Bill Gates tries his hand at pesticide sprayer made by startup to ease farmers' woes

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has tried his hand at a new pesticide sprayer made by a startup here, creating a more handy and efficient option for farmers to help them safely cover more crops at a time. The sprayer has been designed by local engineer Yogesh Gawande, who formed a company in 2019 to manufacture the product in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

The company has so far sold more than 5,000 sprayer units and generated 100-plus direct and indirect job opportunities, as per Gawande.

Bill Gates tried his hand at operating the sprayer at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi on March 17 in the presence of Gawande.

"I first made the sprayer as part of a project during my engineering course," Gawande said a press meet held at the Marathwada Accelerator for Growth and Incubation Council (MAGIC) office here on Wednesday.

With this sprayer, farmers do not need to carry heavy chemical tanks on their back for spraying pesticides. They can now spray chemicals over four rows of crops at the same time with this innovative device which is operated on wheels, he said.

The height of the sprayer's nozzles can be adjusted till 12-14 feet to cover large trees. The pressure of nozzles is adjustable and hence, the crop is not damaged due to the pressure, Gawande said.

"I had earlier tried to sell this sprayer on a highway near Chittepimpalgaon (Gawande's native village) at Paithan in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Subsequently, I dropped the idea to manufacture it further because though the product was applauded, it could not be converted into a business," he said.

Gawande said he later received help from MAGIC, following which he started his company.

"I have a unit now and the sprayer is sold in 22 Indian states. We have also started getting orders from African countries like Kenya and Namibia," he said.

"I am connected to the Gates Foundation. As Bill Gates came to India, my product was selected to be presented before him. He gave 5-7 minutes to us and also tried his hand at the sprayer. He asked multiple questions on the sprayer's functioning like a farmer," Gawande said.

MAGIC directors Prasad Kokil and Ashish Garde said it was a proud moment for their organisation and the city as products from here were being recognised globally.