Prakti Design Lab, Pondicherry, India
Mouhsine Serrar, Director, July 2008
Prakti Design Lab
Where Appropriate Technology Innovations become Viable Products
Company Profile
Company Background: Prakti Design Lab is a registered Indian company
conceived in 2007 by an international team of engineers, designers, and other
professionals to develop economically and environmentally sustainable products to
serve basic energy, water, and health needs of poor communities worldwide.
Research and Development
Currently we develop and diffuse affordable, cleaner, efficient cooking stoves to meet
the basic needs of poor communities in India and globally. Both household and
institutional stove models have been designed and scientifically tested to greatly reducefuel use and pollution. Our primary focuses are to be…
“Praktical”: We look for practical solutions that have high scale up! Without
sacrificing quality and efficiency, our designs are affordable and can be widely
distributed. Inventor-based innovation is truly critical, but our primary focus is on
the end-users. To meet their specific needs, we have to consider economical,
geographical, cultural, and technical backgrounds.
Grassroots Designers: There is not such thing as ONE ‘best design’…
only ‘appropriate design’ that takes local conditions (user preferences,
manufacturing capabilities, distribution network) into account. We integrate local
end users and craft-persons throughout our design process through interactive
design workshops and continuous field testing. It is the most efficient way to
reach optimal design and gain larger on-the-ground feedback.
Products Portfolio
Our specialty and primary focus is improved biomass stoves.
Designs for low-cost LED lanterns to replace kerosene lamps is under evaluation.
Interest and potential future products are: water filters, small-scale wind turbines, and passive solar applications.
We are developing this portfolio of both locally and centrally built products so
implementers choose the product that fits best their specific needs, financial means,
human resources, and project time frame.
Technology Transfer
The need to generate awareness around global warming and alternative technology is
greater than ever. We feel it is our responsibility to be intentional educators, not just designers and engineers. We are trying to share as much information about our
experiences and work through…
Local Training: By partnering with local NGOs, we conduct educational
seminars and trainings for rural villagers. We also offer affordable fee-based
technology transfer and training to local entrepreneurs.
Open Source: We strive to offer our technology under open-source licenses
and patent-free. Primarily, grants underwrite all the designs which are freely
available in the public domain at our website – free to use, distribute, modify. In
addition, by creating an interface on our website, we allow anyone, anywhere
to utilize high technology software to customize and design their own stove
according to their own specifications and needs.
Global Perspective
The need for alternative technology is global; the solutions are local. Prakti has already made partnerships all over the world. Our goal is provide comprehensive training for international leaders and entrepreneurs to be able to replicate the design and testing processes to fit their own local needs.
See company Profile and Stoves attached.
Mouhsine Serrar
Prakti Design lab
No. 55, Francois Martin Street
Padmini Nagarr
Pondicherry 605 012 India