NEW DELHI -- Eager to help his asthmatic mother who was tired of wearing "uncomfortable" facemasks, Prateek Sharma designed the concept of a nanotechnology-based respiratory filter -- an easy-to-wear patch covering the user's nostrils and providing a high degree of protection against harmful tiny suspended particles emitted from vehicles, coal-fired power plants, factories and other polluting sources. In an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review, the 25-year-old co-founder and chief executive of Nanoclean Global discussed how his product, called Nasofilters, is better than other anti-pollution solutions available in the market and his vision for the company, which was incorporated in February 2017. Here are edited excerpts of the interview:
Q: How did you conceive of the idea of Nasofilters?
