Safety device for women in trouble

The 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case had the whole country protesting. And in the little city of Guntur, then second-year engineering student Baji Thota wanted to do something more than just protest.

Having always been interested in electronics, Baji came up with a device that could help women in trouble — a women’s security handbag. And after three years, he finally got his product to Hyderabad at The August Fest. However, it’s not the handbag but the “buttons” that can be attached to one, which is his product. His stall created quite a stir at the fest with many people asking about the function of the buttons.

Baji explains, “We have so many women security apps these days but the truth is that if a woman is in trouble, it’s really not possible to always reach out to her bag, fish out her mobile phone and then call anyone. So, that’s how the idea came up where there are buttons installed in your handbag, which are connected to your cellphone through a circuit.”

There are two buttons (but it can be expanded to nine buttons, with each button representing a number). “The first button resets the device as it could be locked. The second button represents a number and just by pressing it, a woman can call for help. You can even alert the nearest police station even if you have no balance on your phone,” says the 2014 B.Tech pass out, who’s currently working with an IT company in Hyderabad.

Baji has earlier made robotic guns, a speed controller for cars, a blind stick with a mobile app, etc. He has also won around 40 national-level prizes for his products. He says, “I didn’t understand the importance of the product when I made it. But a friend of mine has been using it for three months and it has been quite helpful to her.” And the device is conveniently priced between Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500. “We had conducted a survey, and the results showed that nine out of 10 women were interested in the product.”