2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, the 50th year in which Earth Day was celebrated, a quarter-century since the release of the kids’ movie “Toy Story” and — for good measure — the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Thermopylae. GE marked a few significant milestones as well; none featured Buzz Lightyear, but they did involve some pretty cool aviation technology.
Aerospace engineer Pooja Choudhary still remembers her first plane ride. The Mumbai native was 11 years old when she joined her class on a school trip to Jaipur, one of India’s top tourist destinations. But the city’s famous pink palaces weren’t what piqued Pooja’s interest. She was in it for the plane ride. “When I was in school, watching planes fly overhead would fascinate me and inspire me to dream high,” she says. “I still remember how the whole aircraft cabin felt so huge and the view outside so liberating.”
Not so long ago, large parts of India used to be dark in satellite pictures of Earth at night. But now they twinkle with hope. In fact, the Asian country’s rapid electrification is one of the greatest development stories ever told, with around 500 million Indians gaining access to power since 2000. Most people no longer need to rise at dawn or eat by candlelight.
Dust storms are a fact of life in northern India, but this spring the damage has been the worst in two decades, according to the BBC. In early April, a storm brought traffic to a standstill in New Delhi and sent pedestrians scurrying for shelter.
There are a number of villages in northern India without reliable access to electricity. If entrepreneurial residents want to start a business, like repairing shoes or selling new farming equipment, they have to do it during daylight hours or by the light of kerosene lamps. And forget about using the internet to take orders, receive payments or order new inventory. Other ways of reaching customers also pose challenges. Without power, the only way to charge a cellphone often involves waiting in line at a solar panel or diesel generator.
