Vision India 2020: Bioscope

Professor Raj Reddy at Carnegie Mellon University first urged me to look at micro-franchise as a vehicle for economic development. Today, micro-finance has become a world-renowned phenomenon, especially with Dr. Yunus’ Nobel Prize two years back. [You can read my interview with Raj here.] >>>

Vision India 2020: Elixar

I have always been fascinated by Pixar. “The Incredibles” enthralled me. “Ratatouille” mesmerized me.

Apparently, they also seduced many others. The former, with a production budget of $92 million, grossed $631 million worldwide. The latter, with a production budget of $150 million grossed $621 million.

I have asked, how? >>>

Vision India 2020: Maya Ray

One of the key issues that India was wrestling with in 2008 was how to preserve the Outsourcing industry since it had become such an important component of the country’s growth engine. >>>

Vision India 2020: Gangotri

My Forbes column, Hydro-Alchemy, begins: “Alchemy refers to a medieval science that turns metals into gold. As our planet depletes natural resources at a frantic pace, one brand of alchemy that will become critical to humanity’s survival is technology that turns sea water into drinking water.” >>>

Vision India 2020: Renaissance

For years, I had been disturbed by the demolition of architectural heritage in India in the name of development. [If you haven’t already, please read my very personal account, As India Builds.] >>>

Vision India 2020: Darjeeling

Our family has long been a connoisseur of Darjeeling tea. Growing up in Bengal, it is hard not to be.

Later on, when I started living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I got to experience the cult of wine in Napa Valley and the surrounding wine countries. One September, I even worked in a vineyard in Oregon, pruning grapes, while visiting my friend Dave Chen, whose Patton Valley vineyard is a small producer of fine Pinot Noir. >>>

Vision India 2020: Lucid

In 2004, we started investigating the issue of K-12 education, especially in Math and the Sciences. As part of this endeavor, we interviewed a number of teachers at various high schools in the Bay Area. Two nuggets came out of these interviews (1) there is no standardized methodology of teaching (2) there is no methodology for personalized skill-gap analysis.

Lucid was founded upon these two core foundational blocks. They had implications well beyond the local schools and students. >>>

Vision India 2020: Urja

For many years, I had traveled around India and wondered how to take advantage of the tremendous craftsmanship that exists in the depths of India. Whether it is in Nagaland or Gujarat, Kashmir or Bengal, India’s heritage has been rich with artisans. >>>