X PRIZE for efficient cookstoves??

Inefficient cookstoves are a major problem for the poor in the developing world. The soot has serious implications on health and poverty; and population growth, and rising energy costs leave the poor with no choice but to forage for their fuel resulting in environmental degradation, . (Picture source: columbia.edu)

One of the organizations I consulted for a couple of years ago, called the X PRIZE Foundation, where I helped develop the Global Development vertical has moved forward with a partnership with IIT Delhi and the Government of India to develop and launch a prize for developing efficient cookstoves.

Approximately 70% of Indian households -- more than 160 million households, comprising about 770 million people – are estimated to depend on simple but polluting cookstoves that burn solid fuel, mainly wood or coal. It also is estimated that approximately 400,000 to 550,000 people – primarily women and children – die of the resulting indoor air pollution each year in the country. This makes the cookstoves problem in India and the potential market for cleaner cookstoves amongst the largest in the world.

The cookstoves competition falls under the X PRIZE Foundation’s Education & Global Development prize group, which tackles major challenges in areas such as learning, hunger, health and water. Addressing the grand challenges of our time, the X PRIZE Foundation generates innovation through incentivized competition. Through the strategic design of ground-breaking competitions with significant, multi-million dollar prize purses, X PRIZE spurs collaboration among the world’s most brilliant minds to tackle the most pressing issues and create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. More here.

Looks pretty interesting and exciting. Definitely a worthy issue. More about the cookstove problem is here and here.

Why I loved being in India so much...

"My dad takes his afternoon nap on his scooter [behind] our room while mom cleans the...room..." From Atul Loke's photoessay My Chawl: One Big Family. Photo: Atul Loke

I was in India for the past five months. I just got back a week ago and am settling back into regular life in the U.S. Hopefully the blogging will also pick up, now that I have regular internet access. I have SO many thoughts running through my head about things I should write about, including where this blog is going.

Someone asked me recently why I liked being in India so much. What few knew was that my India trip was supposed to be a six week trip that turned into five months (I only returned because I ran out of money and had to start working again)!! How that happened is something I'll write about later.

India is overwhelming; but if you let it wash over you in waves, rather than be shell shocked, you'll find great comfort in her richness. I found that I could spend hours just watching life bubbling up in the alleys of any city or village I was in. I was reminded of this as I browsed through Atul Loke's excellent photoessay about Life inside his Chawl. (A "chawl" is something like a college dorm facility; a multi-family residential facility constructed to house largely labor classes and their families. A characteristic feature of the chawls is that several families share single toilet and bath facilites).

Firstly, I'm blown away by this man's talent. He is just one of the many silent geniuses spawning across the expanse of India's varied landscape (and the developing world, in general). But more importantly, notice the richness of the life just oozing out of every picture. This is why I couldn't tear myself away from the place...

[hat-tip @yoginisd for pointing me to his work]

Letter from the Field: Questions for Leadership

Are we asking the right questions of our leaders?? (photo credit: Tim abbott)

One of my Indian buddies emailed me a set of thoughts this morning. Inspired by a post he read on someone's blog, he wondered about how well he knew his leaders. How well we all know our leaders...how we well we know our own leadership abilities.

His email really made me think. Parts of it proved to be an excellent questionnaire for myself (good prep for a job interview too!). Anyways, here you go...

Ask your Leader this.

Be it your Boss, your MP or you prime Minister... or yourself, if you
are a leader (we all play leader roles to someone or some people at
some or all times)

[from the blog of Lee Iacocca, the "king of straight talk"]

Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Demanding Answers
I’ve been thinking a lot about the Presidential race and the remaining
front runners. Last year, Katie Couric asked if we’d come up with some
questions, based on my latest book Where Have All The Leaders Gone?,
to ask the candidates.

Take a look at the following questions. Do you know any of the
candidates’ responses to them?

1. Leaders are not born; they’re made in times of crisis. Name a
crisis that you have faced, and talk about how you demonstrated
leadership.

2. Name your two primary models for leadership from the past 50 years.
These are the individuals you call to mind when you’re faced with a
tough decision.

