In 2015, as Chennai was drowning in the chaos of one of its worst floods, Kumar Loganathan stood in disbelief – not because of the water, but because of the irony. “There was water everywhere,” he recalls, “and yet people couldn’t drink a single drop.” That visual haunted him for years and eventually became the spark behind one of Elbow Engineers’ most impactful inventions – the AWG, a device that pulls drinking water out of thin air. But that’s just one chapter in a much larger story of a team that’s redefining what engineering can do for society.
The Genesis
The journey began back in November 2006 when a young group of college students, including Kumar Loganathan, Jyotsna Kumar, and six of their friends – Anbhagazhan, Balaji, Gopi Krishna, Praveen, Karthikeyan, Krithika, and Hariprashanth came together with one shared idea – use their technical knowledge to solve real world problems. The team was unique not only because of its multidisciplinary makeup, which included eight engineering students and one medical student from different colleges, but also because of its intent.
“We didn’t just want to build projects to win college competitions,” Kumar says. “We wanted to build things that would actually make life better for people.” Their very first prototype was a safety brake system that responded to a driver’s eye movements. “It won awards at both MIT-Panimalar and IIT Madras,” Kumar recalls. “That was the moment we realised that innovation doesn’t need to live in labs – it needs to live in communities.”
That realisation gave birth to Elbow Engineers, with Kumar as the Head and Jyotsna stepping in soon after as the catalyst that helped turn their ideas into action.
Purpose Behind the Name
So why “Elbow”? It’s not just an anatomical reference. “An elbow connects the upper and lower arm – it enables movement. That’s what we wanted to be – the connection between big ideas and their real-world impact,” Kumar explains. Their objective was simple yet profound – “Construct innovative projects that benefit society and use the skills gained along the way to build a company that could manufacture these products and scale their impact.”
Right Partner at the Right Time
While the team brimmed with ideas, execution was a different story. That’s where Jyotsna came in. “Krithika introduced Jyotsna to us,” Kumar shares. “We were full of excitement but lacked structure. Jyotsna brought in exactly that – discipline and systems.”
With a background in QA and agile methodologies, Jyotsna had honed her skills through college projects and industry roles. Her structured approach helped transform Elbow from a student-led innovation lab into a scalable, award winning enterprise. “She built a company where empathy meets engineering precision,” Kumar smiles.
Brick by Brick
The duo didn’t stop at one good idea. Over the years, Elbow Engineers has developed a range of socially driven technologies – Inspired by the staggering waste exported from the UK and India’s own construction debris problem, Kumar designed Eco-Bricks, made entirely from recycled plastic and demolition waste.
“These bricks are waterproof, lightweight, and each one diverts 2.5 kg of waste while saving about 100 grams of CO2,” Kumar explains. These Eco-Bricks are used across eco-conscious construction projects in India and the UK.
Born from the flood crisis in Chennai and further developed with inspiration from desert cacti, the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) uses only 60 kWh of energy to condense humidity into clean drinking water. “It’s filtered to WHO standards and even purifies the surrounding air through a photocatalytic process,” Kumar says. After five years of R&D, numerous prototypes, and multiple patents, these AWGs are now in over 1,500 locations, from tribal villages to healthcare centers.
Mosquito-borne diseases were another problem close to home. “I saw people relying on chemical repellents that did more harm than good,” Kumar says. Catche – Mosquito Trap is a chemical-free, patented thermal and UV-based trap. It won “Best Business Plan” at IIT Madras and is now used widely in rural clinics and homes.
Challenges That Forged Their Vision
Building hardware is never easy – and building impactful hardware is even harder. “The AWG was our most challenging project,” Kumar says. “We had to balance performance, energy efficiency, affordability, and compliance. It took five years.” Their testing process is rigorous- NABL-accredited lab testing, pilot deployments, and constant iteration based on community feedback. “We co-create with IITs, UWS, IIMCIP, and local governments to make sure our solutions work in the real world,” Kumar adds.
Growing with Purpose
Elbow Engineers is now a recognised company operating in India, the UK, and Belgium, with their technologies touching over 100,000 homes. They’ve received numerous accolades, including the AIM2Flourish Prize from the UN and Case Western Reserve University, and recognition by the Department of Science and Technology and Shri Kapil Sibal. But for Kumar, it’s not the trophies that matter most. “The moment I saw children in Andaman drinking water from our AWG – that’s when I knew we were doing something truly meaningful,” he says, visibly moved.
What’s Next?
Elbow Engineers is far from done. They’re currently scaling Eco-Brick manufacturing across borders, developing waste-to-energy systems with CIPET, and launching a bio-sorbent arsenic filter. They’re also working on AI-powered waste-mapping tools and digital dashboards to track environmental impact in real time. When asked how they decide what to build next, Kumar shares a powerful framework – “We ask three questions – Does it solve a critical problem? Can we build it sustainably and scale it affordably? Can our existing team and partners help us deliver it?” That’s how innovations like Nutrigamy and Voltrix, developed by Elbow Engineers, were born – products that have gone on to make measurable impact in the fields of nutrition and energy.
Lessons From the Journey
Kumar and Jyotsna’s journey is not only about engineering but about reimagining what entrepreneurship can mean. “I want to make sustainability a daily choice – not a distant goal,” Kumar says. When asked what he’s learned most from the journey, he smiles and says – “Empathy is the best R&D tool. Solutions must be co-created, not imposed. And collaboration? That beats competition, every single time!”
