Lateral Sparks, the weekly quiz from YourStory, tests your domain knowledge, business acumen, and lateral thinking skills (see the previous edition here). In this 235th edition of the quiz, we present issues tackled by real-life entrepreneurs in their startup journeys.
What would you do if you were in their shoes? At the end of the quiz, you will find out what the entrepreneurs and innovators themselves actually did. Would you do things differently?
Check out YourStory’s Book Review section as well, with takeaways from over 355 titles on creativity and entrepreneurship, and our weekend PhotoSparks section on creativity in the arts.
Q1: Earth observation
Satellites are one form of infrastructure for earth observation, navigation monitoring, and conducting biological experiments at high altitudes. What’s another option for similar capabilities?
Q2: Logistics efficiency
Rising labour costs, fragmented information systems, and driver shortages in many countries are driving up the costs of logistics. How can technology help here?
Q3: Kitchenware
Many customers are interested in using brass, copper and bronze utensils, but are not sure why they are considered healthy or how to use them correctly. Where is the entrepreneurial opportunity here?
Q4: Electrification
The drive for intelligent mobility and supply chain monitoring has driven the need for electrification and high-performance interconnection systems. Where is the opportunity for tech-savvy entrepreneurs here?
Q5: Wholesale procurement
Corner-stores (kiranas) are the backbone of the country’s retail economy, but the procurement infrastructure serving them has barely evolved in decades. How can this gap be filled?
Answers!
Congratulations on having come this far! But there’s more to come – answers to these five questions (below), as well as links to articles with more details on the entrepreneurs’ solutions. Happy reading, happy learning – and happy creating!
A1: Earth observation
Founded by Sireesh Pallikonda and CVS Kiran, Red Balloon Aerospace closes the gap between aircraft operations at 10 km above the earth’s surface and satellite systems above 160 km. Its stratospheric balloon platforms can provide longer observation times than satellites while avoiding the costs associated with orbital launches.
Its super-pressure technology is designed to maintain stable altitude for balloons, and can support digital applications for vast rural and remote regions. Read more here about how its platform is said to remain operational for weeks or even months.
A2: Logistics efficiency
Founded by Soham Chokshi, Shipsy is a logistics-tech startup that replaces older disconnected systems with a unified AI-powered decision intelligence platform. It manages logistics workflows from planning and execution to last-mile delivery and settlement.
The platform has been trained on more than 250 enterprise deployments, and has a digital workforce of AI agents called AgentFleet. Read more here about how this automates customer communication, driver and dispatch operations, and invoice validation for customers such as Heineken, Aramex, Nippon Express, and Decathlon.
A3: Kitchenware
Founded by Sushank Arora, Nyra Kitchenware is a content-led utensils brand that explains the science and benefits behind traditional cookware. Its product pages and social media content answer practical questions around Ayurvedic cooking practices, maintenance of copper products, and the differences between metals.
It has built a catalogue of over 1,200 products across brass, copper, cast iron and puja categories. Read more here about how it reaches customers through platforms such as Noon, Fruugo and Amazon, and ships to the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Japan, and Australia.
A4: Electrification
Founded by Ajith Sasidharan, Tiea Connectors is a technology-driven manufacturer of interconnect and contact solutions. It specialises in material engineering, product architecture, miniaturisation, and customised application-specific interconnectivity.
“As industries increasingly transition towards electrification, intelligent systems, and high-reliability applications, we believe Tiea is well-positioned to emerge as a globally competitive interconnection technology company from India,” Sasidharan observes. Read more about its journey and investors here.
A5: Wholesale procurement
Founded by brothers Prateek Bansal and Yash Bansal, Fairdeal.Market delivers over a thousand SKUs to retailers within an hour. It combines real-time inventory visibility, transparent pricing, and fast fulfillments.
“We started Fairdeal with a simple belief that every retailer, no matter how small, should have access to reliable inventory and the ability to grow with confidence,” Yash Bansal says. Read more here about how such quick commerce is not just about convenience but business efficiency and replenishment reliability.
YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators.
