Honoring a Life Well-Lived: A Tribute to Ratan Tata

Ratan Naval Tata has been synonymous with innovation, philanthropy, and ethical business practices. When he left the globe, he left a mark. His legacy extends far beyond the corporate arena and touches the lives of crores of people through his commitment to social causes and visionary leadership. It is, however, the philanthropic legacy of Tata rather than purely his business acumen, which will serve as a more etched testament to his name. And indeed, in this respect, he was a very true philanthropist who keenly took interest in improving mankind. His philanthropic works could be varied—from health care and education to poverty and environmental sustainability. He made great contributions to the development of India and many other nations through the Tata Trusts, which he spearheaded.

The importance of his philanthropic works is immeasurable, be it to helping street vendors who were affected in the 26/11 attacks when they were working near the Taj hotel, owned by the Tata group, or be it the donation to IISc Bangalore for research on Alzheimer's disease. He not only donated 500 crore . rupees for the Covid relief fund but also opened the doors of the group's luxurious hotels for quarantine purposes to the government of Maharashtra for free of charge. At age  86, he opened a state-of-the-art hospital for small animals. He cared not only about humans but about the living beings, which could not express their problems either. A touching anecdote comes from Mr. Suhel Seth when he narrates that one quality about Tata is absolute compassion. In February 2018, he received an invitation to pick up a high-profile award at Buckingham Palace. He cancelled it in the eleventh hour when one of his beloved dogs fell ill. When King Charles was briefed about this, he said, “That’s a man. That’s the man Ratan is. That’s why the Tata group is what it is." This speaks volumes about his qualities and priorities in life.

Ratan Tata took over the charge of the Tata group from JRD Tata at a time when the country was going through drastic changes in the LPG reforms. The crisis did result in the company’s devaluation, but since then, Tata Group, under the leadership of Ratan Tata, has thrived, marking its presence across the globe. Under his leadership, the Tata group took over leading global companies like Toyota, Land Rover, Jaguar, and Corus. He took Tata Sons to new heights, but the most important achievement for him must have been to gain back the ownership of Air India airlines back to the Tata group. It was his way of paying tributes to his idol and inspiration, JRD Tata, who treated the airlines like his child back in the days when he started this new venture. Today, the Tata group owns more than 30 companies from various segments. He introduced the most affordable car in the world, popularly known as the Tata Nano. Tata’s main concern was about providing a safe vehicle to the Indian middle-class and lower middle-class families so that they didn't have to risk their lives while driving on the roads. So, the Tata group introduced ‘The Nano’, a car costing less than one lakh rupees. Ratan Tata was presented with the Padma Vibhushan by former president Shrimati Pratibha Patil in 2008. 

The day before yesterday, the great man left us at a time when his ideas and guidance were needed the most. Ratan Tata guided many young entrepreneurs, as he invested in more than 35 startups from his own earnings. He also mentored many such young minds that have the potential to write a brighter future for the country.

Each moment of life is a battle to achieve an objective in Ratan Naval Tata's life. He will be a testament to the human spirit for the ages to come and remind us to stick to our principles of ethical business practices, social responsibility, and the pursuit of a better world. Let us celebrate his life and extraordinary contributions to our society during this time of mourning.

A tribute from Vaadasabha...

Green Hydrogen: Game-Changer For the Future of Fuels?

“Green hydrogen is emerging as a promising addition to the world’s energy landscape.” 

-Narendra Modi

According to the Standford University, there’d still be gas and coal left by the time oil runs out in 2052. But if gas production is increased to fill the energy gap left by oil, then those reserves will only give an additional eight years, taking us to 2060. Therefore, as PM Modi says, “the time for action is here and now". The fact is humans currently possess the technology to utilize hydrogen fuel instead of fossil fuels, but the technology is on the primary stage. The technology, which is not on the primary stage is electric automotives. But considering their less efficiency, leaching occurring due to the lithium-ion battery, and their negative environmental production-friendly techniques, they are (no offence) useless. The International Conference on Green Hydrogen was established by various stakeholders in the energy and environmental sectors, government bodies, international organisations, and industry leaders. The significance of this conference was to strengthen the green hydrogen agenda, facilitate global collaboration, and drive progress toward a sustainable energy future.

At the conference, PM Narendra Modi emphasized the growing realization that climate change is not just a matter of the future, but its impact can be felt now. He said that energy transition and sustainability have become central to global policy discourse. The Prime Minister briefed that India was among the first G-20 nations to fulfill its Paris commitments on green energy. He said these commitments were fulfilled nine years ahead of the target of 2030. Throwing light on the advancements in the past 10 years, the Prime Minister said that India’s installed non-fossil fuel capacity increased nearly 300% and solar energy capacity got over a 3,000% boost. PM Modi underlined that we are not resting on these achievements and the nation remains focused on strengthening existing solutions while also looking at new and innovative areas, saying this is where the of green hydrogen comes into the picture.

