Delhi Students Create $2 Train Hygiene Kit for 46-Hour Trips

Four students exhausted by filthy washrooms during their 46-hour train rides decided to fix the problem themselves, and now their invention is heading to express trains across India.

Mizhab K, Muhammed Nihad, Abhishek Roopesh, and Suhail V regularly traveled between their home state of Kerala and the University of Delhi. The journey crosses eight states and tests the limits of train hygiene.

After discussing sanitation struggles in a WhatsApp group of Malayali students, the friends discovered they weren't alone. Countless travelers complained about dirty washrooms and the challenge of staying clean during multi-day journeys.

The group launched Travel Essentia earlier this year with a solution: a compact hygiene kit containing 10 essentials for about $2. Inside the cardboard box sits a toothbrush, toothpaste tablets, wet wipes, towels, paper soap strips, sanitizer, toilet seat covers, a cutlery set, a face mask, and a cotton pouch.

"In identifying what goes into the kit, our first step was to list things we miss while packing," says Mizhab. "While essentials such as toothpaste and toothbrush stay at the back of our minds, we often miss them at the last minute."

The packaging itself serves double duty. Once travelers unpack their supplies, the box unfolds into a Ludo or Snakes and Ladders game board for entertainment during the long journey.

Travel Essentia launched with a promotional store at Kozhikode railway station in April. The 10-person startup now operates warehouses in Gurugram and Kozhikode, shipping kits across India.

The Ripple Effect

What started as a student frustration is now catching government attention. Travel Essentia plans to provide kits on the Vande Bharat Express between Mangaluru and Thiruvananthapuram next month. The company is also pursuing partnerships with India's premium trains like the Rajdhani Express and Mangala Lakshadweep Superfast Express.

Customer feedback is already shaping the product's evolution. Users have requested additions like sanitary pads, which the team is considering for future versions.

The startup isn't stopping at trains. Travel Essentia plans to expand into hygiene kits designed specifically for long bus journeys, addressing India's broader long-distance travel sanitation needs.

What makes this story remarkable is its origin: four students who could have simply complained about dirty washrooms instead built a business to help millions of travelers. Their solution proves that sometimes the best innovations come from people who experience the problem firsthand.