“The 2012 ‘Nirbhaya’ incident, moved me into working on a women safety solution. I returned to India, and in a few years, developed i-raksha, a watch that would send out alerts and get help”, says Raj Neravati, entrepreneur, who founded Hugs Innovation.

Why the name Hugs? We initially named it i-raksha as i-pod, i pad, iphone were all the buzz and success. But, soon, moved onto think something more appropriate and brought in an emotive element of a Hug--a strong expression between a mother-son, father-daughter, wife-husband, brother-sister. he told B-Schools students at a BL event on Thursday.

Hugs Innovation, has patented technology on using gesture control to do various functions. A woman in distress and who cannot use a phone can just shake her hands and the square shaped wrist watch will send out the alert, Raj explained as the city and nation was confronted with the gruesome case of ‘Disha’ and women safety. Raj urged students to chase solutions to problems and not technology. “Have passion, turn opportunities to challenges and always invest into oneself to upgrade’. He was speaking at the BL book launch of ‘ The Young Manager’s handbook’ at the Vigyan Jyothi Institute of Management (VJIM).

While, most security alerts and calls for help from women or anyone in a crisis be it a rape, accident or health emergency, the smart phone based solutions in vogue now have the limitation that the person in trouble should somehow call or dial the number. Often, he or she fails because of the trauma or the gadget being seized by the assailant. In the case of Hugs Innovation product, all it requires is hand movement only. “Alexa uses voice and we use gestures”, Raj explained.

Environmental solution

In her presentation, KR Padmaja Reddy, who started Padmaja Polymers two decades ago felt women can now get into any field and excel. There is a need to break the glass ceiling or the women factor to do well. She narrated her own experience in starting the company and how the women factor played on initially. “I had identity issues being a woman”, she recalled.

She said, plastics was considered a wonder material for decades and when we came into the business. But, soon, disruption came in the form of environmental issues and the business was getting effected. We became innovative to survive and got into organic plastics, which were more acceptable. Her advise to young students was to be ambitious, think out of the box, become entrepreneurs and contribute to wealth and knowledge creation and societal benefits.

Earlier, ChS Durga Prasad, Director, VJIM in his welcome address said, the experiences and stories told in the form of articles in the book would be useful to the students and the presentations by experienced professionals from the industry a good practical lesson too.

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