Two young women who studied business administration have started a deep-tech battery company and achieved the distinction of making it onto the world-famous Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
They are twin sisters Nishita and Nikita Baliar Singh from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The success journey of the company they founded, ‘Nexus Power,’ has been very rough.
Even while studying at school, they also got the opportunity to develop managerial skills. When their marks dropped in 11th grade, instead of scolding them, the chairman of Sai International School, Vijay Kumar Sahu, where they studied, encouraged them by saying, "I see a great entrepreneur in you." That single vote of confidence later made them think toward a bigger goal.
Having been interested in machines since childhood, they wanted to make electric vehicles during the 2017-18 period. But only when they began trying to build prototypes did they realize that the real challenge was not in the vehicle itself, but in the 'battery' that powers it.
The idea arose: why not create environmentally friendly batteries using 'bio materials' derived from agricultural and industrial waste?
That is how 'Nexus Power' was born in 2019.
The 'Rajma' test and the turning point
For those who had studied commerce and business management, reading scientific research papers and even understanding the names of chemical substances was the biggest challenge. During the Corona lockdown, they underwent intensive technical training for 6-7 months and expanded their scientific knowledge.
At that time, they conducted an experiment using kitchen ingredients available at home, namely 'rajma' and 'chickpeas'. In it, a 5V (5 Volts) power output was recorded on the multimeter. That small amount of electricity obtained from the grains planted a strong belief in them that their scientific idea would surely succeed.
"Mistakes are natural in research and development (R&D); what matters is learning from them and moving on to the next stage," say these sisters.
Today, Nexus Power is moving toward commercial production while facing many challenges, including obtaining certifications, reducing production costs, and managing the supply chain.
Although the two sometimes have differences of opinion in business, one focuses on long-term vision and the other on planning, and together they are driving the company forward.
The Forbes award is just one bright milestone in their journey. But the real success formula behind these young women’s rise as entrepreneurs is the continuous hard work, kitchen experiments, and lessons learned along the way!
- rajanpalanikumar.a@hindutamil.co.in