“The innovator who could find a solution to this problem will get a reward of one million rupees. This would be a great relief for hundreds of thousands of workers toiling under the sun, especially in the Gulf region,” said T. Balakrishnan, the Additional Chief Secretary.

The state’s industrial authorities are excited about the number of entries it received for a similar contest for developing affordable and user-friendly “coconut felling machine” which prompted them to think of the “cool jacket.”

The authorities are finalizing a list of innovative products for contest that would increase productivity and promote entrepreneurial skills. They plan to market such innovations globally.

“The cool jacket would be boon for the expatriate workers in the construction sector of the oil-rich countries in the Gulf. The jackets should be able to keep the body heat lower than the temperature in the area,” said Balakrishnan. “This would not only increase their productivity but help them maintain health.”

The jacket should be user-friendly like a sweater but should serve the reverse purpose. It should help reduce the body heat at least by 10 degree Celsius and should be able to maintain that level at least for eight hours. The face cover should be transparent.

The other conditions include that it should cover the entire body except face, should be easy to carry and user-friendly. Materials like dry ice and special fabrics can be used for the production of the jacket. The sources of energy for cooling can be solar power, rechargeable batteries or materials that cab refrigerated and used later.

Ten entrepreneurs will be short-listed in the first phase and provide them with financial assistance to establish manufacturing units. In the second phase they would be asked to conduct demonstration of their products before an expert panel.

The first three entries will get a reward of one million rupee each to start the commercial production of their invention. Besides the ten finalists, those who did not avail of the financial assistance can also participate in the contest.

Those interested can get in touch with the Directorate of Industries and Commerce at 0471-2305493.

The demonstration of working models of coconut felling devises will be held in the presence of the public at the College of Agriculture here on Oct. 7-8. If proved successful, it would provide a relief to the coconut farmers who are facing acute shortage of coconut tree climbers whose job is risky and unglamorous.

The machine is to be light and simple, controlled from the ground, easy to operate and can even be carried by women. It should also be suitable for household purpose and for large plantations.

Design, concept and working principles were the focus of the first stage, which saw 462 proposals from across the country and abroad. The panel comprising a senior scientist from the Indian Space Research Organization, an agriculture engineer, mechanical engineer, a scientist from the Science & Technology department and a farmer as members and joint director of industries and commerce department as convener for evaluating the proposals.

The committee short listed 109 applicants and selected eight persons for prize money of Rs100,000 each for manufacturing the product. The second stage is the demonstration of the fabricated machines. The expert committee will evaluate the working models and select the best three models for a prize money of one million rupees each for commercial production.