Community Innovator Fellowship Program
ACIC-CBIT, in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and UNDP India, hosts an intensive year-long fellowship for aspiring community innovators. This program aims to empower individuals from diverse socio-economic backgrounds by offering knowledge-building opportunities and essential infrastructure support. It welcomes applicants with innovative ideas and a passion for driving positive change within their communities.
Our 2026 CIF Members
Innovation
ARAVI Smart Paddy Dryer: An affordable, energy-efficient paddy drying system designed to provide uniform drying, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve grain quality for small and medium-scale farmers.
Overview of CIF
I'm Aravind Muniganti, a grassroots innovator and entrepreneur from Baddenapally, Telangana, with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. Coming from a farming family, I have witnessed the challenges faced by farmers firsthand, inspiring me to develop practical, affordable solutions for agriculture. My flagship innovation, the ARAVI Smart Paddy Dryer, is designed to provide faster, uniform, and weather-independent drying while reducing post-harvest losses and improving grain quality. My mission is to bridge innovation and rural development by creating accessible technologies that improve farmers' livelihoods and contribute to a more sustainable agricultural future.
Innovation
Kisan360.in: A digital agriculture platform connecting farmers with trusted agricultural machinery dealers, second-hand farm equipment, expert knowledge, and market information to improve farm productivity and rural livelihoods.
Overview of CIF
I am V. Rambabu, Founder of Kisan360.in and a grassroots innovator passionate about solving real challenges faced by farmers through technology and digital innovation. Kisan360.in is building a farmer-centric platform that connects farmers with agricultural machinery dealers, enables the buying and selling of second-hand farm equipment, and provides reliable agriculture-related information in regional languages. My mission is to make modern agricultural services affordable, accessible, and transparent for every farmer. Through Kisan360.in, I aim to promote mechanization, reduce farmers' costs, improve access to agricultural resources, and strengthen rural livelihoods by leveraging digital technology and community-driven solutions.
Innovation
AgroBalanz™: A biomechanically engineered agricultural safety boot designed to improve farmer safety, reduce fatigue, and provide protection in challenging agricultural field conditions.
Overview of CIF
I'm B. Preetham Kumar, a grassroots innovator and founder of AgroBalanz™, committed to improving the health, safety, and productivity of farmers through design-led innovation. AgroBalanz™ is developing a next-generation agricultural safety boot that combines biomechanical pressure redistribution, ergonomic balance support, puncture resistance, snakebite and chemical exposure protection, and terrain-adaptive traction into one integrated solution. Our mission is to reduce the physical strain and occupational risks faced by farmers working for long hours in wet, muddy, and uneven agricultural fields. By combining human-centered engineering, advanced footwear design, and affordable manufacturing, AgroBalanz™ aims to create a new standard for agricultural safety footwear that improves farmers' well-being, productivity, and quality of life.
Our 2025 CIF Members
Innovation
Eco-Burner: A sustainable solution that converts agricultural cotton stalk waste into high-quality biochar through controlled pyrolysis.
Overview of CIF
I'm B. Mohan, a Design Thinking practitioner and grassroots innovator dedicated to turning real community problems into practical, scalable solutions. Through my innovation, the Eco-Burner, I work at the intersection of human-centered design, rural sustainability, and student innovation. My mission is to empower rural ecosystems with low-cost, high-impact technologies that not only address environmental challenges but also create livelihood opportunities and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Innovation
AgriSmart: Real-time IoT-based soil nutrient monitoring integrated with machine learning driven fertilizer recommendation for precision and sustainable agriculture.
Overview of CIF
I'm Divya Reddy, a final-year IT student, building AgriSmart with my team to make farming easier and smarter for real farmers. We want to improve the lives of farmers using something they already have, a smartphone - by giving real-time soil insights and simple fertilizer guidance through IoT sensors and machine learning. Our mission is to replace guesswork with data, reduce waste, boost yield, and support sustainable farming with technology that's practical, affordable, and genuinely useful.
Innovation
Auto Hygiene Chair: A multifunctional, height-adjustable assistive wheelchair integrating automated hygiene cleaning.
Overview of CIF
I'm K. Nikhil, a grassroots and rural innovator, developing solutions that make daily living easier for elderly and differently-abled individuals. The Height-Adjustable Auto Hygiene Wheelchair is a 3-in-1 assistive innovation that combines an adjustable lifting mechanism, standard wheelchair mobility, and an automated hygiene-cleaning system in one compact design. My mission is to enhance user independence and dignity while reducing the physical and emotional strain on caregivers through simple, impactful, and human-centered engineering.
Our 2024 CIF Members
Innovation
Emergency +
Overview of CIF
I'm Pratham Raj Mathur, an engineer and entrepreneur dedicated to creating smart automation systems that improve emergency vehicle navigation, enhancing safety and response times.
Innovation
Pyrolysis of Plastic into alternative efficient fuels
Overview of CIF
I'm Udesh Salver, an engineer and aspiring entrepreneur committed to tackling environmental issues by converting plastic waste into valuable fuels for sustainable waste management and energy solutions.
Innovation
Sahayak
Overview of CIF
I'm Chaturya Gottimukkula, a tech enthusiast developing a voice assistant app that helps the visually impaired identify bus routes using OCR, ensuring accessibility and data security for users of all ages
Innovation
MitraX
Overview of CIF
I'm Saikiran Renolla, a tech -savvy entrepreneur focused on digitizing Self -Help Groups (SHGs) to streamline operations, solve key challenges, and enhance accessibility and efficiency.
Innovation
Crop protection device
Overview of CIF
I'm Ashok Gorre, a 20 - year -old agricultural entrepreneur from Telangana, India, leading Rural Rise Agrinery LLP. Passionate about empowering small farmers, I design affordable, high -quality agri -tools, with a journey in innovation that began in sixth grade .
Our 2023 CIF Members
Innovation
A2 milk in rural India and bringing Blockchain into Dairy industry
Overview of CIF
I'm Ambica Maroju, with a B.Tech in CSE and M.Tech in Bioinformatics. After roles as a Data Analyst at St. Jude Medical and BDM at Evolv3D, I've now founded Akinian Crefac Pvt Ltd.
Who Can Apply?
Individuals passionate about community-driven innovation and seeking to make a tangible impact on society are encouraged to apply. The program values diversity and welcomes applicants from various socio-economic backgrounds.
- Age - 18-35 Years
- Education - At least a bachelor's/diploma/degree holder in any discipline from a recognized university
- Distance from the community – Residential address within 30 km from ACIC*
- Literacy level – English Language proficiency (Intermediate)**
** Applicants not meeting this level of literacy can be supported by a 'Buddy' and also through training and workshops as part of the fellowship.
Journey of a Fellow
The year-long journey of a fellow has been structured into 5 phases, each with different objectives and outcomes. The fellows will be constantly supported by the host ACIC team, mentors and AIM team.
ACIC CBIT vision is to encourage a spirit of entrepreneurship in the underserved/unserved regions by providing enabling infrastructure and facilitating an environment for innovations.
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