At first sight nothing seemed different in the soft silk saree. A heap of arecanut shells and its fibre kept nearby gave an indication that the saree had a touch of innovation.
G. Nivedita of Mettupalayam and her friends worked for more than a year to produce the hand-woven, silk saree blended with arecanut fibre. With raw silk costs shooting up, this saree can be an alternative, says Ms. Nivedita. About 10 kg of arecanut was used for this purpose. The fibre was removed manually, processed, spun and woven with silk. The team gave the saree to the South India Textile Research Association and tested it for colour fastness and strength.
This was one of the displays at i3 Expo, a three-day exhibition of ideas, inventions and innovations on at the CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex here from Friday.
The organisers have given a platform through the exhibition for innovators, venture capitalists, students, farmers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to come together.
Be it a system for better traffic management, improvement in home security, value addition to an agricultural produce, tapping solar, wind or hydro energy, or making farming easier, all these have found space at the exhibition.
Many of these can make everyday life easier for consumers if the concepts are commercialised. For instance, a team from Dindigul is demonstrating how swipe card and automation can be used in public distribution outlets.
Adalat Ali, Programme Director of Air Defence of DRDO, said at the inaugural that necessity and creativity drive innovations and inventions.
According to G.D. Gopal, Managing Trustee of GD Naidu Charities, the event will showcase Coimbatore’s abilities.
L. Gopalakrishnan, Managing Trustee of PSG & Sons Charities, spoke of the efforts of founder of PSG College of Technology G.R. Damodaran for the development of the industry and education here.
A.V. Varadarajan, chairman of the expo, said innovation was the key to economic development.
R. Palanisamy, convenor of i3 Expo, said the exhibition had the encouragement of the National Innovation Council and the State councils for Science and Technology. It had 541 participants from different States and the displays were in the areas of agriculture, engineering, textiles, energy, and medicine. Nearly 102 educational institutions are participating in the expo. The best innovations will get cash awards.
The event is organised by the PSG Tech Alumni Association and presented by PSG Institutions as a concurrent event of GRD centenary year celebrations. Entry is free and the exhibition is open from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
The Hindu is the media partner for the event.
