://www.passionvista.com / Passion Vista / Home> – Featured Stories / June 2019

Arshia Khan

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Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA / Doha, QATAR :

COO, Crowdbridge Consultants Pvt Ltd;
Editor, Crowdteck.com – A CSR Digital Magazine;
Associate Director, Crowd Central Technology

Against all odds, Arshia Khan lives to tell the tale. The year was 1985; city, Mumbai. The building Arshia’s family was residing in, collapsed, and they lost everything including her elder brother. Arshia was declared dead and taken to a morgue. Destiny however had other plans. Arshia suffered a loss of eyesight and memory, but thanks to God’s grace and timely medical intervention led by Dr Machiswala, she gradually bounced back to normalcy.

From then on, Arshia’s fighting spirit battled every obstacle in her path to emerge victorious.

One of six siblings, Arshia grew up in humble surroundings. Despite being the lone breadwinner, her father ensured good education for all. And so Arshia attended St Anne’s High School in Bandra, Mumbai which is also alma mater to renowned personalities like actor Aamir Khan and politician Baba Siddiqui.

Valuing everything that life had to offer, Arshia worked hard and excelled at everything in school. From being among the top three rankers in class to winning scholarships and best students awards, Arshia was God’s favourite child.

Following an interest towards daily affairs and national issues, Arshia pursued a degree in Mass Media (Journalism) at Rizvi College of Management. During this time, she was academically adopted on merit by an NGO called MESCO, which supports educational necessities of worthy students. The selfless service of MESCO went a long way in encouraging her to participate in social causes. Now one of her co-ventures that she is passionate about is Crowd Bridge Consultants Pvt Ltd which covers all that creates and promotes social development, wellbeing and betterment.

At Rizvi College, Arshia was mentored by (late) Prof P K Ravindranath who was an iconic journalist in his days. Following her mentor’s advice, ‘If you want to be a journalist, be on the ground, network, and build relationships’, she didn’t pursue her masters. She started networking, which eventually landed her a job at the Indian Express Newspapers. She learnt everything about journalism and media at The Indian Express. In 2010, she moved to Network 18 Media and Investments Ltd. as a Features Editor, managing a bigger team. She later diversified into the PR industry and worked at Perfect Relations’ healthcare arm – Imprimis. Two years hence, she moved to Adfactors, the PR giant, as an account manager.

As her professional life flourished, marital bliss followed. Soon after having her first baby Yahya in 2017, Arshia moved to Doha, Qatar. During 2017 – 18, she worked as a freelance consultant. By the end of 2018, she joined Crowd Central Technology as the Head of Content. Crowd Central’s CEO, Waseem Ahmed Kazi, always spoke at length about how he wanted to make a positive difference in society. Their thoughts resonated, and eventually Arshia was leading an exciting new venture, Crowdteck.com – a CSR Digital Magazine.

The objective of the magazine is to encourage good work in humanitarian causes, irrespective of cast, creed or religion. Their aim to restore faith in humanity helped them to connect with a global audience, and their online global readership quadrupled in two years.

From Mumbai to Qatar, what has been Arshia’s biggest challenge? “I have always been a passionate journalist, but was naïve about the business aspect until 2018 when I was promoted as the Associate Director at Crowd Central Technology. This big push meant that I was not only dealing with publishing of content but also specialised areas like revenue, business, and the like. As I was delegated the responsibility of handling international business across India, I learnt the specifics of a brick-and-mortar business model, including the online implications of its cyber footprint,” shares Arshia.

Although professionally satisfying and rewarding, this leap posed some challenges at the personal level. “My husband and I would work separate shifts and take turns to be with our toddler. It can be heart-breaking to leave your months-old toddler for work, and all new mothers will relate to this.”

However Arshia was lucky to be working with a company like Crowd Central Technology, which not only accommodated her requests as a new mother but also rewarded and motivated her to continue unabated.

