Dornal Village Visit (for Problem Scoping)

On March 1, 2025, 31 first-year students from KG Reddy College of Engineering visited Dornal village in Vikarabad District as part of their Social Innovation Course, organized by the Centre for Innovation and Social Transformation. Coordinated by Mr. B. Lingam and Mr. B. Mohan Venkata Sai, the visit aimed to engage with the community, understand their culture, and apply Design Thinking to identify challenges. Students interacted with villagers, explored agricultural fields, and conducted empathy exercises to study crop cycles and local issues. A key problem identified was the lack of affordable ginning facilities for cotton farmers in Dornal and Kerali villages, forcing them to sell unprocessed cotton at lower prices. This limits income and increases reliance on intermediaries. The visit fostered awareness of agricultural challenges, encouraged social innovation, and laid the groundwork for developing cost-effective, portable ginning solutions to enhance farmers’ livelihoods.