# Shankar Bhisey, India’s Edison, learned science from magazines 2026-08-13T11:25:50+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet As India prepares for Independence Day, the story of Shankar Abaji Bhisey, often called the Edison of India, highlights a forgotten chapter of scientific history. Born in Bombay in 1867 with limited access to formal education, Bhisey taught himself science from magazines like Scientific American. He won a British inventors' journal competition in the 1890s and moved to London, where he connected with nationalists Dadabhai Naoroji and socialist Henry Hyndman. Among his inventions, the Bhisotype, a typecasting machine for printing, drew the most interest. The Linotype Company reportedly offered to buy it, but Bhisey declined, hoping for larger investment that never arrived. The Economic Times reports his career intertwined invention with the anti-colonial cause, but commercial success eluded him. ## Coverage - economictimes.indiatimes.com Tags: Bhisotype, Independence Day, inventor, patents, scientific history, Shankar Abaji Bhisey Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/shankar-bhisey-indias-edison-learned-science-from-magazines/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/shankar-bhisey-indias-edison-learned-science-from-magazines/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.