Ramdev's Patanjali bets on bulls to create electricity for farmers: Report

Project's aim is to provide a power source to farmers who cannot otherwise afford electricity

In a bid to make India ‘economically independent’, Yoga guru Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna of the home-grown FMCG company, Patanjali Ayuveda, are now working on a unique renewable source of energy — Bull Power, reported the Economic Times on Monday.

The experiment is the brainchild of Balkrishna, managing director and primary stakeholder of Patanjali, and involves a leading Indian multinational automobile manufacturer and a Turkish partner, according to the report.

According to the financial daily, detailed research, conducted over a period of one and a half years, on the idea of generating electricity utilising a bull’s pulling power has yielded initial success. The aim is to prevent the animals from being sent to slaughter. Till now, the design, which involves a turbine, has managed to yield nearly 2.5 kilowatts of power, the report added.

Speaking to ET, Balkrishna confirmed the existence of this ongoing research at Haridwar, which aimed at finding out how many watts of power could be produced in order to light a household by a farmer.

Clarifying that this move aims at helping the poor who cannot afford electricity by using the bulls they already have, he added, “We need to go back to the basics. In ancient times, bulls were valued more and were used to ferry massive artillery. If their power is put to optimum use with the help of technology, they can be of tremendous use.”

A bullock's strength goes unutilised after about 90 days' work in the fields, which can be used to generate power. The energy thus generated can also be easily stored, according to Balkrishna.

Confirming that Patanjali has no plans to sell the power thus produced, a senior executive from Patanjali also said that if the trial turns out to be a success, it would ensure the proper utilisation of the bulls rather than butchering them. However, the same executive also said that the project had not produced large quantities of electricity till now, which is stated to be the desired goal. 

However, this idea has received a mixed reaction on social media. While some people are appreciating this move, there are some who are questioning the move. Proper research will have to be done to provide farmers with a low-cost turbine. A detailed cost-benefit analysis will be required to ensure that cost of fodder required by the bull is less than the cost of electricity produced. People also argued how using the bulls all day would equate to animal cruelty which would be as bad as slaughtering, as they would also require a day’s rest.