Patna: A young student from Begusarai has found a way to turn a useless weed into a source of income and hope for hundreds of people. Krishna Kumar, a resident of Madhurapur in Teghra, and a student of Computer Science and Data Analytics at IIT Patna, has launched a startup that uses water hyacinth to make items like mats, baskets, purses, slippers and kitchen accessories. His idea is not only creating jobs in rural areas but also helping to clean rivers and improve aquatic life.
Krishna’s journey began when he came across a skill development programme run by the Ministry of Textiles. During a holiday break, he decided to join the Guru-Shishya Handicraft Training Programme. Inspired by this, he started a training project in his own district to show how water hyacinth could be used to make useful and attractive products.
Between April and June 2025, around 190 women from Teghra, Bhagwanpur and Mansoorchak blocks were trained under this initiative. Over 60 days, they learned how to make household and fancy products from water hyacinth, which gave them new opportunities for self-employment. For many of these women, this was the first time they could earn money through such skills, and it brought a sense of confidence and independence.
This effort is also benefiting the environment. Water hyacinth grows rapidly and often clogs rivers, reducing water quality and harming fish and other aquatic life. By using it as a raw material, Krishna’s project helps clean rivers while giving value to a plant that was earlier seen as waste. Experts believe that in the future, water hyacinth could also be used for organic fertiliser, energy production and farming.
Krishna received training from craft expert Shiv Keshav Rao of Hyderabad and guidance from senior officials including Textile Ministry regional director Sandeep Mishra and EPCH chief Rahul Ranjan. He says he has always been interested in startups and now wants to expand his products across India and even internationally, where demand for eco-friendly handmade products is high.
Experts point out that the best quality water hyacinth in India is found in the Balan river and Budhi Gandak of Begusarai. They believe this startup could give Bihar a new identity, showing how a local resource can be turned into both an economic and environmental solution. Krishna’s idea is not only supporting women in villages but also setting an example of how innovation can solve problems and create prosperity.
