Electronics for the Masses

The Government estimates that by 2020, India will pay more for electronics than it will for petroleum—in excess of $400 billion.

The Government estimates that by 2020, India will pay more for electronics than it will for petroleum—in excess of $400 billion. A lot of the demand for electronics is going to be met by innovations, not necessarily inventions, as was on display at the innovation square in the recently held Electronics for You Expo in New Delhi. Consider the broadsheet ‘scanner’ made by Mandar Thite. Large scanners cost in excess of Rs 5 lakh, but his device costs less than Rs 20,000. Why? Because he used a cheap digital camera in place of a scanner, fixed it to a calibrated metal frame and rigged up a roller to ‘feed’ the newspaper sheets. At the press of a bell switch, up to 15 sheets can be scanned every minute. Now, if only someone will commercialise this ‘scanner’. Or consider the universal remote for those suffering from cerebral palsy. It is a wireless box worn on the wrist and can control four gadgets, which could be an AC, fan, light and of course the usual TV/home theatre. Its USP is that it has no buttons and works only by tapping the wrists and waving it in thin air.

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Alok Singh