3. The ability to collaborate with those who have different ideas and
approaches is a key factor in leadership. Give an example of a time
(professionally or politically) when you have successfully
collaborated with people who have different views.

4. As a businessman I learned that the best way to fully understand
what it means to be responsible is to meet a payroll every week. In
your life, when have you had tangible responsibility for the
livelihoods of others – and what did the experience teach you about
leadership?

5. Being President is not a one person job. The team is just as
important. Are you prepared to tell voters who will be on your team so
they can make an educated choice? In particular, who are your
candidates for Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and Attorney
General? (If you’re not prepared to name them, can you name
individuals from recent history who have excelled in those positions?)

6. The United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates among
democratic nations – especially for young single adults. What will you
do to encourage young people to vote and participate in government?

7. A leader inspires others to participate fully in the life of
democracy. The words of JFK – “Ask not what your country can do for
you; ask what you can do for your country” – still resonate. Give a
specific example of what you will ask citizens to do, and what
sacrifices you will ask them to make.

Maybe if these questions are circulated to millions by email (just
like the first chapter of my book), the tough questions will get asked
and the candidates will feel obliged to give the American people an
answer!
=======================================================



Made me think. How many of our Indian 'Leaders' in Politics can even
begin to understand these questions - let alone answer them.

But then again, how many of us in the corporate/business world - or
across any field of work for that matter - can answer these questions
about ourselves, or our "leaders"?


I for one, would love to ask these questions to a new brand of leaders
in governance and business shaping india's future...

cheers
P

Disappearing again for a bit, so...

...Merry Xmas and Happy Holidays to all :-)



though considering where I am, this is FAR more appropriate:

Links I liked from my two month backlog: Part II (India-centric International Development)

Continuing on:

1. The Top 10 Gadgets of the Year:

2. Home-made tools of a bicycle-maker:

3. I'm a passionate believer that infrastructure is necessary for proper economic development (this is why I do what I do). Here, WB economic advisor offers his views on how South Asia can overcome its infrastructure shortfall.

4. Loved this look inside the changes in the Indian Post Office. Let me tell you, you can judge a LOT about a country's development based on how well the postal system works, and how much it is used (which are obviously related!!).

5. Loved this nifty anti-clogging drain device. AWESOME bit of invention.

6. A personalized look at what big business is doing to smaller, personalized businesses. I loved the tenderness of this post.

7. The latest from PostSecret. It puts everything into perspective, and is a snapshot in time.

8. The dangers facing India's growing e-waste production

9. India's e-health revolution that will change healthcare for good!

10. How scale and innovation can coexist.

You've got to watch Ryan Lobo on TED

(photo source: photobucket)

Ryan Lobo was one of the stars of TEDIndia, in my opinion. His presentation was not only spot-on point, but hauntingly beautiful and poignant. It was wonderful to come across someone so young and talented, and brave enough to go in a direction that his soul dictated. In the process he has collected a jewelled archive of stories; three of which he shared with the audience.

I've had the opportunity to interact since then with Ryan on a personal level; away from TED, in a more relaxed atmosphere, he indulged me in more stories over steaming cups of chai. I was moved by his earnest desire to do his job well, his commitment to authentic story-telling through multi-media, and most importantly by the person he is. Behind all his talent is an amazingly down-to-earth, accessible, yet deeply thoughtful human being.

An Update: What's going on with Tworque and me??!!

India is beckoning. It is alive and buzzing with excitement (photo source: Dharmesh)


A few of you have been recently hinting that I have been a little too quiet (thanks for noticing and for the prodding). So I thought I ought to explain what is going on:

Since this blog is a side-hobby, it is extremely dependent on my availability of internet and free time. In the past several months, I have been traveling a lot with little access to the internet.

Right now, I am in India. I came here because I had heard that the place is buzzing with ideas, innovation, and vitality…something I have been waiting for years to happen. I had to see it for myself! Would I feel inspired enough to stick around??

Already in the past month, I have been so impressed by the energy of this place. So much enthusiasm and promise, as I have never seen before. Of course, I have also been very lucky to come across a lot of people wearing their passions and hopes boldly on their sleeves. Younger and older entrepreneurs alike are popping up all around, taking chances and doing something ‘different.’ For a country that is so gripped by conformity, this is a SIGNIFICANT indicator of the wave of change sweeping through.

