At just 17, Anirudh Vijayan’s Project Aaru is transforming rural India’s kitchens with smokeless stoves, creating cleaner air and healthier lives.
When most high school students are focused on exams and college applications, Anirudh Vijayan is tackling one of rural India’s most persistent public health challenges — indoor air pollution.
At just seventeen, Anirudh is the founder of Project Aaru, a social enterprise that brings smokeless, fuel-efficient chulhas (stoves) to underserved communities, transforming how rural households cook, breathe, and live.
“Every smoke-free kitchen reminds me why I started, so that no family has to lose a loved one to something as preventable as household air pollution,” Anirudh says with quiet conviction.
Anirudh describes himself as “a high school student and social entrepreneur passionate about sustainability, governance, and youth-led innovation.”
But that modest introduction barely scratches the surface of his impact.
He has already collaborated with IIM Ranchi and Greenway Grameen, distributed smokeless stoves across rural Jharkhand, and been selected for prestigious programs like the Good Governance Yatra and HPAIR 2025 Tokyo, a global leadership conference hosted by Harvard University.
His journey into social entrepreneurship began with a powerful story he encountered during an internship in Mumbai.
“I heard the story of a young man who lost his mother to chronic respiratory illness caused by years of cooking over a traditional chulha,” he recalls. “Even after he became successful, the pain of not being able to give back to her stayed with him forever.”
That story lingered — opening Anirudh’s eyes to a crisis often hidden behind the walls of rural kitchens.
In 2023, Anirudh joined the Youth Changemakers Program (YCP), which took him to Rasabeda, a remote tribal village in Jharkhand. The experience became the turning point that shaped his entrepreneurial journey.
“I saw women bent over mud stoves in dark, smoke-filled huts, their eyes watering and lungs straining,” he says. “Children coughed quietly, as if smoking two packs of cigarettes a day without ever buying one.”
While India’s LPG cylinder scheme has improved access to clean cooking fuel, affordability and accessibility remain hurdles for many rural and tribal communities.
“I knew I wanted to bridge that gap,” Anirudh says.
Months of research, calls with experts, and countless rejections later, he finally formed partnerships with IIM Ranchi, Asmita Foundation, and Greenway Grameen Pvt. Ltd.
In September 2023, Project Aaru was officially born.
The pilot distribution of 37 smokeless chulhas in Rasabeda marked Project Aaru’s first milestone.
Firewood use dropped by nearly 85%
Indoor smoke exposure declined sharply
Families collectively prevented around 55.5 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually
But for Anirudh, the most meaningful outcome wasn’t a statistic — it was gratitude.
“The villagers cooked food for the next batch of changemaker delegates using the stoves we had distributed. They said it was their way of saying thank you.”
That human connection became the heart of Project Aaru.
Anirudh observed that while many NGOs and government programs had distributed clean stoves before, awareness and behavioral adoption remained major barriers.
“Many households used both the traditional and smokeless stoves simultaneously, or even sold the new ones,” he explains.
Project Aaru chose a different path — community participation and education.
“We train families on the health and environmental benefits of smokeless stoves,” he says. “We involve them in demonstrations, encourage feedback, and ensure every stove we distribute actually improves daily life.”
Every entrepreneurial journey comes with challenges, and for a student-led initiative working in remote villages, the obstacles were formidable.
“The first hurdle was awareness and skepticism,” Anirudh admits. “Many villagers had never seen a smokeless stove before.”
Project Aaru’s response: Demonstrate, don’t just distribute.
“We cooked meals together, showed how much less smoke there was, and how much firewood they saved,” he says.
Funding and logistics were no less challenging. As a high schooler, convincing donors wasn’t easy, but networking through Model UN conferences and mentorships at IIM Ranchi opened doors.
“Entrepreneurship isn’t about big ideas alone, it’s about execution under real constraints,” he reflects.
When asked about Project Aaru’s defining moment, Anirudh doesn’t hesitate.
“It was during our first distribution in Rasabeda. Seeing the stoves in action, pots boiling faster, homes filling with light instead of smoke — it was transformative.”
That day proved that youth-led, community-centered solutions can create measurable impact.
Looking ahead, Anirudh’s ambitions are bold yet grounded.
Over the next five years, Project Aaru aims to make 20 villages self-sustainable through a mix of clean energy, green livelihoods, and community education.
Plans include:
Integrating carbon credits into the model
Developing a low-cost, locally adaptable stove
Collaborating with Smokeless Cooking India for national scale-up
“Our goal is to make smokeless cooking in India a 100% reality,” he says confidently. “We also want to expand beyond India, to regions like Timor-Leste.”
For someone who began before finishing school, Anirudh speaks with the clarity of a seasoned entrepreneur.
“Start with empathy and observation,” he says. “Even small, everyday issues can become opportunities for meaningful impact.”
He adds:
“Persistence and adaptability matter more than perfect resources. Involve the community, build a strong team, and never stop learning.”
Anirudh represents a growing wave of youth-led entrepreneurship redefining innovation in India. His story proves that impactful change doesn’t always start in boardrooms — sometimes, it begins in a smoky village kitchen.
“Every time I see a mother and child breathing freely in a clean kitchen, it reminds me that we are moving in the right direction,” he says.
To follow Anirudh Vijayan’s journey and support Project Aaru’s mission for cleaner, healthier rural living:
🌐 Reference: IIM Ranchi – Smokeless Chulhas Initiative
💼 LinkedIn:Anirudh Vijayan
📸 Instagram:@ggclanbruh
📧 Email:nickforkjazz@gmail.com
I am an entrepreneur, marketer, and mentor with a certification in entrepreneurship from IIT Delhi, one of the most prestigious institutions in India. I have a passion for connecting businesses with their ideal customers, solving real-world problems, and inspiring the next generation of founders.I founded and lead DevoByte, a digital marketing agency that provides a range of services, from SEO a
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