Mileage matters a lot to Indians when choosing a vehicle. Now, imagine a bike that runs 176 kilometres on just one litre of fuel. That is exactly what Shailendra Singh Gaur, an Allahabad University alumnus, has developed after nearly two decades of work.

The 6-stroke engine he built is three times more efficient than conventional ones and has already earned him two patents for his innovation.

Gaur, who completed his BSc degree in 1983, once had the chance to join Tata Motors in 2007 but decided to continue his research instead. To keep his dream alive, he made many sacrifices, selling his land, shop, and house, and even converted his rented home into a workshop.

He trained at the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) under Professor Anuj Jain and later worked at IIT-BHU before focusing fully on his own experiments.

According to a report by Live Hindustan, Gaur tested his engine on a 2017-model 100cc TVS bike. The bike ran 35 minutes on just 50 ml of petrol, giving a mileage of 176 km per litre.

He has also showcased the bike in a TV programme, where it successfully ran 120 km on one litre of fuel.

Gaur claims his six-stroke engine can be fitted into any fuel-powered vehicle. It not only increases mileage but also helps reduce pollution by using about 70% of the energy produced.

“This six-stroke engine is three times more efficient than conventional engines,” he said.