No kidding — three school students just won the Earth Prize 2025 for something truly game-changing: a salt-powered fridge that doesn’t even need electricity. Sounds wild, right? But it’s real, and what’s even better is that it could solve one of the biggest problems faced by rural areas in India — keeping food and medicines cool without power.
Let’s dive into the full story because this isn’t just an award-winning science project. It’s something that could actually change lives.
Who Are These Brilliant Minds?
The team behind this invention includes Dhruv Chaudhary, Mithran Ladhania, and Mridul Jain — all from Indore. They’re not some college researchers or engineers. They’re school-going teens who looked at a real-world problem and decided to do something about it.
Now think about it — how often do we hear about young students doing something this impactful at such an early stage? That’s why their story is creating waves across India and beyond.
So What’s This Salt-Powered Fridge All About?
Okay, let’s keep this simple. You know how in villages and remote areas, electricity is either unstable or completely missing? That means things like vaccines, milk, or even vegetables go bad real fast.
These teens created a salt-powered fridge — which they call “Thermavault” — that works without electricity. Yes, you heard that right. It runs using special salts that absorb and release heat to keep things cool. You don’t need to plug it in or worry about power cuts.
We often take refrigerators for granted, but in villages, they’re a luxury. This fridge can completely change how people store food and medicines — especially in areas where power cuts are a daily issue.
Why Did They Win the Earth Prize 2025?
The Earth Prize 2025 is no small thing. It’s one of the biggest global awards for young people working on environmental and social challenges. Over 1,000 teams from around the world competed this year, and these three boys from India came out on top.
They didn’t just get recognized — they won $12,500 (over ₹10 lakh) in prize money. But more than that, they got global attention. Their work was praised for being not just creative but practical and scalable. It’s a textbook example of what we call rural innovation — solving real problems in simple, affordable ways.
How Can This Invention Help Rural India?
If you’ve ever visited a village during summer, you know how hot it gets and how hard it is to keep things fresh. Now imagine a fridge that doesn’t need power. That’s huge.
This could help:
- Store vaccines and medicines safely in rural clinics
- Preserve food for longer periods during summers
- Support farmers who need to keep milk or produce fresh
- Cut down waste caused by spoilage
This is the kind of low-cost solution that can make a high impact — especially in a country like India where millions still live without reliable electricity.
What’s Next for These Teens?
Right now, they’re getting loads of support from mentors, entrepreneurs, and even government agencies. Everyone wants to help scale this up — and rightly so.
The best part? The fridge is cheap to build, easy to use, and doesn’t need fancy technology. It’s the kind of product that can be adopted quickly across many parts of India — maybe even other countries with similar challenges.
Final Thoughts: A Proud Moment for India
We often talk about how the youth are the future, but these three teens have already proven they can lead change today. Their invention isn’t just a cool science experiment — it’s a meaningful solution to a big problem.
And let’s be honest — stories like these remind us that innovation isn’t only about big cities and big budgets. Sometimes, it starts with three friends, an idea, and a lot of heart.
We’re really proud to share this story, and we’ll be keeping an eye on what these young minds do next.