TC-I Tidbits

Energy and the Environment: Tata Power promises an environmentally conscious power plant in Cuttack and also pledges to pay above market rates for acquiring the land. The national government launches its ‘Green India’ campaign that will plant trees over 6 million hectares of degraded forests over the next 10 years.
Women and Media: Women at the [...]

Video: Tata Nano

Here is a video of someone describing the new Tata Nano (from Kamla Bhatt):

Enjoy

Whatever you can do I can do cheaper …

Capitalizing on the attention given to the Tata Nano, a group of 5 students has built a functioning car that is priced at only Rs. 11,000, or 1/10th the price of a Nano. Using otherwise unusable scrap material, the car’s materials are excellent examples of resourcefulness and ingenuity.
“The rear window of the car has been [...]

Bullocks protest introduction of affordable tractor into Indian agriculture

SAS Motors recently announced the introduction of the Angad 240D, a tractor that the company claims will be cheaper for farmers to operate and maintain than a pair of bullocks.
From Avashya:
According to research, a farmer in India spends Rs. 3000/- to 4000/- per month on maintaining a pair of bullocks. This is an incremental expense [...]

Consumption times a billion

The previous post on the emergence of new technologies focused on the poor has sparked debate or ruminations at the very least over the effects such increases in macro-consumption would have on India and the world. Tyler Cowen of Marginal Revolution raises valid concerns regarding the potential widespread adoption of the Tata Nano and its [...]

Cutting Edge Tech for All

Why should the BoP not gain access to the newest technologies? A recent shift by major private sector players has shown that the old guard’s view that the poor do not need the latest and greatest technological innovation is no longer valid — as they too require what is on the cutting edge.
Neerja Raman from [...]

Hello Indimoto

In an effort to address rising pollution levels, traffic congestion and overall convenience, Indimoto.com is a carpooling matching site that allows for commuters to find other people in their area to share rides with. With the recent unveiling of the Tata Nano, this website may become a necessary evil stemming from insane traffic congestion.
Avashya posted [...]