The Rise of Rishi Verma
Chapter 1: Born in Fire and Earth
learnkro.com– In a quiet gali of Varanasi, near the banks of the Ganges, lived Rishi Verma—a potter’s son whose hands molded clay before he could write his name. His father, Gopal Verma, was a skilled artisan, crafting diyas and earthen pots with mesmerizing finesse. But tradition and talent didn’t always translate to prosperity. The family’s earnings were seasonal, their lives dictated by festivals and fading demand.
Rishi studied at a local government school, often while helping his father at the wheel. Unlike most children who dreaded school, he longed for it. Books were his escape, and mathematics was his playground. Numbers made sense; poverty didn’t.
Chapter 2: Glimpses of a Bigger World
One afternoon, when Rishi was twelve, a group of foreign tourists wandered into their modest shop. Among them was
Professor Helen D’Souza, a ceramic artist from Goa. She was fascinated not just by the pottery but by the boy explaining it with such eloquence—in broken English, yet shining passion.
Intrigued, she visited daily, asking Rishi about his dreams. “To make something… big. Not just pots,” he said shyly, “but systems. I like solving problems.”
She left him with a gift: an introductory book on design thinking, and her contact number, in case he ever needed help. That book became his Bible.
Chapter 3: Wheels of Change
By the time he reached class 10, Rishi was building clay water filters for his school science projects. His idea? Create eco-friendly, low-cost filtration systems using traditional materials. While his classmates prepared charts, Rishi brought functional prototypes to every exhibition.
His breakthrough came at the National Innovation Fair for Rural Youth in Delhi, where he won second prize. With the small scholarship money, he bought his first laptop—secondhand, slightly dented, but to him, it gleamed like gold.
Chapter 4: Cracks in the Surface
Yet, hardship was never far. His father developed a respiratory illness due to years of exposure to kiln smoke. Hospital bills mounted, and Rishi considered dropping out. It was his mother, soft-spoken and stoic, who put her foot down. “You will go. I’ll take over your father’s work if I have to,” she said.
Rishi applied for a full-ride scholarship to the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad. He poured his soul into his portfolio—sketches of reimagined potter’s wheels, sustainable packaging, biodegradable water bottles made of baked clay.
The day the acceptance letter came, he ran barefoot to the temple steps and wept.
Chapter 5: Clay into Gold
Life at NID wasn’t smooth. Rishi struggled with English, with the digital tools his peers used effortlessly, and with being the “potter boy.” But clay grounded him. While others learned materials, he understood them. While they sketched theories, he prototyped realities.
In his third year, he invented the “Mitticool Filter Jar”—a low-cost, zero-electricity water purification system made entirely from locally sourced clay. The prototype received attention from NGOs and health startups.
Soon, a Bengaluru-based impact investor came on board. Rishi’s startup, “Dharti Solutions,” was born.
Chapter 6: Return to the Roots
At age 26, Rishi returned to his gali in Varanasi—not as the potter’s son, but as the CEO of a growing enterprise. He didn’t just set up manufacturing units—he created artisan-led cooperatives, empowering nearly 300 traditional potters across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
His mother’s proudest moment came when she saw his TEDx talk streamed on a neighbor’s phone. “Hum mitti ke log hain,” Rishi said in it, smiling. “But we’re not meant to stay buried.”
Chapter 7: Legacy in the Making
Today, Dharti Solutions supplies to over 15 countries. Rishi trains students through workshops on ethical design and rural innovation. His filters are used in refugee camps, remote villages, and even art galleries that celebrate sustainable living.
But Rishi still wakes up early to sit at the wheel once a week. He says it reminds him where he came from—and who he builds for.
