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GridMats in the media
Podcasts, news features, talks and recognition since 2016. Every item links to its original source.
The HinduBusiness StandardThe Financial ExpressThe New Indian ExpressDeccan HeraldThe Better IndiaYourStoryThe Times of IndiaThe Indian ExpressHindustan TimesThe Economic TimesIndia TodayShark Tank IndiaGodrej Design LabTEDx
Podcast and video
Engineering the Everyday, with Godrej Design Lab
Podcast · 68 minHow can India build roads that last?Godrej Design Lab × The Gyaan Project · Engineering the Everyday · 68 min · 11 Sep 2026 (opens in a new tab)
On TVShark Tank India S3: the GridMats pitchFull pitch · Shark Tank India
(opens in a new tab)
ManufacturingHow GridMats panels are made1 min · GridMats on YouTube
(opens in a new tab)
ResearchGridMats research and applications1.5 min · GridMats on YouTube
(opens in a new tab)
TalkThe India Advantage Summit, BengaluruTalk by Dr Prathap B Rao · TIA Summit
(opens in a new tab)60-second explainers
GridMats1:36Recycled plastic roads, repaired cell by cellYouTube short (opens in a new tab)
GridMats1:33From research to road standardsYouTube short (opens in a new tab)
GridMats1:49Smart roads: IoT sensors inside the pavementYouTube short (opens in a new tab)GridMats1:41Solar footpaths, green walls and cooler citiesYouTube short (opens in a new tab)GridMats1:57Why I started PotHoleRajaYouTube short (opens in a new tab)Godrej Design LabCan we make roads more sustainable by design?YouTube short (opens in a new tab)Godrej Design LabCould plastic build better roads?YouTube short (opens in a new tab)The Gyaan ProjectEngineering the Everyday, clip 1YouTube short (opens in a new tab)The Gyaan ProjectEngineering the Everyday, clip 2YouTube short (opens in a new tab)News and features
Independent coverage
2 Jun 2025Citizen MattersAre white-topped roads worsening flooding in Bengaluru? Experts weigh in (opens in a new tab)29 Feb 2024Shark Tank India · videoShark Tank India S3: GridMats, a solution to build a road (full segment) (opens in a new tab)28 Feb 2024The MADGridmats by PotholeRaja: paving the way for sustainable infrastructure (opens in a new tab)14 Oct 2023India Education DiarySecond model road with an eco-friendly, user-centric design inaugurated in Peenya Industrial Area (opens in a new tab)23 Jun 2023HomegrownA civic start-up is on a mission to fix Indian roads using recycled plastic (opens in a new tab)21 Jun 2023The HinduPotHoleRaja’s battle against bumpy roads in Bengaluru goes into campaign mode (opens in a new tab)
All earlier coverage, 2016–2023 (45 articles)
4 Jun 2023The Better IndiaMeet India’s environment heroes turning plastic into treasure with 8 innovative ideas (opens in a new tab)17 May 2023The Indian ExpressBengaluru-based social venture constructing a “model road” in Peenya with BBMP (opens in a new tab)30 Mar 2023Construction Week IndiaBengaluru’s Peenya to get a model road: an initiative others should follow (opens in a new tab)28 Mar 2023Bangalore MirrorPeenya: get ready to drive with ease (opens in a new tab)4 Feb 2023The Financial ExpressFixing India’s pothole problem: what needs to be done (opens in a new tab)Jan 2023Jupiter Publications (VISTAS) · case studyCorporate Social Responsibility and Social Entrepreneurship: a case study on PotHoleRaja (opens in a new tab)18 Dec 2022Khabar InfraPotHoleRaja embarks on a road-repair mission using plastic waste (opens in a new tab)15 Dec 2022The Indian ExpressBengaluru-based PotHoleRaja on mission mode to repair roads using recycled plastic (opens in a new tab)12 Oct 2022Business StandardPotHoleRaja: how one start-up is fixing roads the eco-friendly way (opens in a new tab)Oct 2022ADPC · CARE for South AsiaClimate-resilient transport: a conversation with Dr Prathap B RaoIssue 5 of the World Bank-supported CARE for South Asia newsletter. (opens in a new tab)24 Sep 2022The New Indian ExpressPotHoleRaja: comrades-in-arms for a good cause (opens in a new tab)2 Sep 2022GNT, India Today Group (Hindi)PotHoleRaja is making roads pothole-free and safe using recycled plastic waste (opens in a new tab)4 Aug 2022The Logical Indian · videoThis Bengaluru social venture builds a road with recycled plastic to ease traffic congestion (opens in a new tab)Aug 2022YourStoryPotHoleRaja uses recycled plastic and tech to make roads safer (opens in a new tab)31 Jul 2022Commercial Design IndiaBengaluru’s first sustainable road, made with over 3,000 kg of recycled plastic (opens