If anything, India’s development is significant for the map of the world’s development. The world’s largest democracy has some of the greatest economic disparity, with some of the world’s poorest people living side-by-side with the richest. The enormous economic growth here against such a backdrop along with its mélange of castes, languages, religions, geography, and lackluster governance defies logic; probably as a result, India’s growth will provide a roadmap for the development of underdeveloped economies as we move forward.

As Hans Rosling predicted in his recent TEDIndia talk, its only a matter of time (July 27, 2048!!) before India (and China) regain(s) their original position(s) of leaders of the (free??) world. I’m here to see if I can be in the thick of things, if I may even venture to say…to lead a small part of it. But only time will tell. Hopefully, I’ll find enough internet and time to take you along for the ride...assuming I even have one! ☺

Question from a reader: Fixing water filtration in India

A simple sand and activated charcoal filter ($10-15) can filter hundreds of gallons of water simply and cheaply. But will this solve India's (bottled) water issues?? Read on... (photosource: bethechangeinc)


I got the following question in my inbox recently. Its becoming a question of increasing frequency, and I want to address it properly. Here's the "question" the reader wrote:

Last year, after a research expedition [on the effect of plastics on the environment]...we were giving talks and meeting with legislators along the way [in North America].

At one of our talks, a woman who had just returned from a long trip in India approached me, and said, "this is all great what you guys are doing to educate people, BUT there are much larger problems with plastic bottles and waste overseas". She told me that due to poor sanitation, in some areas she'd been in, people had no choice but to drink out of plastic bottles, and lacked the infrastructure to deal with them.

Which made me wonder if bringing water filtration systems to India might make a difference, albeit small.... for peanuts here ($500-$1000), an entire school can have clean water.

I've never been to India, but would be interested to hear your thoughts. Perhaps we might try to raise money for a few filters, to start with...

Here was my response:

I agree with the bottled water issue. As much as I detest bottled water, I find that when I'm in the developing world for very short bursts (where I don't have the time to purge my system and adapt) and need reliable, safe water quickly, I rely on bottled water (note: I try to drink tea, boiled water, other boiled beverages or soups for the most part, and only eat fresh, cooked food. Bottled water is a substitute when I can't find these or its simply too hot!). Amongst poor communities, plastic bottles are a huge commodity. Recycling goes on in full, plus the thicker, better bottles are used as water bottles or to store other liquids. They use these for several reasons -- convenience, cost (free to find, recyclable when they are done, easy to replace), how light it is, how sturdy it is, its lack of brittleness, etc. And yes...often they have no other choice.

Water filters are available in abundance in most of the developing world, particularly in non-disaster zones. India has a lot of indigenous water filters that do a very good job...most selling for around $50-$100. Most middle, upper, even poorer class Indians have them installed in their houses, though the best and most effective need access to electricity (they are RO systems). If you really want, you can build one using sand and a large bucket (or see diagram above). This is how most wastewater is treated in the US, though on a much larger scale. Clear water combined with some bleach dosing (aka chlorine disinfection), should render perfectly safe and drinkable water, and all for less than $10.

Probably best of all, there is always the option of boiling...the problem with this is that its very energy intensive and if you use wood/charcoal/kerosene, its simply too expensive. (I tend to boil my water usually in the developing world, except when i've run out of my supply and then use the water i find either at a tea shop or i buy bottled water).

Sometimes its not the filtration that's the problem....its the sourcing of clean water, the collection, the transportation, and the storage of water that are the biggest issues. Outside of the sourcing issues, plastic generally fills these voids.

Of course, for problems like arsenic, fluoride, salinity, etc, where you need more advanced cleaning, or where the water is extremely turbid (cloudy or visibly dirty), it becomes a different issue. These are very regional issues, and generally you can figure out what the biggest water problems in that area are by visiting the NGOs, doctors or govt public health agencies in that area. If its pathogen-related (which is the majority of water quality issues), then generally some proper boiling or filtration/disinfection will quell the problem. But other issues need more specialized solutions.

