India launches 'grand challenge' seeking solutions from start-ups, students to reduce onion wastage

With their limited growing window, this kitchen staple is highly vulnerable to price shocks that prompts public backlash that can change the course of elections.

Launched on July 10, the call spans three stages over a year, spanning from ideation to field implementation. In the first stage, the government has offered financial support of 100,000 rupees for up to 40 chosen teams. India is also one of the top exporters of onions, and key destinations for its produce include Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Farmers often pile up their onions several feet high in metal wire enclosures under large tin sheds. But such conventional open-ventilated storage leads to significant wastage - ranging from 25 to 60 per cent, depending on local weather conditions - that shrivels onion availability later in the year.

"Rotting in onions is very contagious," said Ms Kalyani Shinde, founder of Godaam Innovations, which has developed a device that leverages Internet of Things technology to monitor warehouse stores in real time for the gases that rotten onions emit as well as track indoor micro-climatic conditions."Detection of wastage is still conventional, with farmers relying on their basic sense of smell," Ms Shinde added.

straits_times I had no idea onions could be so complicated. Thanks for a very interesting article.

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