The Imagineering Laboratory at IIT Kanpur developes Shuddham, a low-cost water purifier-cum-cooler. This innovative solution aims to provide affordable and efficient access to clean water for rural households & urban middle-class society. 

Led by Prof. J. Ramkumar, who is also the coordinator for Imagineering Laboratory and Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG), and Dr. Amandeep Singh, the Research Establishment Officer (REO), the team was approached by Mr. Jitendra Singh Chaudhary from New Unnat India Techno Solution & Innovations Pvt. Ltd. to address the challenge of providing water purification and cooling at affordable rates to the public. Mr. Chaudhary had earlier developed the initial model of Shuddham as a water filter. The IIT Kanpur team addressed its limitations and has improvised it into a low-cost water purifier-cum-cooler. At IIT Kanpur’s Imagineering Laboratory, the invention went through several stages of development to ensure higher efficiency and better purifying capacity.

Shuddham is user-friendly, easy to maintain, and economical, and would cost around INR 4000, once launched. The purifier undergoes multi-stage purification, and cooling of the water takes place simultaneously. The upper part of the system is a storage tank for the impure water, while the lower tank is a reserve tank for the purified water. There are three stages of purification: the water passes through a cotton filter in the first stage for the removal of solid impurities, followed by the removal of bad odours and chlorine through a cartridge with activated carbon. The activated carbon was prepared in MedTech Lab, under the Imagineering Laboratory, IIT Kanpur, using coconut shells and a heating furnace called "MITRA." In the next stage, a polymer membrane is used for ion exchange. The purified water is then stored in a lower reserve tank with copper fins that diffuse copper and add medicinal properties to the water. Both tanks are encased in a clay pot that offers natural cooling, further reducing the temperature with the help of a convection fan. Additionally, the system is designed to run on a mini solar plate of 10 watts for areas with limited access to electricity.

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur said, “The Imagineering Lab at IIT Kanpur is committed to work on bringing affordable and efficient technologies to the fore. The development of an upgraded water purifier and cooler, Shuddham is a great addition to the growing repository of low-cost innovations by the institute. I congratulate the team and hope that this reaches to the masses for better utility and for solving the issue of clean water.”

"The Imagineering Lab's mission is to provide innovative and affordable solutions to the people of India. We are committed to developing products that address the most pressing needs of our society, and Shuddham is a perfect example of this.

We are proud to have developed a system that not only provides clean water but also cools it, making it accessible to those who cannot afford both. Our team is continuously working to improve cost-effective products, making them available to everyone in need," says Prof. J Ramkumar, Coordinator of Imagineering Laboratory and Rural Technology Action Group (RuTAG) at IIT Kanpur.

Prof. Ramkumar's team is now working on developing a multilayer single filter bulb to reduce the number of stages in the process, further lowering the cost and making the product available to all.

The Imagineering Laboratory is a central facility for concept design and product realization at IIT Kanpur. Under the laboratory, there are different labs and centres, including Central Workshop, 4-i Lab, MedTech Lab, Tinkering Lab, and RuTAG, all supporting various innovations in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government of India. Shuddham is another remarkable accomplishment from the Imagineering Lab of IIT Kanpur that addresses the challenge of providing clean water and cooling at an affordable cost to rural and urban households.