This 63-Year-Old School Drop Out Is Now Travelling All Over India In His Self-Made Solar Powered Car
When 63-year-old Syed Sajjad came to the big city of Bengaluru from Kolar some 15 years back, he had only a driving passion for innovation. An ardent follower of Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s vision of seeing India pollution and corruption-free, he finally put his passion to good use and took it to a level that most people can only dream of!
On November 1, 2015, Syed started his long journey from Bengaluru’s Raj Bhawan to the capital city of New Delhi in his self-designed car. What makes this endeavor all the more special is the fact that this journey across India has been made possible through a solar powered car to spread the message of a pollution free country.
His first job in Bengaluru was that of a fruit vendor. Unperturbed by his financial status, this school dropout then opened a small shop where he started repairing TV and radio sets which later translated to making television antennas on his own. His ideas became bigger and better, and in no more than 4 years, after spending close to Rs. 10 lakh, he started developing electric two-wheelers and three- wheelers for differently-abled people.
He made his first solar-powered four-wheeler worth Rs 50,000 in 2006. “This vehicle weighs about 400 kilograms and runs up to a maximum speed of 30 kmph. It can go up to 30 to 40 kilometers per day solely on solar power, and it's maximum range is about 100 kilometres with a battery pack”, according to a report by The Hindu.
The journey that he has undertaken now will cover a distance of 1,740 kilometres, spanning through Hindupur, Ananthpur, Kurnool, Mahaboobnagar, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Itarsi, Jhansi and Agra. His ultimate destination is to reach Delhi in approximately a month and to participate in the India International Science Fair in the first week of December.
To spread the awareness of a corruption-free India, Syed had also travelled close to 100kms in South India back in 2012. Placing an Anna Hazare's picture on the back of his car and an ‘India Against Corruption’ board in the front, Syed has dedicated this trip to Late Dr. Kalam who, he maintains, has always been an inspiration in making his dreams a reality.