Muhammad Azhar Mohiuddin's company 'BioReform' uses advanced biotechnology processes to manufacture eco-friendly, bio-disposable and compostable bags that break down within 180 days. Their product is a great alternative to plastic bags.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, while his peers took to social media content creation, Mohammad Azhar Mohiuddin saw it as an opportunity to venture into entrepreneurship and tackle issues like plastic pollution.
From a young age, he dabbled in various ventures, from website development, logo designing, running a cloud kitchen to selling burgers from home. His entrepreneurial spirit was fueled by the desire to solve social problems instead of pursuing only financial gains.
While researching global environmental issues, Azhar discovered that there were many awareness campaigns and protests around the world about plastic pollution. “Unless we have an alternative, there is no way to stop the use of plastic. While big brands can buy jute and cloth bags, small and medium businesses, which make up the bulk of the Indian market, continue to use plastic bags,” he adds.
“One of the main reasons behind the widespread use of plastic bags is its benefits. It is water resistant, heat resistant, durable, lightweight and has good tensile strength. I wanted to find a solution that reflects the advantages of plastic, which is eco-friendly and cheaper than paper, cloth and jute,” he says.
Azhar took his inspiration from the biopolymer research paper of the 1800s. He began studying PBAT (Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate), a biodegradable polymer derived from plant-based sources such as corn and potatoes. This became the basis for Azhar's new business venture
The next step was to find the right machinery to turn the raw materials into final products. Faced with many setbacks like facing fraudulent schemes and operational difficulties in the early stages.
He received Rs 1 crore from the Adventure Park Incubator Program during Covid-19. In early 2022, at the age of 22, he inaugurated his factory in Hyderabad.
Setting up a manufacturing unit from scratch was a challenge for Azhar. He had to deal with the complexities of running a construction business and the pressures of balancing academic commitments.
“On the opening day, my uncle, who is also the co-founder, left the company due to some personal reasons. I tried to balance my studies and company activities – gathering raw materials, helping workers to make bags and getting the products to the market. I used to sleep in a corner of the factory,” shares Azhar, then a third-year student in his college.
This continued for a year but Azhar had to close down the factory as he could not make a profit to sustain the company. “I'm back to zero. Meanwhile, I had 14-15 backlogs in my engineering. In an attempt to carry both jobs, I failed at both. It was a stressful situation for me,” he adds.
Yet, through sheer bravery and unrelenting efforts, he not only passed all the tests but secured funding from an investor and finally revived his venture within two months.
എന്നിട്ടും, തികഞ്ഞ ധീരതയിലൂടെയും അശ്രാന്ത പരിശ്രമത്തിലൂടെയും, എല്ലാ പരീക്ഷകളും വിജയിക്കുക മാത്രമല്ല, ഒരു നിക്ഷേപകനിൽ നിന്ന് ധനസഹായം നേടുകയും ചെയ്തു, ഒടുവിൽ രണ്ട് മാസത്തിനുള്ളിൽ തൻ്റെ സംരംഭം പുനരുജ്ജീവിപ്പിച്ചു.
Today, his company manufactures 4-5 lakh carry bags, biomedical waste bags, garbage bags, food pouches and book wrappers. Interestingly, Azhar says these bags are compostable and will decompose within 180 days. In the last two years, his startup has reduced the use of more than six million plastic bags by commercializing it on a B2B network. Last year, he earned an annual income of Rs 1.8 crore.