On the other hand is Arshia’s most gratifying moment. Without a blink, she says, “Motherhood! Being a mother has been a blissful journey, which has taught me that patience and perseverance take you far. My child has disciplined me in more ways than one, and I can’t thank the Almighty enough for this little bundle of joy.”

As a parting note, inspirational Arshia shares a very important piece of advice, “I was embarrassed to seek aid or assistance of any kind. It is important that we inculcate the habit of reaching out for help in our children, who will be future leaders.”

source: http://www.passionvista.com / Passion Vista / Home> Collector’s Edition – Featured Stories – Women Leaders 2021 / April 2021

Mohammed Mubin Mallick: Meet The Man Behind Delivery-Robot That Served Food At COVID 19 Quarantine Center In Beijing

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Kolkata, WEST BENGAL / KUWAIT :

Robotsman’ Mohammed Mubin Mallick.

Bengaluru :

When his friends were busy playing with toy guns, Mohammed Mubin Mallick was building robots like a pro.  For Mubin, robotics was a passion that eventually became his profession.

From an amateur innovator to a global leader in robot solutions, 39-year-old Mubin has come a long way to earn a sobriquet of `Robotman’ of India and middle east. A native of Kolkata, he holds MBA degree from Cardiff University, United Kingdom.

Being the school captain, Mubin grew up as an achiever, bagging awards in various recreational activities like sports, dance, speech, etc. He continues to be an achiever even today. Recently, he received Agata Lo Tauro Special International Award 2020 and a certificate for being the Mentor for ROBOCON 2020.

Mubin ventured into digital solutions and robotics solutions with his IT service company `Kiran Smart’. Always on the lookout to cater to the market’s needs, he set out to innovate and take steps beyond what others already offered.

Since the time he realized that he had the power to think out-of-the-box and innovate, Mubin dreamt of building a company that he could run depending on his ideas. The cradle for his innovation comes from very munificent thoughts of wanting to create job opportunities and donating the profits. It is for this reason that Mubin doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned to make his firm a global leading light.

“Our company Kiran Smart is into IT Solutions and Services for the past 15 years. We have been looking for diversification in our business portfolio. We did diversification into Digital Transformation and then recently we launched and started Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. Our market research on Humanoid Service Robots indicated a considerable demand for Robots. Therefore, our company decided to launch a brand Called Mi-Robots,” he said.

The pandemic, however, came as a blessing in disguise for Mubin and his company. “One of our delivery Robots serving food in China in 2019 December to COVID 19 quarantine centre became breaking news around the world. This news around the world helped us gained the trust of the people,” he said.

It was in 2017 that he came across a humanoid robot. He invested time in GITEX technology and ultimately made his passion and childhood dream come true. Understanding the working of robots and offering solutions related to them is Mubin’s only focus now.

“To be very honest, there were many challenges which cannot be listed here. Apparently, the major aspect was the financial crunch. Firstly, it is very crucial to survive in the local market. Secondly, we need smart and loyal team members who can run the company,” he said.

Over the years, Mubin learned both professional and personal lives play a considerable role in making an achiever or a failure. According to him, success in personal lives has a direct and positive impact on professional lives.

“To overcome these challenges, we adopted different strategies like inviting investors locally and globally. Apart from in-house human resources, we tied up with international firms to induct more innovative people to work with us remotely. Finally, our satisfied customers are our revenue. We do the regular follow-ups and technology updates with our customers so that we can fulfill their needs as per their growing needs,” he said.

Mubin is dealing with different kinds of Robots. These include Delivery Robots for restaurant and hotels, Educational Robots for Schools, hospitality Robots for hotels, UVC Disinfection Robots for all, Spray Dry Mist Disinfection Robot, Humidifier Robots for Home and Office, and Robots for children. 

“Robots have played a major role during the pandemic as they helped people tremendously. For example, Disinfection robots are used to disinfect the places and those robots are UVC Lights Robots and Dry Mist Spray Robots. Many robots are used to check the temperature of people. Robots are used in hospitals to carry hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves in hospitals, hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and many places,” he said.

