'Desi AC': Jhansi school student builds cheap air conditioner for ₹1,800, can reduce room temperature by 5°C

With winter approaching in a few weeks across regions in India, demand for air conditioners is expected to drop. Earlier this month, air conditioner prices witnessed an increase of 5% to 8%, marking the third largest price hike in the industry, due to soaring raw material prices, currency fluctuations, geopolitical disruptions in shipping and regulatory norms.

When a school student invented the desi AC for ₹1,800

In 2017, a 16-year-old student from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, once built a cheap air conditioner for just ₹1,800. Meet Kalyani Shrivastava, a class 12 student who invented her ‘Desi AC’. Kalyani, a student of Lokamanya Tilak Inter College at the time, is said to have built the facility for the righteous ₹1,800.

Kalyani’s innovation was aimed at solving a problem for many families in the Bundelkhand region of India, where years had made life difficult. Instead of trying to replicate a conventional AC, the student wanted to explore whether a basic or affordable setup could provide some relief to those on a budget.

“For the people of Bundelkhand, it is not possible for everyone to be able to afford air conditioning and the heat is unbearable, so I got this idea and turned it into a reality, which is much appreciated,” she told Paisa Wapas magazine.

How to ₹1800 AC work?

According to several reports, Kalyani’s device was made using a thermocouple refrigerator and a 12-volt DC fan. The invention allowed air to pass through the cooling chamber before being directed out through the elbow-shaped outlet. The device could reportedly reduce the room temperature by about 4-5°C after an hour.

The cooling system was also described as solar, allowing it to operate without electricity. Its simple construction and low reported cost made the creation remarkable and grabbed headlines.

The device was different from a regular air conditioner. Unlike conventional air conditioning, which uses a refrigeration cycle to maintain temperature, the student’s setup relied on ice and moving air to provide localized cooling. Its performance depended on ambient temperature, humidity, ventilation and availability of ice.

A harsh Goenka reacts

However, it was truly remarkable and even full of appreciation from Harsh Goenka, chairman of RPG Enterprises. Goenka shared on X, “Kalyani Srivastava, a 16-year-old girl from Jhansi has emerged as a savior for heat-affected rural people. She invented an eco-friendly air conditioner for just Rs 1,800, the cheapest in the world. Let’s support such talents!”

Kalyani’s creation was reportedly selected for a national-level modeling competition associated with IIT Delhi.