NxG Award 2020 - Finalist - Preeyam Budhia
Preeyam, 3rd Generation, Patton Group. India.
Founder of “Embracing Green”
Preeyam is 3rd Generation, Patton Group. India
Project Name: “Embracing Green”
Year initiated: 2016
Project description: Under Patton Group’s sustainability vertical 'Embracing Green', my Water Conservation project for city, town, and rural areas comprises Rainwater Harvesting, Groundwater Recharging, and our Water on Wheels project that helps women & children in rural India who have no access to running water.
https://www.pattonindia.com/rain-water-harvesting-ground-water-recharging/, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFsnzLJP-Rz84N9b0GpWYEA/videos, https://www.pattonindia.com/embracing-green/
About Preeyam
Preeyam Budhia, President-Business Development at Patton Group,is the third generationleaderof her family business. Shehasinitiated&expanded the Steel Fittings Exports business intotheMiddle East& NorthAfrica (MENA) andis also the driving force behindbolsteringthe traditional family business’ digital presence.Preeyam joined theoverthree-decade-oldfamily business upon herreturn from the UK, where she spent her educational & professionalformative years. She graduated in Management from the Universityof Nottingham and studiedExecutive Management &Entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics & PoliticalSciences. She has also worked at illustrious institutions like BarclaysCapital and Lehman Brothers, London, UK.An intrapreneur with an entrepreneurial spirit, she is a passionatechampion of sustainability & green initiatives. As Head-NewProjects Division, she launched a Sustainability Vertical at Pattoncalled ‘Embracing Green’ which focuses on Water Conservation &Renewable Energy initiatives such as:•Rainwater Harvesting & Ground Water Recharging•Water-on-Wheels (Roller Tanks)•SolarRooftop ProjectsAs a green ambassador, Preeyamis implementingrural and urbangrass-root solutions, spreading awareness via talks, panel discussions& multimedia outreach solutions, and building a sustainable future.Her newest project is the Contactless SafeHandWash Station-asafety initiative by Patton Groupto combat Covid-19.This hands-freeinnovative & efficienthand washingsolution is making an impactevery single day
How does your project provide a solution to a problem or satisfies a specific need?
Problem 1: In many rural areas, millions of women and children in India struggle daily to transport the water they need. Around 1 out of 5 people in rural India do not have access to potable water 2-10 kilometres walked to access & transport water Drinking water is traditionally collected by women and children, and even the elderly in 18-litre buckets which they carry on their heads & over an extended period of time, this causes neck and spinal injuries, posing a health hazard there is much scope for water contamination as the buckets usually don’t have covers also there is water loss while carrying water in open buckets Solution 1: Our Water on Wheels Tanks! 90-litre water capacity 5 times more volume capacity than a regular 18 litre-bucket Roller design & handle reduce physical fatigue/discomfort/effort of transporting water across long distances Facilitates collection of more water at one go Improves water hygiene Saves precious time, allowing children & women to pursue educational & economical activities Introduced in districts like Darjeeling, Bankura, Purulia etc. Problem 2: According to the UN, by 2030, "almost half the world's population will be living in areas of high water stress." Solution 2: Providing and implementing sustainable solutions for water conservation. In West Bengal, I have been proactively addressing water woes, ideating solutions, and taking leadership to combat this looming crisis via 52 Rainwater Harvesting Projects across Darjeeling, Purulia, Bardhaman, the Sunderbans, and Kolkata. Rainwater Harvesting is the process of collecting the rainwater for productive future use in the domestic, agricultural, and industrial spheres. a) Rainwater harvesting projects where the rainwater is being used as source of drinking water: Gorkha Hill Council, Kurseong Forest Department, Darjeeling High Schools ( 3 places ) - Arsa, Goalikocha, Baghmundi Ranga - Purulia District 5 Health Sub-Centres - Bagora, Sourini, Ambiok, Pupung, Bhukulang – Darjeeling District ILGUS Bhawan, Salt Lake Office of IESWM, Salt Lake Bonnie Camp Tiger Reserve, Lahiripur Forest Camp, Kalas Tiger Reserve, Sajnekhali Pakhiralaya and Bhagabatpur at the Sunderbans Many schools in the Sunderbans b) Rainwater Harvesting Project at our own Uluberia Patton Plant: 30,000-litre capacity rainwater harvesting project Will be scaling project to 50,000 litres for captive consumption Our aim is to install tanks to collect 2,00,000 litres of rainwater c) The Bonnie Camp Project - Sunderbans: Till 4 years ago, Bonnie Camp used to get their drinking water supply from Kolkata via steamer. This was not only a transportation hassle, but also added to air pollution. Today, after the RWH project, they have fresh drinking water on site all year around.
How do you create customer value?
Rainwater Harvesting Projects: We create value by optimising an easily available, naturally existing, untapped resource. Suitable for domestic, agricultural, and industrial spheres, Rainwater Harvesting is: • Easy-to-install • Easy-to-adopt • Financially viable • Hassle-free to maintain • Suitable for homes, apartments, gated communities, offices, commercial buildings, farming, factories Through Water on Wheels, we create value by: • Supporting the local community via providing jobs as all our tanks our made in our local factories • Empowering women & children via reducing the amount of time and effort required to source water • Being a CSR solutions provider or a CSR collaboration partner for companies or individuals who want to sponsor Water on Wheels tanks for villages
How is your project innovative?
Water-on-wheels is an innovative project in terms of design and the ease it provides to the user. Patton Group is an innovator and pioneer of this project in India. • Drum Material: Food-grade Linear Low Density Polyethylene • Lid Material: Food-grade Linear Low Density Polyethylene • Handle Material: Powder-coated mild steel • Design Specifications: Please see product Drawing attached • Capacity: 90 litres (5 times the average bucket size of 18 Lts)
What is the most valuable mistake that you have made, and what did you learn from it?
Mistake: Underestimating how much convincing it would take to make people take Rainwater Harvesting seriously. Learning: Just facts and figures will not suffice. On-site visit, explaining customisation, detailed costing breakdown in the very early stages, sharing localised stories and applications – all these are needed for people to truly understand and accept the seriousness of the water crisis.
How being from a family business has impacted you as a person, and which influence this has in turn had on your project?
Being in a family business after my professional work experiences abroad has had an immense impact in primarily three ways: • understanding local business culture, worth ethos and varied communication styles across the board • understanding people management (from entry level to C-suite), how to be an empathetic leader and practical on-ground realities • understanding how to run an intrapreneurial project like an entrepreneur