Even corporates are using to communicate with their remote employees so that managers and team leaders can stay focused on live meetings. “Many universities across the globe have launched courses for Robotics and Machine Learning. There is data supporting the popularity of Robot installation in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, warehouses, home delivery, and schools,” he said.

Headquartered in Kuwait, Mubin’s Robots are going places. From all GCC to Africa, UK, Canada, Mexico and few European countries, Mubin is trying to introduce technology for making the life of the common man easy.

“It is really difficult to define the demand or maximum interest was shown by any specific country in this future technology because most of the countries are working on all the innovative technologies to lead the world. So, according to me, I see South Korea, China, Japan, Singapore, Canada, and UAE from the Middle East. The global market for robots is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 26 percent to reach just under 210 billion U.S. dollars by 2025,” he said.

His company, `Kiran Smart’, is a reflection of Mubin’s achievements. It has been recognized as the Top Most Robotics Company of 2020. The firm also received awards from the Ministry of Awqaf as the Most Innovative Company. KISR honored Kiran Smart for being their Most Innovative Supporter in Science and Technology for their Children’s Exhibition.

His message for the youth who aspire to reach as far as he has is boosting, “Don’t give up even if you fail. Failure teaches you a lesson and makes you stronger. Accept the reality, believe in yourself, and try again! Caring for humanity and seeing a smile on people’s faces keeps us motivated in life. People should be thankful to God, respectful to their parents, and be humble,” he said.

*The author is a Bengaluru-based freelance journalist.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education> Featured / by Rashida Bakait / February 10th, 2021

DPCC Secretary Haji Meherban Qureshi joins AAP

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NEW DELHI :

New Delhi : 

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) Secretary Haji Meherban Qureshi on Sunday joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of the party’s state convenor and Delhi’s Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai.

Qureshi said he was moved by the public welfare work being undertaken by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government in Delhi so he had decided to quit the Congress and join the AAP.

Rai said, “Haji Meherban Qureshi’s decision of joining the AAP has widened the reach of our party and strengthened it. We will all work together for the development of Delhi and its people.”

Qureshi, a resident of Delhi’s Sadar Bazaar, was associated with the Congress for many years.

The newly inducted AAP leader said he is impressed by the historic work being done by the Delhi government under the leadership of AAP’s National Convener and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the development of the national capital and its people for the last six years.

Quershi assured to work with full dedication to fulfill the vision of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.

Apart from being the former Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee Secretary, Qureshi is a patron of the Qureshi Graduates Association.

He is also the chief patron of the Federation of Sadar Bazaar Trade Association, President of Brotherhood Committee, Luv-Kush Ram Leela Committee, Vice Chairman of Red Fort, Chairman of Sadar Bazaar Green Market Trade Association and National Vice-President of All India Jamiatul Quresh.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld / Home> National-World / by IANS / New Delhi, June 28th, 2021

J&K engineering student lands dream Amazon job in Bengaluru

Business & Economy, Education, Science & Technology, ,

Khanbal (Anantnag District), JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Kaisar Shabir

Tumakuru :

If it was not for BSNL fibernet at home at Khanabal in Anantnag district of Jammu & Kashmir, Kaisar Shabir would not have attended online interviews with companies scouting for talent under ‘campus selection’ in December 2020.

Kaisar, who graduated from Siddaganga Institute of Technology here, has been appointed as a software development engineer with cafter training, and his salary package is Rs 31.97 lakh per year. This is the highest among 700 Bachelor of Engineering students from SIT who got placed through campus recruitment.

“I was tense as the network dropped at times at our home. But thankfully it didn’t. I am sure interviewers would have rescheduled my interview if there were any internet issues,” said Kaisar. “It would have been even better if the mobile network was working at that time. But BSNL proved helpful,” he said.

