Innovator : Ramprasad Meher,
Bargarh, Orissa
Company : Mahatma Gandhi Handloom
Weaving a 6 feet saree requires 8 kg of cotton and three processes viz. spinning, winding, and threading are involved. The number of laborers decreased due to the involvement of tedious work in the manual winding, lesser wages, and better opportunities. The innovator developed mechanization for a self-propelled machine that facilitates the winding of cotton thread for the weaving of sarees. He developed a Purra bed (uniform thread distribution system), which automatically changes its direction of movement. The thread distribution systems work automatically and help in improving productivity. The machine has the capacity of winding 10 bundles of yarn over the drum within an hour.