Sudha Devarakonda

Vijay Limaye

Sustainable Innovator

Stories of people making the world a little better than they found it. Standing at a cremation ground after the loss of his father, Limaye found himself wondering how many trees were being cut every day to fuel funeral pyres. In a country where millions are cremated annually, the numbers were staggering. Was there a way to honour tradition without costing the earth? Rather than dismissing the thought, he followed it. The Nagpur-based environmentalist spent years studying cremation practices and experimenting with alternatives. What eventually emerged was Mokshkastha—briquettes made from agricultural waste such as crop residue that farmers often burn after harvest. These compressed blocks could perform the same function as firewood during cremation while reducing the need to fell trees. The beauty of the idea lies not just in what it replaces, but in what it connects. Crop waste that once contributed to pollution is given a meaningful second life. Farmers gain an additional source of income. Thousands of trees are spared. And families can continue performing last rites in a manner that respects both tradition and nature. Change does not always arrive through grand speeches or revolutionary technology. Sometimes it begins with a quiet moment of reflection and a simple question: Can this be done differently? Vijay Limaye's story reminds us that sustainability is not about abandoning our traditions. It is about reimagining them for a world that needs our care more than ever.