in a new tab)28 Jul 2022Global Prime NewsBengaluru’s first sustainable road, made with over 3,000 kg of recycled plastic, built in the city’s IT hotspot (opens in a new tab)18 Jul 2022Planet CustodianBengaluru’s first plastic-waste road, made of 3,000 kg of waste (opens in a new tab)17 Jul 2022The Hans IndiaRoad made with 3,000 kg of recycled plastic in Bengaluru is open to use (opens in a new tab)16 Jul 2022Anchor Mohan Talks · videoBangalore’s first road from plastic waste (RMZ Ecospace and BBMP) (opens in a new tab)16 Jul 2022The Times of IndiaBengaluru: road built using 3,000 kg of recycled plastic waste (opens in a new tab)15 Jul 2022The Hans IndiaPotHoleRaja builds road from Ecoworld to ORR using 100% recycled plastic waste (opens in a new tab)15 Jul 2022IndianWeb2Social venture PotHoleRaja builds a connecting road from 100% recycled plastic waste (opens in a new tab)15 Jul 2022Bangalore MirrorTraffic snarls? These grid mats might help (opens in a new tab)15 Jul 2022Hindustan Times · videoBengaluru gets its first road made fully of plastic waste (opens in a new tab)14 Jul 2022The HinduIn Bengaluru, road built with 100% recycled plastic waste between Ecoworld and ORR (opens in a new tab)5 May 2022SocioStoryOn a mission to make the world pothole-free, PotHoleRaja has also been saving lives (opens in a new tab)6 Jan 2022Promantia Consulting blogThe “honeycomb” frame: ideas behind the design of GridMats (opens in a new tab)2022Realty+Brookfield Properties builds Bengaluru’s first sustainable road with recycled plastic (opens in a new tab)23 Nov 2021Deccan HeraldThis Bengaluru group repairs potholes across India (opens in a new tab)
Where it started
PotHoleRaja in the news, 2016–2021
GridMats grew out of PotHoleRaja, the civic pothole-repair movement Dr Prathap B Rao founded in 2016. This is the coverage from those years.
3 Aug 2020The New Indian ExpressPotHoleRaja: Bengaluru organisation filling potholes launches a new initiative (opens in a new tab)20 Jul 2020Your Philanthropy StoryPothole Raja (opens in a new tab)17 Oct 2019RealtyNXTRealtyNXT talks exclusively to the founder of PotHoleRaja, Prathap Rao (opens in a new tab)28 Aug 2019The Economic TimesWhen govt fails, citizens get down to work, and succeed (opens in a new tab)14 Jun 2019The Logical IndianA former Indian Air Force pilot is fixing potholes to make Bengaluru’s roads safer (opens in a new tab)20 Jan 2019The Times of IndiaLessons at an exhibition on living plastic-free (early GridMats testing) (opens in a new tab)15 Dec 2018Deccan HeraldWhitefield residents fix potholes on their own (opens in a new tab)Dec 2018YourStoryStop blaming, fix potholes yourself: with 4,500 potholes fixed, PotHoleRaja shows how (opens in a new tab)12 Nov 2018Bangalore MirrorA Bengalurean speaks the hole truth (opens in a new tab)2018TEDxLavelleRoadFixing the world, one pothole at a time (opens in a new tab)28 Oct 2017India TodayBengaluru: fed up with potholes, citizens take matters into their own hands (opens in a new tab)4 Oct 2017The Times of IndiaPothole Raja steps in when Palike fails (opens in a new tab)23 Sep 2017Prajavaniರಸ್ತೆ ಗುಂಡಿ ಮುಚ್ಚುವ ಸ್ವಯಂಸೇವೆ (volunteers who fill potholes) (opens in a new tab)7 May 2017The News MinuteMeet Bengaluru’s PotHoleRaja: he wants to fix the city’s roads (opens in a new tab)2016LinkedIn articlePothole menace in Bangalore, by Dr Prathap B Rao (opens in a new tab)WIONBengaluru’s “Pothole Raja”: a unique initiative by citizens (opens in a new tab)
Recognition
Patents, awards and listings, with sources
PCT publication WO/2023/100191 “Plastic waste based interlocking grid mat”, published 8 Jun 2023; applicant GroundReality Enterprises. Source: Google Patents ↗ (opens in a new tab) Also: WIPO PATENTSCOPE ↗ (opens in a new tab)Urban-heat-island patent Filed 2026. Certificate on requestUrban Mobility India 2023 Award for Best Innovative Solution, at the UMI Innovation Challenge. Source: Press Information Bureau, winners list, 29 Oct 2023 ↗ (opens in a new tab) Also: Metro Rail Today ↗ (opens in a new tab)Solar Decathlon India GridMats® (GroundReality Enterprises) listed as an industry partner. Source: sdichallenge.in ↗ (opens in a new tab)Shark Tank India, season 3 Featured pitch, 2024. Source: Shark Tank India on YouTube ↗ (opens in a new tab)Climate Collective CCF-CIC-003. Certificate on requestTGS 2026, IISc IIT Hyderabad research presented, for publication by Springer. Certificate on request
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