Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata
Kolkata, Nov 2: IIT Kharagpur has developed a solar-powered food vending cart equipped with digital payment facilities and waste segregation features, aiming to help street vendors expand their businesses, reach more customers and improve their livelihoods.
Mounted on a three-wheeler, the mobile vending unit allows vendors to move between locations to cater to different customer groups without having to occupy public spaces permanently. Its design also enables them to take the cart home after business hours.
The vending cart was unveiled on Friday during the inauguration of ‘Nagar Udyam – From Street Vendor to Smart Entrepreneur’ on the institute’s campus.
Solar power, digital payments and waste segregation
The cart features solar power, digital payment facilities, a bright product display and a three-way waste segregation system. Its three-wheeler design allows vendors to move to locations where demand is higher throughout the day and take the unit home after work, reducing the need to occupy public spaces permanently.
IIT Kharagpur director Suman Chakraborty, who conceived the project, said the initiative was part of the institute’s plans to mark its platinum jubilee and reflected its commitment to translating technology into practical solutions for social and economic development.
Project to be tested through SETU platform
During the testing phase, the food vending cart project will be integrated with IIT Kharagpur’s SETU Cloud Kitchen Connect platform. The platform aims to provide vendors with digital identification, QR-based access, cashless payment facilities, training and improved business records.
Chakraborty said the initiative was designed to go beyond simply redesigning a street cart and instead create better economic opportunities for those running such businesses.
He said a business that could move with demand, return home at night and leverage clean energy and digital finance could transform an opportunity seeker into a job creator. “That is the kind of technology translation IIT Kharagpur stands for,” he said.