E-Paper
Swachh Bharat: ‘Thrilled’ Paul ready for major investment
Swraj Paul, chairman of Caparo group of industries, has promised to ‘invest as much money as required’ in India to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Campaign, and has lauded the government's focus on manufacturing.
Swraj Paul, chairman of Caparo group of industries, has promised to ‘invest as much money as required’ in India to contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Campaign, and has lauded the government's focus on manufacturing.
Paul told HT on Wednesday that he wholly supported the Swachh Bharat Campaign, and recalled that his company had earlier this year launched a bio-toilet product in India, alongwith three others on composite construction technology, battery operated rickshaws and solar energy.
“What started us on the bio-toilet product was the sad remark of Jairam Ramesh (former Environment minister) that there are more temples in India than toilets. I am now thrilled by Modi’s vision for a clean India and will invest as much money as required to enlarge this”, Paul said.
He also lauded Modi’s focus on manufacturing and the ‘Make in India’ campaign: “I have been speaking about this since 1982, that India needs investment in manufacturing, not in stock exchanges. Let us worry about creating jobs and wealth, instead of sensex”.
Caparo’s bio-toilets were being used in Indian Railways, Paul said, and added that “the demand has been fantastic”. Caparo would be happy to work with the Modi government and contribute to the Swachh Bharat campaign, he said.
The company’s bio-toilet is based on the principle that ‘Nothing is a waste, everything has some use’. It has developed a ‘bio-digester’ modelled on a design of DRDO, and addresses the problem of open defecating, human scavenging and human waste disposal in an environmentally friendly manner.
