A multidisciplinary team of students from Tezpur University (TU) has demonstrated the use of Bael (wood apple) as tea-like beverage. Wood apple commonly known as Bael in Assam is the locally available fruit.
The idea was developed by Mizanur Rahman, Shikha Rani Gogoi, Chinmoy Talukdar and Rishi Paul, all from the Department of Electronics and Communication
Engineering (ECE), and Mr. Bastab Tapan Bordoloi from the Department of Business Administration was adjudged as the best team (along with four other teams) out of 175 participating teams by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Smart Village (ISV) South Asia Working Group (SAWG) for a national level student project contest, titled IdeaRun.
The students were awarded in an event hosted as a part of the annual IEEE Smart Village Symposium 2024 held during 07-08 November 2024 at Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Gandhinagar.
IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization. IEEE Smart Village (ISV) provides sustainable energy and access to educational and entrepreneurial opportunities in energy-impoverished communities around the world.
The work of the team is mentored by Dr. Rupam Goswami, a faculty from the Department of ECE and an associated faculty of the Centre for Multidisciplinary
Research, TU.
The student’s initiative for entrepreneurship development using this concept has got a much-needed boost through ISV recognition, as the team is now eligible to apply IEEE grant for bringing this idea into a pilot commercial venture connecting rural communities as primary beneficiaries.
Prof Shambhu Nath Singh, Vice Chancellor of the University congratulated the team and expressed his happiness expecting that such international recognitions would motivate students across disciplines for entrepreneurship through local community engagement. Prof. Debendra Chandra Baruah, Director of Centre for Multidisciplinary Research, TU, leading the TU team, informed that tender Bael is traditionally used for preparing beverages in the rural areas of Assam but remains neglected as far as its commercialization is concerned. He hoped that such ideas would pave the way for rural entrepreneurship.