After being selected, he worked from home, and now he is joining Amazon’s Bengaluru office to work offline. “I don’t have dreams of going abroad. I want to crack the UPSC in future and serve in India,” he said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Devraj B Hirehalli, Express News Service / June 26th, 2021

Dr. Ahamed Irshad: Developing Hydrogen Fuel and High Energy Batteries For Green Vehicles

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Kerala, INDIA / Los Angeles, USA :

Dr. Ahamed Irshad.

This is the fifth part of the series called `Scientist Says’ where we bring for our readers the significant and commendable research works of young scientists.

Dr. Ahamed Irshad is a research associate in the department of chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He has been associated with National Science Foundation, US Army, and Department of Energy on various battery projects. He has authored several articles in international journals published by American Chemical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry and Electrochemical Society. He served as the topic editor for Journal of Energy and Power Technology, and reviewer for international journals. He is also a recipient of Cottrell scholar award, Bristol-Myers-Squibb fellowship, Dr. J. C. Gosh medal, and Indian Academy of Science award. He shares some of his significant research works with Rashida Bakait of India Tomorrow.

Q. Please briefly explain your research.

Ans: My research interest is on developing novel materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. The research area can be broadly classified into two: (i) hydrogen fuel production from water and (ii) high energy batteries for electric vehicles.

The first project on hydrogen fuel was carried out during my PhD at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Hydrogen is considered as a fuel for the future. While burning petrol or diesel release huge amount of greenhouse gases, the only by-product of hydrogen fuel is water. Currently, hydrogen is produced from methane by steam-methane reforming. This method also produces CO2 and hence cannot be counted as a green method. My research topic was on utilizing carbon free, inexpensive, and abundant water (H2O) molecules as the hydrogen source and use electricity to split water. The process requires energy close to 237 kJ mol-1 or theoretical voltage of 1.23 V. However, practical voltage is as high as  1.8-2 V due to sluggish kinetics. This limits the efficiency to 65-70 % and necessitates expensive catalysts such as IrO2 or RuO2. My research goal was to design and develop highly active, low-cost, and stable cobalt and nickel-based catalysts to improve the efficiency. The use of inexpensive catalysts would also reduce the overall cost and make hydrogen an attractive fuel.

The battery research was done in collaboration with US Army and Department of Energy at University of Southern California, Los Angeles. There is a growing demand for high energy batteries for electric vehicles. Current lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology has limited range (200-300 miles) and high cost of $130/kWh. In addition, LIBs use toxic cobalt-based materials. In recent years, lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries have emerged as a promising substitute to LIBs due to its five times high energy density.  In addition, sulfur is earth abundant and less expensive. Commercialization of Li-S batteries is still hindered by its inability to charge/discharge quickly for several cycles. This has been attributed to high internal resistance and dissolution of soluble polysulfides. We proposed an electrode design with different carbons to reduce the resistance and developed an interlayer to improve the cyclability.

Q. What was the objective of your research?

Ans: Although water electrolysis is used to produce high purity hydrogen, its widespread deployment is impeded by the high cost. My goal was to develop cost-effective and robust catalysts based on nickel and cobalt instead of expensive platinum (Pt), ruthenium (Ru), and iridium (Ir) . I also wanted to investigate the key factors that affect the stability and activity. Similarly, Li-S battery technology has a high potential to replace LIBs(Lithium batteries). My primary objective was to identify the fundamental origin of the high internal resistance in Li-S batteries using a technique called electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It was also intended to develop an advanced electrode structure to reduce the resistance that would allow to charge and discharge battery fast. Then again, we proposed a novel interlayer to stop soluble polysulfides diffusing from cathode to anode.

