Hyderabad: From the dusty lanes of a remote Telangana village to the hallowed halls of IIT Kharagpur, Pidamarthi Anil Kumar’s journey is one of grit, genius, and quiet revolution. The 22-year-old son of a daily wage labourer has not only graduated from one of India’s most prestigious institutions but is now leading a cutting-edge electric vehicle (EV) start-up from Bengaluru, proof that dreams can indeed defy all odds.Anil’s convocation on July 15 was the culmination of decades of struggle and sacrifice, especially by his mother, Pidamarthi Kavitha (45), who still works as a daily wage labourer, and his father, Pidamarthi Prasad (50), a panchayat office helper in Thummalapenpahad village in Atmakur S mandal, who also delivers newspapers and sweeps offices to make ends meet.“I never imagined I’d reach this stage in life,” said Anil, who graduated with a degree in geology and geophysics. “So many people helped — some supported me financially, others and others gave me the encouragement to believe in myself,” he recalled.Now based in Bengaluru, Anil is co-founder of Eloop Charging Solution Private Ltd, along with three fellow IITians — Jambarapu Wesly from Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh), Islavath Naveen from Khammam (Telangana), and Jayshri Bej from Midnapore (West Bengal). The team, hailing from humble and marginalised backgrounds, has designed a groundbreaking innovation, the loop carging module (LCM).The LCM, a four-component system, harnesses ambient airflow to generate electricity in real time, enabling an electric vehicle to charge while in motion. “It’s a breakthrough. “With this device, mileage can increase by nearly 70%. We believe it can revolutionise how EVs sustain their charge,” Anil explained.Despite their newfound success, Anil says his parents refuse to slow down. “My mother still goes to work every day. My father continues to clean the panchayat office. That’s the life they know — and the strength that shaped me,” he said.From battling poverty to pioneering clean tech, Anil Kumar’s story is a reminder that innovation doesn’t just come from well-funded labs — it can rise from the humblest of homes, carried by the will to change the world.
