Dear Friends,
Have you ever tasted pure coconut
chutney ground by Rubbu Rolu, also known as Sil Batta, Ammi
Kallu, or stone mortar? Maybe you’ve compared this to a modern grinder at
home—you’ll see the difference! Whenever we used to visit our village during
childhood, my grandmother would make Dibba Rotti with this coconut
chutney. Dibba Rotti or Minapa Rotti is a classic Andhra dish
prepared with urad dal and rice ravva batter. The soaked urad dal is ground
into a batter and, after some other process (which I don’t fully recall), it is
poured into a hot, heavy-bottomed kadai and made into a pancake.
I still remember, she used to
prepare this on Sundays. The process started at 9 AM. By afternoon, around 1
PM, she would grind using a stone-made Rubbu Rolu fitted and levelled to
the ground. Today, the machine takes just 45 minutes to grind. Back then, it
was double the time. You had to sit or squat and move the hand-stone in small
circles or back-and-forth ovals over the base stone, continuously feeding the
paste back to the center with the other hand. This was equivalent to burning
100–250 kcal—comparable to a moderate-intensity upper-body endurance workout.
On a lighter note, what my grandmother did for dosa batter, modern fitness
enthusiasts now pay for at a CrossFit class!
Why am I talking about this
traditional tool that was once a minimum household crockery?
In 1955, Coimbatore resident P. Sabapathy invented the wet grinder as a wedding
gift for his wife, Indrani. Today, the Coimbatore Wet Grinder holds a
Geographical Indication (GI) tag for wet grinders manufactured in Coimbatore
and Erode districts. Having a GI means no one else in the world can patent the
grinder—the Grinder Belongs to Coimbatore.
In fact, Panasonic filed another
Japanese patent (JP2014169818A) in 2014. The world is not stopping. Even if
ideas are traditional, they are getting protected through innovation and IP.
In 2010, we ourselves invented a top-attached toothbrush—its bristles could be
removed like a blade in a razor to save plastic. The bottom stand was fixed,
made from bamboo, and the bristles were crafted from neem and banyan fibers.
Unfortunately, we never filed a utility patent. You know what happened? Quip
NYC Inc filed a similar patent in 2013 and now sells it on Amazon! The cost of not
filing a patent was huge. Of course, my son later obtained a design patent with
more sophistication and multi-functionality, but we had already lost the big
opportunity.
What triggered this topic today?
Amit Singh posted an interesting article on LinkedIn. Last week, the Hon’ble
High Court of Delhi, through orders dated 30.07.2025 and 11.09.2025, decreed
suits in favor of Carl Freudenberg KG (the patentee). A public notice was
issued by the patentee of the “GALA No Dust Broom” (Patent No. 541962), warning
against market players infringing on their patented technology (Hindustan
Times, 05 Oct 2025).
Historically, brooms were crafted
from twigs. Today, the Indian broom market is estimated at a whopping ₹1,500
crore. Freudenberg Gala Household Products owns this patent. Let’s appreciate
their foresight and the act of filing patents for such innovations.
Having said that, we in India
aspire to be an innovative nation—let us protect every idea, every thought, and
every application. Otherwise, our next generation will end up paying royalties
for “pin to peace”! We will continue writing grandma stories… “We used to do
things like this…”
– Ravi Saripalle
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