This IIT-Funded Start-Up Makes Filters That Can Make Your Cigarette 50% Less Harmful

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http://ppuf.co.in/  order now 

 

What if we told you that there is a way your cigarette can become 50 percent less harmful?

That's precisely what a a start-up funded by IIT-Roorkee claims! 

  The product called 'PPuf' has been developed by two IIT-Roorkee students along with a parent | Source: ppuf.co.in

What's the start-up all about?

The start-up called 'Log 9 Materials' has developed a "graphene" based filter which claims to reduce toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke by half. That too without affecting the user experience. 

The product called 'PPuf' has been developed by two IIT-Roorkee students along with a parent.

• Akshay Singhal, 23, is currently pursuing his Phd in Nanotechnology from IIT-Roorkee
• Vivek Kumar, Akshay's father
• Kartik Hajela, 22, an alumni of IIT-Roorkee

The three aim to reduce health risks of smoking for over 1 billion smokers worldwide. Akshay said he stumbled upon the idea after watching a film's statutory warning on smoking.

He told ScoopWhoop News:

"The idea came to me after watching the statutory warning at the start of a movie. We then watched a video on YouTube in which a person demonstrated how harmful a cigarette can be by passing its smoke through water.
"We conducted the same experiment and the results were astonishing! We took some feedback from smokers of different age groups in our network and realised that this is something people, especially mid-aged, feel a need for."

Akshay Singhal, 23, is currently pursuing his Phd in Nanotechnology from IIT-Roorkee

What exactly is PPuf?

PPuf is a graphene-based filter that can be attached to cigarettes. The filter helps reduce toxic chemicals in the cigarette smoke.

"PPuF is a highly cost-effective, efficient and flexible technology which reduces tar content as well as other carcinogenic constituents from tobacco smoke thus reducing the risk of cancer and other pulmonary disorders arising due to smoking," Akshay told ScoopWhoop News.

A pack of 5 filters cost Rs 99 whereas a 6 pack smoke safe pack costs Rs 595.

But how do we believe their claims?

When asked about the validity of their claims, Akshay told ScoopWhoop News that a US-based company Enthalpy Analytical Inc. has ratified it. 

At this point, this is all the validation that they have.

Err, is the product ethical? Won't it promote smoking?

The startup, founded in 2015, initially struggled to convince potential investors as it ran the risk of "promoting smoking" among people.

Akshay said it was tough to run a physical product that was related to cigarettes as "moral issues" kept cropping in. But fortunately for them, IIT-Roorkee lent them a helping hand by funding it at the first stage, followed by a mid-level funding from a Delhi-based firm, GEM.

Where do they sell it and how's the initial response been?

They have a website called ppuf.co.in that channels their sales.

"The response has been good as per our offline and online sales since the launch of PPuF in November, 2016. We are selling 10000+ PPuFs each month. There has been a keen interest from various cigarette manufacturers for incorporating the PPuF technology directly into the cigarettes", Akshay said.

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25 minutes ago, Chitti_Robo_Rebuilt said:

Super... manollu hey antha taste ledu abba ani publicity cheystharu vallu shop ettheystharu