Six times President awardee Sushant Pattnaik is making a difference with groundbreaking innovations

(June 11, 2022) For his game changing innovations, Sushant Pattnaik from Bhubaneswar, has received President’s awards not once or twice but six times in a row from 2008 to 2013. In a conversation with Global Indian, the young innovator tells, “I got the opportunity to receive awards four times from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, once from Smt Pratibha Patil and once from Dr Pranab Mukherjee.” His efforts have been recognised at various award functions, by National Innovation Foundation, Government of India at Rashtrapati Bhawan (twice), IIM-Ahmedabad (three times) and National Children’s Science Congress, Shillong (once). 

Sushant Pattnaik receiving award from former President of India, late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Sushant’s innovations have not just brought him national recognition but has also earned him international accolades. Having been recognised as a prominent innovator by NASA in 2010 at Huntsville, Alabama, USA, he was also featured in MIT Tech Review international magazine as top 10 innovators of the world under 35 years of age.  

A serial innovator, entrepreneur and motivational speaker, this Golden Book of World Record Holder has made a huge impact in the society through his inventions. At 29, the TEDx speaker has already delivered close to 300 lectures. 

It all started in childhood… 

A passionate explorer, he was very curious since childhood. “When I used to get gifts like remote control cars from my parents, instead of playing with them like other kids, I used to dismantle them to understand how it works without any wire connections,” he says. This interest in wireless toy cars triggered in him a love for science and technology. 

As early as junior school, he began researching on technologies. He would often hack into and break electronic gadgets like cell phones, iPods and redesign them in innovative ways, in a bid to understand the scientific principles and mechanisms behind their functioning. He loved giving a makeover to products running on modern technologies. 

Sushant Pattnaik receiving award from former President of India, late Dr Pranab Mukherjee

It was not that he was always successful. Once as a school boy, in the quest to see what the internal components of a television set looks like, he dismantled it and then fixed it back. When his mother switched on the power, it boomed! “I was an inquisitive child and I learnt technology from practical experiments,” he smiles.  

The inquisitiveness paid off as he represented India twice in USA – at NASA at age 18 and then at MIT in Boston. Sushant has also represented the country in FabLab technology events at UAE and Spain.  

The innovations  

The serial innovator has been granted patent for five of his innovations, and the products are already in the market.  One of the innovations is road safety accident proof sensor for four wheelers to avoid forward collision, another is a wheelchair with sensor that will help people with disability navigate just by breathing and call for help, a smart watch to prevent rape, an inverter bulb and fan for low-cost electricity back up system in case of power cuts, hybrid batteries that can be charged in few minutes, and solar power bank – the super saving technology to operate keyboard and mouse from hand gesture. 

Interspersing knowledge with business  

Sushant diversified into entrepreneurship after he launched his startup InThinks in 2017. Three years later, he started his second company Capattery, a battery research and development firm. 

“I witnessed steady growth in pandemic in my battery R&D firm because of the hybrid mode. We collaborated with good professionals from all over India.” – Sushant Pattnaik

Sushant Pattnaik displaying his innovation to former President of India, Smt Pratibha Patil

With the vision to give a new dimension to innovations, Sushant is helping unsupported inventors by taking their creations to the next level through his third firm, InGenious which is an investment business venture. “We invest in startups at pre-revenue stage so that they get good investments in each round of seed funding thereafter,” says he.  

Enhancing lives…

The innovator-entrepreneur has been inspiring budding talents as keynote speaker in many events of corporates, NGOs, IITs, IIMs and renowned engineering colleges. 

The Bhubaneshwar lad, who pursued bachelors in technology from Oriental College of Technology, Bhopal in electronics and telecommunication, has also earned BSc degree from Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal.  

Sushant Pattnaik near NASA’s space rocket shuttle in USA

Sushant finds inspiration in his late mother, Rajashree Pattnaik, and father, Narasingh Pattnaik who is a retired veterinary officer and a good support to him. Badminton, football, cricket, meditation and living a disciplined life is what the award-winning innovator is passionate about. “I take keen interest in journeys of successful people from different walks of life. I try to imbibe their good qualities and learn from their mistakes, ensuring that I do not end-up committing the same mistakes,” says the innovator, who not just loves new technology but interacting with new people as well. 

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