Divas Parashar

Until now, we have gone to where the socket is. QUINT brings the socket to you. Charge survey drones and field robots. Run an off-site office. Power tools where there's no supply. Or pull an espresso shot in your car's boot - which is what we did here. 2 kW output · 60% cheaper per unit than diesel · solar-chargeable · Building in Assam, India. Where would you use one?

1. India’s first Proton Beam Therapy for cancer treatment in a government hospital, 2. Now a bullet train that reduces travel time between Guwahati-Delhi to 8 hours. 3. I was also sweetly surprised to see work on footpath development in Guwahati yesterday. 4. The Guwahati International Airport got approved for agar wood chips export as well. All of this within one week. The change on ground is real and hopeful. Assam is on a significant and drastic development arc that the rest of the country is not yet aware of. Extremely bullish on Assam’s growth story.

A budget breakdown of my 12-day China trip across Shenzhen-Guangzhou-Chongqing: *Travel* 1. International return trip - INR 54,000 (Kolkata - Guangzhou) 2. One domestic return trip - INR 18,000 (Guangzhou - Chongqing) 3. Intercity Rail - INR 2200 (2 trips) 4. Taxi (DiDi) - INR 10,000 *Food* 1. 3 meals x 13 days - INR 19,500 (INR 500 per meal) 2. Extra snacking -INR 5000 *Hotels* - 1. Shenzhen - INR 5,600 (3 nights, 3-star) 2. Guangzhou - INR 11,000 (4 nights, 2-star) 3. Chongqing - INR 16,600 (4 nights, 4-star) 4. Sleeping pod at airport - INR 2000 *Extra* 1. International Roaming - INR 3500 2. Visa Fees - INR 3000 (agent fee extra) Total - 1,50,900/- China is also a great place for shopping. So keep aside another 50,000/- to avoid regret. This is good enough for clothing, electronics, and gifting.

A typical square in Chongqing, China 🇨🇳. What are the things you notice that we should implement in India 🇮🇳 ? Here are my observations: 1. Tiled footpaths that are either completely levelled or gently sloping. Also, almost at road level, making the space feel bigger. 2. Cobbled streets for pedestrians - aesthetically lot better than the concrete blocks we now use. 3. Random plantation or gardening in small patches for greenery. 4. Foot overbridge that is clean and open-roofed. The open roof provides natural light and transparency for safety. Might be tough in a sunny place. 5. No exposed land that can generate dust, especially where roads and footpath meet. 6. Occasional benches for people to sir and relax. This is not necessary is space is constrained. And the biggest disparity that would be hard to implement - near 100% EV penetration leading to silent streets.

If Indian cities were to add neon lights or facade LEDs like Chongqing to make night-time seem more attractive, how would that change things? The city would look dramatic and photographable. Maybe, the city folks will be more likely to come out of their homes during evenings, spend money on local shops and businesses, and strengthen the local economy. A better lit city would also improve security and safety, while adding brand value. A simple time regulation, say 6-11 PM, coupled with solar panels for cheap electricity could really work well. Is this economically viable for us, given the capex involved? I certainly think so.

I was surprised to come across this rock carving at the Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing, China. The figure seems like a mantis-humanoid and the description refers to worship of the sun and ancient witchcraft. Would be super interesting if someone could shed more light on this. With the growing conversation around reptilians and other non-human conscious forms around us, this is quite an exciting artefact to come across in a Chinese museum. @AlchemyAmerican

I think by now, we have already heard enough from Indians visiting abroad about how the condition of our roads and footpaths is a cause of embarrassment and real concern. The photos below are from Chongqing, China — highest populated city, yet maintained so well. My superficial understanding is that this disparity is caused by ‘who owns the streets’ — in China, the CCP secretary and mayor control planning, budgeting, and enforcement. Their careers depend on the results they show. In India, ownership and responsibility is shared between municipal corporation, state PWD, development authority, and traffic police. Mayors are ceremonial. When there is no central authority, no one is accountable. Additionally, the lowest-bid tendering is a race to the bottom. Unless we can change the governance system, there seems to be no way out. And changing the system seems impossible. Is there any way that individual states can change the incentive structures to ensure better roads and footpaths? This is a genuine desperate call for real solutions. I would be happy to collate the suggestions and take it to my state government in Assam.

It is strange and difficult to understand why so many are rattled and upset by the fact that this podcast was recorded in Sanskrit. Not every content is intended for the mass audience and that is absolutely fine. In fact, it is heartening to see a less common language being used to discuss a common topic. I am sure @prathoshap can also add English subtitles later.