Presented by: Premjit Tarafdar
Event: Annual Seminar, Indian Science News Association (ISNA)
Location: Kolkata
Date: 9 June 2025
At the ISNA Seminar 2025, Premjit Tarafdar of ElecSys Lab introduced WhiteShed™ — a zero-plastic, climate-resilient indoor farming system built to address India’s dual crisis of agricultural plastic pollution and high-enthalpy climate stress.
The presentation focused on replacing plastic-choked, soil-dependent farming with compact, hyper-efficient Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems — designed for India’s rooftops, peri-urban spaces, and rural clusters.
India’s farms are drowning in plastic: mulch films, trays, pond liners, polyhouses
These plastics generate microplastic pollution, harm soil biology, and exacerbate climate stress
Traditional farming methods are water-hungry, pesticide-dependent, and exposed to weather volatility
CEA systems imported from abroad are costly, overbuilt, and poorly matched to local climates
A modular indoor farming unit engineered to:
Operate without grow trays, seedling cups, mulch films, or plastic insulation
Use long-life uPVC gullies (40+ year life, fully recyclable)
Implement bamboo fiber-based packaging and zero single-use plastics
Support hydroponic growing of leafy greens and herbs with >90% less water and 80% less energy
The system introduces a multi-stage psychrometric air treatment method that:
Operates in RH >95% zones where traditional evaporative cooling fails
Requires no compressors, no refrigerants, no toxins
Leverages solar-synced airflow and enthalpy-based control to maintain optimal climate
Designed to cool indoor grow zones using laminar enthalpic separation, not brute-force chilling
Active deployments across New Zealand and India
Setup cost: ₹15–95 L for 15–120 sqm
Typical ROI: 8–18 months
Revenue: ₹6L+/month from a 120 sqm WhiteShed™ farm
Future expansion planned in Sri Lanka, Australia, Spain, and Germany
Bangladesh rollout paused (political instability)
“We thrive where others quit.”
Rooted in open-source R&D, ElecSys Lab designs precision CEA systems like iHydro™, Pragya™, growGold™, and now WhiteShed™ — built for India's climate, economics, and scale.
We are currently expanding operations via ElecSys Lab India, to localize manufacturing, training, and deployment at scale.
Replace 1 acre of plastic agriculture with every 100 sqm of WhiteShed™
Partner for urban rooftop pilots, academic validation, and skill-building hubs
Join the growing ecosystem of engineers, agronomists, and urban growers prototyping survival systems