Q. What were the new findings of your research?

Ans: We prepared a series of novel materials such as cobalt-phosphate, cobalt-acetate, manganese-phosphate, etc. for water electrolysis. Our electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance studies suggested that the cobalt-phosphate catalysts are not stable at high voltage. In addition, the catalyst deposition was slow due to poor solubility of Co2+ in phosphate. We proposed the catalyst preparation from an acetate solution because the solubility of Co2+ in acetate is high and a large quantity of materials can be prepared in a short time. Cobalt-acetate also exhibited higher activity than cobalt-phosphate. In the case of Li-S battery, we used electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to probe the internal resistance. Our studies indicated that the high resistance originate from poor interparticle contact and sluggish battery reaction kinetics. When we added high surface area carbon, battery performed much better than before due to improved interparticle contact and high number of reaction sites. Adding an interlayer between electrodes stopped diffusion of soluble polysulfides. As a result of advanced cathode design and additional layer, our Li-S battery could be charged and discharged quickly for several cycles.

Q. What kind of challenges did you face?

Ans: The ideal catalyst should have high activity, stability, and preferably made of earth abundant, inexpensive, and non-toxic materials. It was a great challenge to incorporate all the features in a single material. For instance, cobalt-phosphate was very active but not stable. Low-cost manganese-phosphate didn’t show any catalytic activity or stability whereas highly expensive iridium-phosphate exhibited highest activity. Among all the materials tested, we identified cobalt-acetate as the most promising catalyst that showed high activity, stability, and relatively low cost. In the case of Li-S (Lithium-Sulfur) battery testing, identifying the key factors affecting the battery performance was a bit challenging. Impedance spectroscopy aided us to isolate a few factors that affected battery performance significantly. Fabrication of electrodes with different compositions and optimizing the electrode design was a herculean task.

Q. Any scholarship or award for research.

Ans: The battery project was financially supported by various federal and private agencies such as National Science Foundation, US Army, Department of Energy, and a battery startup called STAQ Energy. I was awarded the prestigious Cottrell award by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and Research Corporation in 2020. I am also a recipient of Dr. J. C. Gosh gold medal in Physical Chemistry and Bristol-Myers-Squibb fellowship. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India, provided me fellowship for five years during my PhD. I also received Indian Academy of Science fellowship.

Q. How do you think your research would be beneficial to the society or industry?

Ans: There is a gradual increase in the CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The transport sector contributes almost 30 % of the greenhouse gases. Moreover, the petrol and diesel price keep increasing every day, and these fuels will run out soon. It is the time to look for clean fuel like hydrogen. My research findings on low-cost catalysts will reduce the hydrogen fuel price and improve the efficiency of electrolyzer. It is also possible to interface the electrolyzer with solar panel or wind turbine to store renewable energy. Similarly, high energy batteries are essential for electric vehicles and portable applications. Our results on Li-S batteries will advance the battery technology beyond lithium-ion battery and reduce the weight and cost of car batteries. The use of high energy batteries will increase the driving range as well. These batteries will be useful for drones and other aerial vehicles also.

Q. When did you begin and complete your research? 

Ans: I have been doing battery research since I joined USC in 2017. My PhD started in 2011 and I submitted thesis in 2016. During five years of PhD, I entirely focused on developing catalyst for hydrogen production.

Q. Any other new research you are working on now?

Ans: Currently, I am investigating materials for fluoride-ion battery. In this case, the negatively charged fluoride ions are the charge carriers instead of positively charged lithium ions in lithium-ion battery. This is a new concept that has not been well explored. Another project is on alkaline batteries that are suitable for large scale stationary energy storage. I also continue to work on Li-S batteries for electric vehicles.

Q. How do you think your research can be carried forward further?

Ans: We have an extensive collaboration with scientists and research groups across the world. Currently, we are trying to utilize the technology and skills from different groups to understand the detailed molecular and crystal structure of the catalyst. This would allow us to establish structure-property relationship in these catalysts and investigate the fundamental reaction mechanism. We also communicated with battery companies and federal agencies to examine the feasibility of commercialization of our battery technology.