Finally, I'm not a huge fan of transplanted filters or other mechanisms. Filters from here are not made to withstand water or field conditions there. Expensive systems have a short shelflife, then like every other good transplant, they wither and die. This is partially because there is no one to do regular operation and maintenance, or who has been trained properly to fix even the smallest problems. A COMMON problem is letting untrained hands take over the operation of a technology. Their curiosity gets the better of them, and the technology is quickly rendered useless. Replacement parts are hard to find and buy, and the issue of untrained hands repeats itself. Always look for indigenous units, you are much more likely to have success in terms of adoption, operation/maintenance, and replacement if necessary.

These are my immediate thoughts on the subject. I'm always happy to discuss this further with you...

Thoughts anyone??

The inefficiencies of aid: Donor Denial and lack of educated input

A constant question I'm asked is why international aid is SO inefficient. There are many answers to this question. Here's one reason...donors, who generally live very different lives from the poor, don't seem to know the difference between people who know what they are doing and those who don't.

I was reminded about this again just recently, when a good friend of mine (let's call her "Anita") got fired recently. Yes, everyone's getting laid off these days, but this was sad. Anita was the perfect person for the job she was working on. While no one can still point a finger at her work quality (against all odds, she put together a stellar work product), Anita fought hard to improve the system and then got fired.

I had met Anita on a field job in India. She immediately struck me because she was strong, fearless, smart as hell, and had a mind of her own. Growing up in a village in India, it was big dreams, hard work and determination that brought her to where she is now---well-educated, traveling the world, helping poor communities everywhere. She hasn't stopped dreaming; and I hope she will never stop.

Anita's story is almost typical of other people I know who are struggling to honestly and honorably correct flawed systems. In her latest job, she was working for a group of Americans who were trying to expand their work into India. Working out of a NY office, the team scarcely knew what they were doing (this is a common theme among donors btw!! They assume that their way is the way of the world!). Considering the short time-frame, Anita, the lone Indian in the group, desperately called attention to the coming pitfalls and warned the team against their delinquent behavior. I remember her working long hours everyday for several months trying to lay the foundation because there were just TOO many mistakes. One day after months of frustration, she threatened to step down if they didn't change their behavior. Instead of acknowledging her work and her guts, she was promptly sacked and replaced by a 23 y/o American who blindly did what she was told. Anita's boss is a powerful and well-connected man within the donor community. And he has proven to be vicious in terms of wielding his power to sideline her.

The project is still going to be a success, because Anita laid such a great foundation and the organization already has a great reputation. But its ridiculous to me that a team of 5 Americans are trying to run an Indian project while based in the US; each of who has visited India once in their lives to see the Taj Mahal. The locals they have working with them say nothing because they are getting paid in dollars, and they are just happy to have jobs. So there you have it...inefficiency perpetuating itself over and over again.

Links I liked

Almost all my links today are TED related. This is not always the case, but there was too much good stuff:

1. Naturally 7, a group that could do an entire symphony using only voice, had us all rocking and jumping on our feet. You've GOT to check them out!

2. In the past few months, Nandan Nilekani (often referred to as the "Bill Gates of India") has been getting a bit overexposed; but his TED talk was actually quite good.

3. Stewart Brand's take on squatter cities and how they are the cities of the future.

4. Q&A session with one of my favorite photographers ever, Yann Arthus Bertrand.

World's largest entrepreneurial competition

China is leading the way. India already has something similar but it has yet to mobilize the same number of people. Imagine if there was a Pan Asia competition. That would include over a third of the world's population. From PSFK:

Broadcast on China’s CCTV national television, “Win in China” (赢在中国) is the world’s largest and most lucrative business plan competition. With over $5 million in prize money, the TV show pits 120,000 entrepreneurs competing to win $1.5 million dollars to invest in the winner’s business plan.

The documentary, produced by Robert Compton, follows the TV show of the same name and features entrepreneur celebrities such as Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group and Chairman of China Yahoo, who served as Head Judge and Liu Chuanzhi, founder of computer giant Lenovo.

