The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has developed an innovative solar-powered food vending cart designed to help street vendors run their businesses more efficiently. The three-wheeler combines clean energy, digital payments and improved waste management, offering a modern alternative to traditional roadside food carts.
Unveiled during the launch of the ‘Nagar Udyam – From Street Vendor to Smart Entrepreneur’ initiative on the institute’s campus, the project aims to use technology to create better economic opportunities for small entrepreneurs.
Solar Power and Mobility for Street Vendors
The new vending cart runs on solar energy and is designed to move between locations throughout the day. This allows vendors to reach different customer groups depending on demand, rather than remaining tied to a single location.
Its three-wheeler design also means that vendors can take the cart home after business hours. This could reduce the need to leave equipment occupying public spaces overnight while giving vendors greater flexibility in managing their operations.
The mobile design is particularly relevant to small food businesses that depend on footfall near offices, markets, residential areas and other busy locations. By moving to where customers are, vendors could potentially improve their reach and sales opportunities.
Digital Payments and Better Waste Management
The cart includes facilities for digital payments, allowing customers to pay electronically instead of relying exclusively on cash. Digital transactions can make payments more convenient and help vendors maintain clearer records of their business activities.
It also features a bright product display designed to present food items attractively to potential customers. Another important feature is a three-way waste segregation system, which enables different categories of waste to be separated.
Together, these features aim to improve the vending experience for both sellers and customers while encouraging more organised and environmentally conscious business practices.
SETU Platform to Support Testing
IIT Kharagpur plans to integrate the vending cart with its SETU Cloud Kitchen Connect platform for testing. The platform is intended to provide vendors with digital identification, QR-based access, cashless payment facilities, training and improved business records.
The integration could help connect traditional street vending with a broader digital ecosystem, giving small entrepreneurs access to tools that may otherwise be difficult to obtain.
IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty conceived the project as part of the institute’s efforts to translate technology into practical solutions for social and economic development.
A New Opportunity for Small Entrepreneurs
Street vendors play an important role in India’s urban economy but often face challenges involving access to suitable locations, payment systems, hygiene and business management.
The solar-powered cart seeks to address several of these issues through a single mobile solution. Its success will depend on practical testing, affordability, durability and whether vendors can adopt the technology without taking on excessive costs.
If the initiative proves effective, it could offer a useful model for modernising street vending and supporting small businesses with clean energy and digital tools.
Summary
IIT Kharagpur has developed a solar-powered, three-wheeler food vending cart featuring digital payments, attractive product displays and three-way waste segregation. Its mobile design allows vendors to serve customers at different locations and take the cart home after work. The project will be tested through the institute’s SETU Cloud Kitchen Connect platform, which aims to improve vendors’ digital access, training and business records.
