Saji Varghese

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Dr. Saji Varghese
Varghese in 2025
Born
Maharashtra, India
OccupationAcademic, social entrepreneur
Known forFounder of Brown Reed Agri-Waste Innovations (Sunbird Straws)
Academic background
Education
Alma materNagpur University, PhD
Academic work
DisciplineEnglish studies
InstitutionsChrist University, Bengaluru

Saji Kurungatil Varghese is an Indian academic and social entrepreneur. He is an Associate Professor of English at Christ University, Bengaluru, and the founder of Sunbird Straws, a Bengaluru-based startup that makes biodegradable drinking straws and pens using naturally dried, fallen coconut leaves.[1][2][3]

Early life[edit | edit source]

Saji Kurungatil Varghese was born and raised in Nagpur division, Maharashtra. He did his schooling from Mount Carmel Convent School, Chandrapur, and holds an M.A. from Dr. Ambedkar College, Nagpur. He earned his Ph.D. in English from Nagpur University.[4]

Career[edit | edit source]

Varghese started his career teaching English in Nagpur. He then moved to Bengaluru, where he joined Christ University; as of 2025, he has been teaching for over 25 years[4][5] and is currently an associate professor of English.[6][4][7][2] He also leads the centre for Design and Innovation for Social Entrepreneurship (DAISE) at the university.[8][9][4]

Sunbird Straws[edit | edit source]

In October 2017, during a walk on the Christ University campus grounds, Varghese came across a fallen coconut leaf. According to him, one of its leaflets was pointing upwards, appearing to be curled like a straw.[10][11][12][13] After a closer look, he discovered that coconut leaves have their own epicuticular wax, making them water-resistant and antimycotic,[11][10] causing them to be perfect for straws.[4][14] Upon further inspection, he also found that the leaves could be softened without losing their structural integrity.[15] In 2019, Varghese co-authored an article on the same in the Asian Journal of Plant Sciences.[1] This ultimately inspired the creation of Sunbird Straws, which he founded in 2020 alongside students Chirag MG and Sandeep U[11][16] after two years of research and experimentation.[11][16][17] In the same year,[13] Varghese was granted a patent for his innovation.[18][19][11][8]

The company aims to replace non-biodegradable, single-use plastic straws[14][20][21][22] and reduce pollution and CO2 emissions.[10] It employs about 200 rural women[23][12][20] across coastal India, and makes around 700,000 straws a month.[4][11][10] It was initially funded by Christ University, and incubated by IIM Bangalore's incubation centre, NSRCEL.[12][6] Most leaves for the purpose are sourced from Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and the company has production centres in Kasargod and Palakkad in Kerala, Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Bannur in Karnataka.[11] While the straw-making process initially was time- and labour-intensive, the company has now developed technologically advanced machines and conveyor systems to rapidly increase output, reduce costs, and increase profits.[10][12] As of 2020, Sunbird Straws has exported to over 25 countries.[13][19]

Awards and honours[edit | edit source]

In 2019, Varghese was invited to be a part of the President of India's business delegation to the Philippines.[8][9] He also won the Swadeshi Startup Award from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi in 2018.[23][13][16] His startup was also the only Indian startup to be shortlisted for the Youth Ecopreneur Award in Mongolia in 2023.[10] He is also a recipient of the Honey Bee Network Creativity and Inclusivity Award, and the Swiss Re Shine Entrepreneur Award.[8][23]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ "Brown Reed Agri Waste Innovations". Miller Center for Global Impact. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Meet the Bengaluru English prof whose innovation is replacing single-use plastic straws". www.forbesindia.com. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  3. ↑ Menezes, Anisha (2020-10-29). "Now, take a sip using straws made of fallen coconut leaves". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Dr. Saji Varghese on going beyond teaching to make a social impact". The Hindu. 2025-05-25. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  5. ↑ Consulting, CHRIST (2020-05-15). "An Interview with Dr Saji Varghese – the Creator of a Biodegradable Alternative for Plastic Straws". CHRIST Consultancy. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fathima, Iffath (2020-01-11). "Prof designs coconut leaf straws, bags orders from abroad". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  7. ↑ "Young student innovators from Bengaluru". The Times of India. 2018-09-20. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 damz82 (2025-03-12). "Dr Saji Varghese - ASEAN Fintech Forum". Retrieved 2025-09-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Meet the Bengaluru Professor Who's Fighting Plastic Pollution with Coconut Leaves". Catholic Connect. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 V, Pavithra Krishnan (2023-09-23). "The tale of Sunbird". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Adlakha, Nidhi (2025-06-27). "Bengaluru's Saji Varghese Makes 7 Lakh Eco-Friendly Coconut Straws Monthly". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 "Unsung Heroes : From classroom to eco-innovation, how a student-professor duo are drivers of green change". The Indian Express. 2024-06-29. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "English professor in Bengaluru innovates straw from coconut leaf, exports to 25 countries". The Times of India. 2020-09-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "From Waste to Wonder: Dried Coconut Leaves Replace Millions of Plastic Straws, Empowering Rural Women in India". www.wipo.int. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  15. ↑ Michael, Maria; Paul, Ivin Roby; Karakunnel, Meljo Thomas (29 November 2022). "Sustaining the World, One Dry Leaf at a Time!". Vatican News. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Raghuram, Aruna. "English professor makes eco-friendly straws from coconut leaves; annual turnover at Rs 70 lakh". 30stades.com. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  17. ↑ "No more plastic cutlery from July 1. What now?". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  18. ↑ WO2020044369A1, Template:Cite patent/authors, "Bio-degradable means with midrib for use as drinking straw, stirrer and chopstick and method thereof", issued 2020-03-05 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "This College Professor Is Turning Discarded Coconut Leaves Into Biodegradable Straws". Indiatimes. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 prakati, team (2020-07-14). "Prof. Saji Varghese creates Straws from Coconut leaves". Prakati India. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  21. ↑ Gupta, Shivani. "Professor Makes 100% Biodegradable Straws Using Coconut Leaves". thebetterindia.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
  22. ↑ Zachariah, Serene Sarah. "Professor Makes Coconut Leaf Straws, Bags Orders Worth Rs 6 Crore". thebetterindia.com. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 "Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw applauds Bengaluru professor who turned leaf into a straw: Know how it's now a global hit". The Economic Times. 2025-06-10. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
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