Necessity is the mother of all invention but when adversity strikes, the motivation to do something different increases tenfold. Such is the story of Mohammed Farooq Yusuf, a forty-year-old man who used invention to overcome the hardships in his life. Yusuf earned his livelihood by filling air in vehicle tyres and revolutionised the standard method of using handpumps with his creativity. Having bought a compressor from his friend, he improved upon the technology to make use of a Bajaj Chetak to fill air in the tyres of Motor Vehicles. A typical attempt at filling air using a handpump consisted of pumps per tyre, which resulted in great pain and injury to his legs. Yusuf used rubber strips as casts to support his legs and worked relentlessly to earn a livelihood. He never once went to the doctor and relied on warm steam and massages to treat his troubles. It was then that he decided to innovate for the sake of his family. Having had used a handpump for more than 8 years that caused a lot of agony, he decided to do something different. The idea to convert a Bajaj Chetak into an air pump was in thought for more than a year but implemented within a month. Yusuf invested a meagre amount of 10,000 rupees, innovating the device that yielded a lot more in returns. His standard rate was charging 5 rupees for each tyre, 2 rupees from which would go towards buying petrol and 3 rupees were profit for him. The device is completed with a meter that detects how much air has been filled. With the onset of the pandemic and lockdown, Yusuf was plunged into a great deal of debt and trouble. He was thankful for the momentary relaxation of curfews as it saw an influx for his business. He was sustained by his wife, two children and brother. Yusuf’s main motto in life is “Zindagi me haar nahi maan na aur koshish karna important hai”. He believes that working and trying hard and using the full capacity of your brain will help one overcome any problem. He chose the current street intersection for his operation for convenience as it is close to his residence in Yerwada. When asked if he wanted to change the location of operation as it would yield more profits, he expressed that “zyaada lalach se dikkat aati hai”. With the help of his wife’s income as a women’s tailor, he can sustain his family in Pune, while educating his children and paying for basic needs. Yusuf invented the device out of necessity, with no outside help or formal education his aspirations do not end here. He looks forward to working more mechanically, as an untrained engineer and wishes to innovate using his experiential learnings and God-gifted intellect.
25 Jan 2022
Keerthana Unni
