Two female students of the Institute of Technology, Kashmir University, have invented an automatic "Nun Chai (Kashmiri Tea)" vending machine.
Fourth semester Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) students Qaaifa Ibrahim and Yousman Zahoor completed the project under the supervision of Assistant Professor Er Rouf-ul-Alam Bhat. The machine prepares tea instantly.
The application for grant of patent has been accepted by the Patent Authority of India and has had it published under application number: 202111057612.
Qaaifa said that Nun Chai is traditionally prepared manually and consumes a lot of time.
“So, we thought of coming up with a machine that will save time and energy," she said.
“The aim of the invention is to keep the traditional taste of tea intact. Whenever we go out, we ask for sugar tea or coffee, but we never ask for our own traditional pink tea as it isn't available at most places due to its lengthy procedure,” she added.
“We want nun chai to be available at every restaurant and hotel to carry on our tradition. We are now working to make a prototype of it for which we need sponsors as it will take around Rs.70,000, which we, as students, cannot afford,” she said.
Qaaifa said once the prototype of the vending machine is ready, it would cost between Rs.15,000 to Rs.20,000.