CCTV host sums up the role played by entrepreneurs in China: “Today, entrepreneurs are the biggest heroes in our society.”

Links I liked

1. Brilliant aerial photographer (another of my heros) Yann Arthus Bertrand's Home project has premiered today. Its an ABSOLUTE must-see.

2. A picture from the recent Indian election that describes the state of India and its politics in one fell swoop. Ironic, Funny, and sad.

3. A case for why to stop envying millionaires and only envy billionaires(!!)

4. Finally there is evidence to show that poverty does not equal stupidity (duh!)

5. I'm not a huge fan of blind copying, nor would I ever recommend it. But I thought this post was interesting.

The Case for Idealism...an Ode to Idealists!

Three young idealists, who blew away their competition: (L-R) Gandhi, Obama with his high school basketball team, and Walt Disney, all in their teens.


I often wonder about the difference between great idealism, great ambition, and great stupidity. It is a fine line indeed. Idealism has always been scoffed at. But where would we be without it?? Failed idealism is often termed as stupidity. But is it really??

I like the quote "Aim for the moon; if you miss it, you will still land among the stars." It is only when you aim high that you can soar high.

George Bernard Shaw once famously said, "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."

And indeed so. Its very easy to forget that the people who have been the greatest visionaries were also termed as idiots and idealists. While everyone now might laugh at the thought, Americans have been quick to forget that the president they now adore would not have been but for a healthy dose of idealism on his part. Barack Obama for all given purposes had no business even thinking he would be President. He was of mixed parentage, with a white mother and African (different from African American) father; grew up in Hawaii (a state that has produced zero presidents before this one) with no proper religious background; had a muslim middle name sandwiched between strong Kenyan names; had a Harvard degree, no military service, very little public service, and was of modest means. Add onto that, that he was running against a Clinton. Yet he ran, and he won. And hopefully, he will be the change we all want to see among leaders of our world.

Speaking of "be the change," think of Gandhi, a softspoken, slight Indian man who thought that he could take down the mighty British empire, with a grand total of, well, no weapons. Even fist fights weren't allowed!! If he had told you in the early 1900's that the non-violence movement would not only encompass India and topple the British empire, but bring civil rights to African Americans in the US, reverse apartheid in one of the most racist regimes in the world - South Africa, bring the Chinese military to its knees in Tianenman Square, and become the mainstay of EVERY modern demonstration in the world, you would have laughed!! Many did; yet all those things happened and the movement still endures.

A few days ago, I found myself in another mecca of idealism - Disneyland. Riding some of the rides I had loved as a kid, I was struck by how timeless they were. Disney was SO ahead of his time. To think that much of Disneyland and Disney World's layouts have scarcely changed since they were built, inspite of the massive changes in technology in the recent past; that the most popular rides then still endure, and they continue to "make dreams come true" everyday is mindboggling. I'm sure if Disney had told you in the 30's that people would pay an-arm-and-a-leg to watch talking robot animals in the 21st century, we would have laughed. Yet here we are, years later doing exactly that.

Probably the biggest and powerful idealists are parents and teachers - moms, especially.

I think we need more idealism. Balanced with pragmatism, an unrelenting idealist with clear vision is capable of great change. Rather than laughing at them, maybe we should support them with our pragmatism. That while they soar high, we can be the tails on their kites to guide them, while also enjoying the ride.

Here's to the idealists amongst us!!

Gateway to Hollywood

Ashok Amritraj on "Gateway to Hollywood" (photo source: http://pixtelevision.com/pix_gateway/images/gateway_home_top.jpg)

Somehow, I came across and got hooked onto this Indian reality show about filmmakers. Its called "Gateway to Hollywood," and it is a bit like "The Apprentice" for young, amateur filmmakers. The show brings together 18 talented filmmakers from across India and over the course of 16 weeks of challenges, picks the best to direct a film in Hollywood...a dream for any filmmaker!

The show is run by former Indian tennis-pro, now turned Hollywood film producer, Ashok Amritraj, who is eager to give young, talented filmmakers the chance he never had. While the show is poorly produced, the quality of the filmmakers, their tasks, and output were really solid. So good infact that I sat up for two nights in a row and watched the episodes back-to-back.

