MANDI: The Landslide Monitoring Systems(LMS) startup developed by IIT Mandi, is not only "averting disasters, but also saving lives. It has won the third best entrepreneurship award under CM Startup innovation project.
Supported by Mandi district administration, Intiot Services PVT. LTD., an IIT Mandi incubated startup, has installed 20+ systems at the landslide-prone sites along the Mandi-Jogindarnagar and Mandi-Kullu highways.
LMS is the solution for the landslide threats in the hilly terrain. The Intiot team has deployed around 40 LMS systems in the Himalayas to alert and save people's lives by early warnings in places susceptible to landslides.
These systems constitute one of the largest such deployments in India till now.
Each system can monitor soil movement and weather parameters at the deployed locations.
These parameters can be perused online on a website in both tabular and graphical formats.
Besides, each system can inform the population at risk about significant rainfall or soil movement events in their vicinity via SMS messages.
The award was given by Shri Bikram Singh, honorable Industries, Transport, Labor, and Employment Minister, Himachal Pradesh in the presence of Rakesh Kumar Prajapati, IAS, Director – Industries, Himachal Pradesh.
The first student-faculty-led startup of IIT Mandi is led by four Directors.
They are Prof. Varun Dutt, Associate Professor, IIT Mandi; Prof. K. V. Uday, Associate Profesor, IIT Mandi; Mr. Praveen Kumar, Ph.D. Candidate, IIT Mandi; and, Mr. Ankush Pathania, Senior Associate, IIT Mandi iHub and HCI Foundation.
The startup is also guided in its business strategy by Mr. Aveg Agarwal, Senior Advisor, Intiot Services, PVT. LTD.
Intiot's landslide monitoring system (LMS) is one among the top startups initiated in 2019-20.
Prof. K. V. Uday, Director, Intiot Services PVT. LTD said Intiot Services Pvt Ltd took charge of commercializing the technique developed at IIT Mandi. They reached to administration for saving lives of people in Landslides circumstances.
“We are currently showing adequate success in averting landslide disasters in different parts of Himachal Pradesh”, he said.
Prof. Varun Dutt, Director, Intiot Services PVT. LTD. Said HP Centre for Entrepreneurship Development for the support received for the startup to set and grow to its level.
“This support will help the state and its people be warned early about landslide disasters."
Bikram Singh said the industries department should work more swiftly towards making the Startup policy more effective.
“Startups face several challenges in marketing their products and their servicing should be included in the new scheme."
The state government is providing schemes like Mukhya Mantri Swavalamban Yojana where the youth of Himachal can explore their potential in creating jobs rather than searching for employment, he said.
Director Industries Rakesh Prajapati and Special Secretary Industries Kiran Bhadana assured that the department would continue to work as per the expectations of the state government and entrepreneurs to provide better facilities.