Bhubaneswar: City-based twin sisters, Nishita and Nikita Baliarsingh, have been listed in Forbes’ prestigious Class of 30 Under 30, which celebrates the entrepreneurial and innovation spirit among India’s youngsters during the pandemic.
Alumni of Xavier University Bhubaneswar, the 23-year-old sisters were selected for the Forbes list for working on bioorganic batteries as an alternative to lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles (EV).
These new batteries, which are made from protein obtained from crop residue, are still in the research and development stage. They can attain full charge in 10 minutes and can power 450 km of travel, as opposed to lithium-ion batteries that take two to three hours to charge, EdEx Live reported.
Born with an entrepreneurial streak, the twins were spurred on by a tech spirit in Class XII itself to aspire to do something different with their lives.
In 2015, they started Felis Leo Ventures (rebranded in 2018) offering app and web development services. “One of our main products is a visitor management system which is being used by a few government websites like the Police Commissioner of Bengaluru and Mumbai,” informed Nishita,
While pursuing their education from Xavier University Bhubaneswar, the duo learnt about concepts like Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability to make this world a better place. That’s when the two sisters started becoming environmentally-conscious.
They went on to develop a heating and cooling system which uses the latent heat present in the atmosphere to heat gas or water and it gives cool air (up to 16°C) as a by-product. This can be used in industries in the place of boilers, air-conditioned units and more. “This has saved our clients up to Rs 20 lakh per annum,” shared Nishita.
They also want to set up a one-of-a-kind brewery in Bhubaneswar as part of their latest venture Felis Leo Leisure.
During their five years of working together, the twins have won multiple awards and titles like the Young Global Ambassador title from Enprendia, an initiative promoting women empowerment through entrepreneurship, in 2018.
They have also spoken at many colleges and events to bolster the confidence of youngsters. “We were even invited to our alma mater recently to deliver a talk and that was a very special moment for us,” Nishita said.
