In a bid to make a difference to the society and environment, even businessmen have become innovators and introducing eco-friendly products.
In a similar innovation in Pune, residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad may get to use a special kind of cycle really soon – one that is made of bamboo, weighs only 2 kg, but is sturdy enough and easy to ride. The cycles are manufactured by Bamboo India, a Pune-based company.
The cycles are made by members of 10 agricultural families based in Velhe taluka, located about 55 km from Pune, who are involved in bamboo plantation.
The bamboo cycles are strong, water-resistant, lighter and durable, the company also gives its customers an option of customising their cycles, which is available in both geared and non-geared forms.
The cycle, costs Rs 35,000 and has an online customer base of over 9,000 people in India and are also becoming increasingly popular in Netherlands, US and Europe.
The company’s future plans include tapping the abundantly available bamboo in Sahyadri Ranges, and adding 100 agricultural families to its manufacturing set-up.
The Pune-based company, which is currently using bamboo species Dendrocalamus strictus, is also experimenting with other available species to further reduce the weight of the cycle. There are 136 species of bamboo and so they are working on developing cycles with newer species with a aim to bring down the cycle’s weight to 1.8 kg.