TIRUPATI: Necessity is the mother of invention, they say and in Andhra Pradesh, which is considered as ‘rice bowl of India’, the necessity of agriculture tools has become crucial to benefit the farmers, who try to make ends meet with traditional farming practices. Aiming to address the problems of farmers and poor, Madanapalle Institute of Engineering and Technology (MITS) professor Muppala Lakshman Rao has been developing equipment using indigenous technology.
Completing his schooling in ZP high school at Turpu Naidupalem in Prakasam district and Intermediate in Ongole, Lakshman Rao took his engineering degree from Pulla Reddy College in Kurnool and obtained his master's degree with Production Engineering as a specialisation from MNNIT-Allahabad in 1997.
Lakshman Rao started his inventions in 2011, by introducing the multipurpose cultivation vehicle, which has received a huge response from the farming community. Further, he also continued his inventions for improving small-scale agriculture with low-cost tools using indigenous technology. He invented mobile ambulance, solar operated air cooler and other machines benefiting society.
His efforts made him develop around 40 tools that include household cold storage, multipurpose solar sprinkler vehicle, multipurpose vertical ploughing tool project, which obtained national-level recognition and patents, helping the farming community. Specialising in the areas of metal forming, welding, nanotechnology and composite materials, Lakshman Rao has been publishing his works in various reputed journals across the world for a quite long time. So far he published 40 technical papers and present, he is guiding two research students for their Doctoral programme.
Having an abiding passion for teaching and research, he received the Eminent Engineer Award on September 15, 2012 from the Institution of Engineers India in Vijayawada. He also received Raithu Nestam awards.
‘’Farming sector is one of the major areas that needs to be developed in the country. After deciding to do something to improve small scale agriculture with my inventions, I have got a lot of appreciation from the farming community and also from other sections which benefited the farmers,” said Prof Lakshman Rao.