Bzzz... here comes India's Beeman
We have all heard of Batman and Spiderman, but Beeman?! Yes, Pune has a Beeman, and his name is Amit Godse. It is difficult to imagine how a mechanical engineer working with an IT multinational company could switch to becoming a savior and promoter of bees – the insect that they say supports not just the ecosystem but economics of a staggering kind. No wonder he is known as the Beeman.
For more than 25 years, the bee population has been dying at an alarming pace around the world. The bees play a critical role in our ecosystem.
The decline of the bee population has dire consequences for the ecosystem. They pollinate 70% of crops that feed most of the human and animal population of the world. We would be left with barely half the amount of fruit and vegetables now available.
This tiny honey bee supports not just the world’s ecosystem, but a large chunk of the world’s economics. And Amit Godse saw the need to protect this insect, and made it his life's mission to do so.
Amit Godse worked with IT company Capgemini in Pune, and moved to become a full-time honey bee conservationist and entrepreneur. He has started a social enterprise known as Bee Basket.
Currently he has the team of 11 people. His story has been featured in various print, social and electronic media as well. He is a master trainer for Government of Maharashtra and Government of India.
His start-up was ranked among the top 18 social innovations in 2017 at the National Conference on Social Innovation led by well-known scientist and former Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr Raghunath Mashelkar. He has been awarded by Union Minister Mr Prakash Javadekar.
Bee Basket has already conserved more than 5500 bee hives in Pune and Mumbai cities alone. He has trained more than 350 tribal on modern and sustainable method of honey harvesting. At present, his start-up is being supported by the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata, and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
Bee Basket (www.beebasket.in) works on conservation and protection of bees in urban India specially in Pune and Mumbai cities at the same time sell bee based products such as different floral honey, etc. The work of Bee Basket is perfectly captured by Bidit Roy, a young documentary filmmaker and founder of Bluebird Moving Stories (www.bluebirdstories.com). This movie has been shot over 14 months and condensed to 6.30 minutes.
Do watch this movie to know the bee’s world and perhaps create awareness about bees in your circles.
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