Q. Tips and suggestions for the budding scientists.

Ans: Career as a scientist is challenging yet a very rewarding experience. To be successful, you need to nurture scientific curiosity, creativity, deep passion, and perseverance. Always make sure that you learn the basic concepts thoroughly and keep yourself updated with scientific literature. Use the early years’ research career to learn as many techniques as possible that will help to tackle many scientific problems in future. Don’t hesitate to expose yourself to different ways of thinking by discussing ideas with peers, gaining experience in different research groups, and creating a network of friends. Communication is also important. You should learn to give presentations and write papers to share your research outputs with others. Just like in any other career, life as a scientist will have many ups and downs, but it’s your choice to scream or enjoy the journey.

source:http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education> Featured / by Rashida Bakait, IndiaTomorrow.net / April 16th, 2021

Umaira Habib’s is empowering women with her cosmetic range Honey n Beaute

Business & Economy, Women/Girls(since May26-2021), ,

Kattubava (near Pudukkottai), TAMIL NADU :

Umaira Habib: The Young Visionary, Versatile, Decisive Entrepreneur setting new benchmarks for the industry to follow with her startup “Honey n Beaute”.


Mother of two kids Umaira Habib who has made a remarkable name for herself and her firm “Honey n Beaute” in the the beauty and personal care industry.

The young gritty talk of the town entrepreneur gaining tremendous popularity in recent time is Umaira Habib.

This millennial businesswoman rising from all the clutches and clutter of challenges that life had thrown at her, she raised to eventually become a successful entrepreneur and the most popular name for umpteen others to talk and follow about.

This determined and go-getter individual is mother of 2 kids, and now owns a successful company under her kitty “Honey n Beaute”.

Honey n Beaute is now home to millions of women who want to look and fell better about them.

The very discrete and unique product list of Honey n Beaute includes various herbal shampoos, soaps, body lotions etc that touch upon millions of lives across the country and provide the necessary momentum to boost about their confidence and energy.

Umaira’s company not only provides these products to look better but in turn enables them to feel good about hem, being happy about how they carry themselves thereby ingesting super confidence in the modern-day women.


Umaira Habib, born in a small town of Kattu Pava near Pudhukkottai, Tamil Nadu didn’t race the roads of success that easily.

Coming from a middle-class family she had to face many challenges to rise in life. Language barrier was also a concern for her, but her meticulous efforts in learning other languages and studying hard took her to many places.

Umaira pursued a course in beauty and personal care management from Kolkata to eventually learn the tips and tricks of the trade industry and finally setting up the firm “Honey n Beaute”.

Managing work life balance, content with her professional work but striving hard to make her company attain global recognition, Umaira has turned every stone to success. Honey n Beaute now caters to more than 25,000 customers pan India. Who would have ever thought that a firm coined in March 2019 would ever make it so large in relatively short period of time? But Umaira and her dedicated team has made sure that their dreams are a reality today.


Honey n Beaute signature product is their Hair oil with herbal ingredients which is the most selling product for the firm, Henna Body lotions which does wonders for skin tan removal, 24k gold serum with 25 herbs and many more. The exciting range of products enthralls the customers all across the country and is penetrating more and more in upcoming and potential markets.


Honey n Beaute also caters to the cream of the crowd list, with celebrities like Rashmika Mandanna, Ishwarya Menon, Janani Iyer, Aalya Manasa, Youtuber Ahmed Meeran and many others who are proud customers of her firm. Umaira Habib has also been adjudged as Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 and is continuing her dream run.


We wish Umair and Honey n Beaute to keep continuing their good work and touch upon millions of lives ahead in their journey.

source: http://www.timebulletin.com / Time Bulletin / Home> News> Business / by Derek Robbin / May 2021

Dr. Nahid Kaisar : Towards Next Generation Li-S Battery Technology

Business & Economy, Education, Leaders, NRI's / PIO's, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , ,

INDIA / Taipei, TAIWAN :

This is the ninth part of the series called ` Scientist Says’ where we bring for our readers the significant research works of young scientists in various fields.

