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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 152nd 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: Sustainable living

Technology and business growth are giving consumers lots of choice in products and services. But this also raises challenges of unsustainable consumption and environmental pollution. How can this issue be tackled?

Q2: Choice and discovery

Many ecommerce sites have a large volume and wide variety of items for sale in categories like fashion and interiors. But too much inventory makes it hard for users to find what they like. How can this problem be solved?

Q3: Water consumption

Many countries are facing severe water stress, with rapidly depleting groundwater reserves. The industrial sector, a major consumer of water, is a significant contributor to this problem. How can this industrial water crisis be tackled?

Q4: Mental health

Many children and adults suffer from social anxiety, especially when they have to perform in front of a crowd. Other challenges arise through loss, distress and difficulties in life. How can technology help address these mental challenges?

Q5: The future of textiles

The textile sector is one of the largest industries globally, but needs to realign with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adopting renewable energy sources helps here. What else can the textile sector do to be sustainable?

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: Sustainable living

Seethala Karipineni founded Saka Organics to champion organic living and eco-consciousness with a range of beauty products made from simple, locally available ingredients. “We’re not just selling products; we’re cultivating a lifestyle that honours the earth,” she says.

The startup also educates and empowers consumers to make more sustainable choices. Read more here about how her team of 60 women sources ingredients directly from local farmers and tribal communities, and has already sold over 31,000 products.

A2: Choice and discovery

Launched by Divya Manjari in 2020, Redfynd is an AI-powered ecommerce search and discovery platform for fashion. Its algorithms analyse users’ browsing behaviour, preferences, and past purchases to deliver personalised product recommendations.

It takes into account the user activity around filters, searches, and category navigation. Read more here about how the platform also lets users upload images of fashion items they like so that Redfynd can locate similar items from its database of over 25 million images.

A3: Water consumption

Founded in 2019 by Ganesh Shankar, water management startup FluxGen uses IoT and AI technologies to provide real-time insights into water flow and consumption. This helps industries reduce wastage and enhance operational efficiency.

The B2Bstartup enables industries to identify leaks or excessive consumption in real-time, and receive immediate alerts through a user-friendly mobile and web application. Read more here about how FluxGen has partnered with Microsoft to implement a water replenishment project at St. Martha’s Hospital and Whitefield Hospital.

A4: Mental health

Srishti Srivastava founded Infiheal to offer mental wellness solutions. Its AI co-therapist called Healo helps users navigate diverse challenges, gain psychological insights, and offer access to mental health experts and self-care resources.

It is built on extensive research on personality systems and matching therapies. Read more here about how the startup also connects users to a distress helpline and won NASSCOM’s AI for Business Grand Challenge.

A5: The future of textiles

The textile sector needs to introduce fuel-efficient methods in textile production and improve its manufacturing techniques. Transparency is key to showing consumers how the sector is reducing environmental impact, according to Dipali Goenka, CEO and MD of Welspun Living.

The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) are examples of progressive moves in this direction. Read more here about the responsible sourcing that is demanded by a newer generation of consumers, and the need to adhere to fair labour practices and ethical business conduct.

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).