I love the idea of ex-pats returning to their countries to help their own develop. I honestly think that the health of a developing country's economy depends on the health of their ex-pat community. Look at India, China, Korea, and Mexico. There are many more examples where these come from; but an ex-pat's strong cultural ties, tenacity, intelligence, lessons learned along the way, coupled with the west's business practices of efficiency and ethics, makes him/her a force to contend with.

Unfortunately, Gateway episodes are archived on the horrible rediff ishare platform (as opposed to the infinitely smoother and more reliable hulu, youtube, or vimeo sites), so I've had numerous problems with viewing them. Still I would encourage a view.

I was blown away and heartily encouraged by the latent talent in India; I'm sure every other developing country has this level of talent just hanging out waiting to be discovered!

Here's a part of the first episode:

Links I liked

1. Via BusinessPundit, an innovative business card.

2. Why poor countries continue to be enthralled with capitalism... interesting analysis!

3. You'd be surprised to know where most of the S&M wear originates from. Now this is absolutely fascinating!!

4. A look behind the success of Zappos' management.

5. How to grow a business: wisdom on scaling up.

Links I liked

1. An amazingly nimble 83 y/o grandma. Prepare to be awed. :-)

2. via Owen Abroad, TheBraveNewTraveller outlines six people you will meet at an expat bar. I usually avoid expat bars. My point of going into the field is to listen to and hang out with the locals, and the people outlined here are exactly why I avoid expat bars.

3. Chris Blattman and Alanna Shaikh's combined "How to get a job in international development." I would add one more...just show up. I've done that before; they were surprised, but willing and I started a(n unpaid) job...that has ultimately led to me writing to you here! :-)

4. I've been wondering for sometime why even in wealthier parts of the developing world, the sewage treatment is beyond bad. This article will explain why!! On one hand, it could lead to more innovation; on the other, with no enforcement, its leading to mega mega problems.
Governance at its worst.

5. Finally someone is saying it...MBA = Most Bloody Awful. I am SO happy that someone is finally calling it what it really is, a degree for some of the most overrated people in the world.

6. 500 Million Indians are flipping each other off, in what will easily be the world's largest election. Why?? You'll laugh....

7. Via Boing Boing, http://doihavepigflu.com/

Preston Merchant's look at the Indian Diaspora

Thanks to a friend (aka Chickpea), I was turned onto Preston Merchant's brilliant coverage of the South Asian diaspora through a photography lens. You can view some samples of his work on his website. Unfortunately, they are very well protected, so I can't link to a lot of them...





Also read his amazing blog, that chronicles his travels while putting his book together.

Tea Power

I just realized that my guest post on the power of tea has been up at change.org.

India makes a new laptop

At TED2009 a couple of weeks ago, Nicholas Negroponte strode atop the TED stage yet again (he somehow seems to keep getting time on that stage!), and threw a couple of his OLPCs about the floor (heck, I would have done that years ago for free!). He also announced that he is finally releasing or open-sourcing all the hardware from the OLPC (wow...and this took only how many years!!).

In the meantime, India has plans to release its own version of a laptop of sorts (not sure if it'll be a laptop or something better!). BBC has the story.

India says it is planning to produce a low cost gadget intended for use by school children and students.

The storage device has been developed as part of a broader national plan to update the technology used by Indian colleges and schools.

Details are scant, but it is planned to use wireless to connect and have 2GB of memory onboard. Reports of the cost vary from $10 to $100.

[read more]

Links I liked

1. The Harvard Admission Process: How Harvard gets its Best and Brightest

2. Outside of Romeo Dulaire, Alison Des Forges was the Rwandan Genocide's most outspoken critic. A wonderful role model for journalists. Read Slate Magazine's beautiful tribute to her.

3. 17 Career Lessons from IDEO's David Kelley.

4. Big Boys Do Cry: the Tears of Grown Men.

5. Is pub culture really destroying the Indian Fabric?? You may not know this but this past valentine's day brought this topic to the front. Hindu extremists are turning increasingly hostile towards the "modernization" of India and what it brings with it. This piece was in response to that.