There were 25 key speakers at the conference, including Dr. Sunita Satyapal, Director of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies at the U.S. Department of Energy; Prof. G. D. Yadav, a distinguished professor from the Institute of Chemical Technology; Dr. Sachchida Nand, a leader in chemical engineering from IIT Bombay; and international figures like Bernt Nordman, head of Climate Program at WWF Finland; Mr. Gan Kim Yong, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore; and Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe. 

The discussions emphasised the use of electrolysers and better use of sea water and municipal waste water for producing green hydrogen. Key areas of focus involved innovation in hydrogen storage solutions and the decarbonisation of hard-to-electrify industries such as steel, refineries, and heavy-duty transportation. The potential for green jobs was discussed, and skill enhancement in green hydrogen technology was a key note of the conference. Discussions on investment in research, development, and infrastructure of green hydrogen were followed. 

International partnership is critical for promoting green hydrogen’s impact on decarbonization. Scaling up production, minimizing costs, and building infrastructure can happen faster through global cooperation. India is willing to become the global hub for the production, utilization, and export of green hydrogen. The National Green Hydrogen Mission is giving an impetus to innovation, infrastructure, industry, and investment. Experts discussed the need for public policy support, urging scientists and innovators to propose changes that would further boost the sector. This includes the creation of regulatory frameworks that support green hydrogen adoption in public transport, shipping, and other sectors. The role of green hydrogen in achieving climate goals was underscored, with discussions on how hydrogen can contribute to reducing global carbon footprints and help nations fulfill their commitments under international climate agreements.

-Soham Sonar

Technology Inspired by Science Fiction

Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic. This summarizes the idea of real technology inspired by the science fiction genre. Technology is the use of scientific knowledge to achieve a strong goal and create applications that are used in daily life. In other words, the tools obtained by using science that make our lives easier are the tools of technology. Technology is all around us. Be it bikes, cars, mobile phones, televisions, etc. There's been an evolution of technology from the ancient period until today's modern era. It has become an integral part of our lives. We can't imagine our lives without it. I have always been fascinated by sci-fi and technology since my childhood.

It is the curiosity of human beings blended with science that gave us technology. Human curiosity plus science is the perfect recipe for the science fiction genre. Many scientists and researchers have acknowledged the immense impact of sci-fi in developing new technology. It has helped common people show a keen interest in science and technology. Science fiction and innovation have been interlinked since Sci-Fi's origin.  From video chatting to driverless cars to space flights, There has always been science fiction and science reality.

Sci-fi has its roots dating back to the 19th century. When industrialization was in full swing. In 1865, Julien Verne published "From Earth to Moon, a sci-fi novel that revolves around the gun club members who launched themselves from cannons in projectile motion to reach the Moon. It was a bit cartoonish to think about as of now. However, NASA's Apollo 11 mission module showed striking similarities. The fictional shell was hollow and made up of aluminum. It was crewed by three people. It was launched from Florida and splashed into the Pacific Ocean. Just like the novel, the Apollo 11 mission module took place a century later.

When we talk about communication, the technological development of communication in context has undergone an enormous change. Today, communication technology. Sci-fi was influential in developing the technology for communication. The films and TV shows are based on sci-fi genres like Star Wars, Star Trek, 2001: Space Odyssey, Jetsons, etc. showing mobile phones, video chatting, and robots back in the time of "radio. Decades later, Skype was introduced in 2003 as a video chatting platform. Now, we can video call with whomever we want by using apps like What's App, Google Duo, Skype, etc. Similarly, AI-led tech was shown in the 1968 film '2001: Space Odyssey '. An early AI scientist, Marvin Minsky, at MIT, USA, advised the director of the film to include "HAL 9000, an AI bot that could speak, play chess, and make plans.

Today, we have similar AI technology around us in the form of chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini and voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa. Sci-fi writers have not only introduced new technology but have also prototyped the world in which they existed. As sci-fi imagining becomes reality, there will be more innovation in the next few years or decades. Maybe we'll get tele olfactory, i.e., digitizing the smell with audiovisuals in virtual reality; maybe we'll get the inbuilt fans in mobile phones' cases. Maybe we'll overcome the 'plastic crisis'. The possibilities are endless. Thus, with technology, we can achieve the unimaginable.

- Yash Patil