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Lateral Sparks, the weekly quiz from YourStory, tests your domain knowledge, business acumen, and lateral thinking skills (see the previous edition here). In this 163rd edition of the quiz, we present issues tackled by real-life entrepreneurs in their startup journeys.

What would you do if you were in their shoes? At the end of the quiz, you will find out what the entrepreneurs and innovators themselves actually did. Would you do things differently?

Check out YourStory’s Book Review section as well, with takeaways from over 355 titles on creativity and entrepreneurship, and our weekend PhotoSparks section on creativity in the arts.

Q1: Crop protection

Crops like banana can be threatened by infections from fungi like the black sigatoka. How can such infections be detected early to save the crops, and early enough to reduce the requirements of chemical spraying?

Q2: Children’s toys

Children’s toys in earlier days were simple, and consisted of basic blocks, dolls and cars. How have toys been transformed, and how are startups innovating in this space?

Q3: Manufacturing workflow

New players entering the manufacturing sector face challenges in product development and supply chain management, due to the high costs involved. It is hard for them to adjust to changing market dynamics as well. How can technology help here?

Q4: Arts education

Arts students often face challenges in getting access to quality teachers, and not just to quality materials. Expert teachers also need to reach more students and stay relevant to the changing times. Where is the entrepreneurial opportunity here?

Q5: Urban gardening

Changing consumer aspirations and design trends are leading to a rise in urban gardening. However, the market is largely unorganised and suffers from many inefficiencies with respect to information and supplies. Where is the market opportunity here?

Answers!

Congratulations on having come this far! But there’s more to come – answers to these five questions (below), as well as links to articles with more details on the entrepreneurs’ solutions. Happy reading, happy learning – and happy creating!

A1: Crop protection

Founded by Kunal Shrivastava and Kevin Kleber, the startup Suind focuses on reducing crop losses through a combination of drone and AI solutions. Its drones are light and can be navigated with precision in challenging terrains.

“We’re building a system where you can effectively process different inputs and generate meaningful, actionable insights for farm managers,” Shrivastava says. Read more here about the startup’s journey in harnessing emerging technologies for the age-old problem of crop protection.

A2: Children’s toys

Toys should rightfully be seen as gateways to imagination, learning, and growth, and should keep up with trends of the times. For example, companies like DoughRe’Mom, founded by Deepti Bhandari, create eco-friendly play dough.

VeeCap by BarathiDevi Garments specialises in comfortable children’s wear. Many such players are active in ecommerce platforms and market growth mentorship programmes as well; read more here about initiatives like Walmart Vriddhi in this regard.

A3: Manufacturing workflow

Virtual manufacturing tools help startups streamline their entire process and bring products to market faster. “With virtual manufacturing, startups can develop digital models that allow for comprehensive testing of design features, such as material strength, durability, and functionality, without the need for physical prototypes,” explains Tanuj Mittal, Senior Director of Sales, Customer Process Experience, India, at Dassault Systemes.

“Virtual crash tests, material durability checks, and even customer usage scenarios can be simulated to ensure the product performs as intended,” he adds. Read more here about how virtual manufacturing tools help simulate and optimise the supply chain as well.

A4: Arts education

The Pallikoodam is a Chennai-based edtech startup that imparts lessons in vocal music and acting to students around the world via online live classes and recorded sessions. The courses are taught by seasoned artistes and experts in their own right.

Founded by Kiran Sampath, Ranjith Govind, and Nara Visva, the startup’s music course PaatuClass offers lessons based on Carnatic music techniques such as breathing techniques, pitch adjustment, expressing emotions, and voice modulation. Read more here about how it has around 5,000 learners across the world.

A5: Urban gardening

Urban gardening company Ugaoo offers over 1,500 SKUs across various categories such as live plants, vegetable and flower seeds, soils and fertilisers, gardening tools, and accessories. “We will expand via new hubs in Kolkata, Kochi, Lucknow, Chennai, Guwahati, and Ahmedabad,” says founder Sidhanth Bhalinge.

The startup has secured Rs 47 crore in its Series A funding round led by V3 Ventures to expand beyond its current base in Pune, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Read more here about its plans of partnering with international plant suppliers to introduce exotic plants to the Indian market, while continuing to enhance its core digital business.

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).