 Dr. Nahid Kaisar is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow in Academia Sinicia, Taiwan. He completed his PhD in Material Science and Engineering from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan. His work is published in several international journals and he has also presented his work in several conferences in USA and Japan. He has also patented his research work for future commercialization.

Here are the excerpts of an interview of Dr. Kaisar with Rashida Bakait of India Tomorrow.

Q. Please briefly explain your research.

Ans: I am working on the development of nanomaterials and their applications on Lithium-ion battery and Lithium-Sulfur battery. I completed my PhD  on the development of Li-S battery, which is also known as next-generation battery technology. We have worked in direct collaboration with industries who manufacture battery for electric car and other applications, which makes the research work more challenging. While working on the materials and its application, always keep in mind about the market viability and industry viability.

At this moment we have well developed Li-ion, Li-polymer battery technology which has wide range of applications that include electric vehicles, consumer electronics and grid technology. But the energy density does not satisfy the current demand. We are doing research on the Li-S battery, which has five times higher energy density and discharge capacity than the current Li-ion battery.

Petrochemical industry produces plenty of Sulfur as by-product, which makes Sulfur abundant element and sulfur is environment friendly compared with the heavy metals used in Li-ion battery. A successfully commercialize Li-S battery not only increase the battery energy density but lower the battery cost.

Q. What was the objective of your research?

Ans: The main objective of my research work on Li-S battery technology is to develop a successful product that is cheaper than recent Li-ion battery and at the same time exhibits higher energy density. The main aim of my research work is to develop a successful Li-S battery that will help to replace the use of toxic heavy metals (like Co, Mn, Ni) which has adverse effects on the environment.

Q. When did you begin and complete your research?

Ans: I started my research in the year 2016 as a graduate student in National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, where I  worked on the thin film technology. Later, in 2017 I started working in Academia Sinica, one of the premier research institutes in Taiwan. I completed my Ph. D in April 2020. Later, in the month of  May 2020 I started working as a postdoctoral fellow in Academia Sinica.

Q. What were the findings of your research?

Ans: There are two aspects of my research work:

  1. Material development: I do research on the design and synthesis of nanomaterials for various applications that include energy storage system. I keep in mind that the synthesis process must be market friendly and easy to process in industry.
  2. Energy storage: Li-S battery face drastic capacity and active materials loss after few charge-discharge cycles. I have successfully developed new materials and battery technology that have successfully stabilized the battery performance.
  3. Q. Any scholarships or awards for research?

Ans: I have been awarded National Taiwan University of Science and Technology graduate scholarship. I have also been awarded CTCI outstanding research award in 2020 for outstanding research work during PhD.

Q. How do you think your research would be beneficial to the industry or society?

Ans: LI-S battery technology is a new topic of research compared to Li-ion battery. My research work adds few innovative research ideas to the field that would help in the development of a commercial product.


Q. Any new research you are working on now.

Ans: Currently, I am working on the development of new anode materials for Li-ion battery. Presently, commercial Li-ion batteries use graphite as anode material, which has lower discharge capacity and low conductivity. I am doing research on new materials that can replace the state-of-the-art graphite while exhibiting similar performance.


Q. How do you think your research can be carried forward?

Ans: Research is a never-ending process. We need to design industry feasible synthesis   process for battery materials using safe and non-toxic materials. We need to collaborate with battery management system that will help to produce an outstanding product. There is a need of strong collaboration between academic and industry to achieve a fruitful product.

Q. Please give few tips and suggestions for the budding scientists.

Ans: All the students who are looking forward to start research journey, should focus on finding an outstanding supervisor. Your supervisor will be the key in success during your research career. University and country play a secondary role.

source: http://www.indiatomorrow.net / India Tomorrow / Home> Education / by Rashida Bakait, India Tomorrow / May 28th, 2021