R.A. Mashelkar: Breakthrough designs for ultra-low-cost products

[andreeaweed]

I can resist anything but temptation.

[EquinoxIV]

I'm just amazed by that artificial leg! Way to go!

On the Nano: Why try to get even more cars onto this planet's roads? At rush hour, those who still own a scooter will be home for dinner when the rest is still wandering, whether their lane truly is the slowest!

[roidroid]

Yes, distruptive technology is the best technology

[gokor356]

somethings fishy here...



[rajasmasala]

The celebration of the pharma takeover of traditional medicines can be pernicious, particularly if the pharma company involved then patents it and gives nothing back to the community from which it has taken the remedy from. What about the demographic who already had some similar knowledge and were practicing it? They might be robbed of whatever sensible percentage of profit royalties they might be earning on this. Disclaimer: I'm not sure this is happening here, but w/ more remote sources yes.

[subarustiguy]

his accent is very hard to understand. my ears are bleeding

[gkapec]

@subarustiguy that's OK, at least you're trying to understand an accent different from yours - which is kind of like learning another language in some countries, I guess.

[ansoniiit]

LOL at 19:00 the lady got more than she asked for :)

[Mishkafofer]

Chemical Industry gets alot more in India than anywhere else, one word: Bhopal

[HardTimesHardBodies]

10:38 that is an awesome innovation.

[818doodooroo]

agree with all except experimenting on people before mice. sorry, that won't happen at least in the states and europe

[googoo120]

@818doodooroo Canada? Austrailia? wtf amte

[bunions4444]

I was impressed until I read the pics were photo-shopped. Naturally I re-watched those sections and re-listened too. He says "you can see there has been a physical space created for him"? Well you don't need a physical space except for the computer to manipulate the image. Makes me ask were the figures manipulated also? Credibility out the window. SORRY but lies and TED do not mix at all. THUMBS DOWN.

[0MoTheG]

let us just allow those who make so little to earn their share.

But he has a point, why does stuff always have to be so expensive, when there are much cheaper solutions that are almost as good, but not as nice looking or high-tech.

[kirillkolomyts]

pretty bad presentation compared tot he usual TED talks.

It's a good topic, but needs to be presented but someone else... and without trying to fool us with "the physical space that has been created" bullshit.

[pradeepfavourites]

Amazing India, Amazing INDIANS ....

இந்தியன் என்று சொல்லடா

தலை நிமிர்ந்து நில்லடா

[latestranger]

I can't believe you people can only think about Photoshop when this guy is talking about a $28 prosthetic foot, and cheap, accessible medicine. This is really, really important stuff.

[ddnguyen278]

Why are people commenting on the photoshop, the car is photoshop in to show the space which was built for the driver, to show how the views of the rich as well as the poor has changed when you raise their living standard. It's not like he needs to advertise the Nano, its already a success.

[SuperiorApostate]

his english and photoshop skills are horrible.

[SuperiorApostate]

@SuperiorApostate not to say that his talk was bad or his ideas are bad in any way.

[aleph13]

Why are they applauding at 8:07?

[ddnguyen278]

@aleph13 This is in India I believe, India is a very stratified society where "castes" still exist. People of the lower caste are as you can imagine the poorest of the poor, his message is if you raise up peoples living standards, if you give people more for less, you change society, you change the world, not just the poor but also the rich.

[quosmo1]

i thought he was a little smug and sure of himself and his photoshop

[cristoretornebiblia]

It makes no difference if the photo was photoshoped or not mabie at the time the exact car was not available to take the photo therefore they had to paste one in, but we can tell the vehicle can fit with ease in its surroundings from that photo

[majinspy]

Do I misunderstand his method of testing medicine as to start testing on humans BEFORE mice?

[SalientK]

@majinspy Yeah, I didn't understand that bit. If you're going to best testing directly on humans first, then why involve mice in the process at all? Nevermind the ethics when I can't even understand the logic.

[latestranger]

@SalientK The men to mice bit was taking traditional medicines (men) and scientifically testing them (on mice, in repeatable experiments) to people again. They weren't testing new drugs on humans, they were codifying medicines people had been using for centuries. Hell, it's India - probably millennia.

[AssyrianRebel1]

@majinspy Yes you do misunderstand. He was basically saying that they created their experiments based on traditional medicine, or more specifically using old remedies as inspiration for modern medicine.

So the "men" part for men --> mice --> men, were historical figures, typically religious.

Through this method, they would definitely be using more trial / error on mice, but I guess it works, and it's cheaper / less time consuming.

[majinspy]

@AssyrianRebel1 Ah, fair enough. The "photoshopped car" still was an extremely bad idea, but at least I now understand he isn't nuts. Thanks for clearing that up, AssyrianRebel1 :)

[wyzard29]

I would like to see this innovative method applied to truly affordable solar power, or wind, or even hydro. Using ultra low cost for ultra high efficiency would truly change the world.

[darkominem]

photoshop = MEGA ULTRA LOW COST prosthetics

[Slipknotyk06]

Great speech. I believe this is the course that the United States needs to follow. We can again manufacture for the rest of the world, and with our automation, doing more from less for more can be expanded to perhaps produce a surplus of goods for the world.

[Mrmoc7]

The 15 people who disliked this failed the optics exam in introductory physics.

[Mrmoc7]

Ghandian Engineering is the shit!

Very inspiring talk, thank you! He initially sounded like Zakhir Naik, which was somewhat irritating, but I came to enjoy what he was saying.

[Shalek]

How does the new medicine system work exactly, where can I read more?

[maillort]

Unfortunately, parts of the world doesn't share Mashelkar 's communal values. It's completely contrary how capitalists think more profit from less cost for less people.

[LotsOMovies]

Why would they photoshop that picture at 7:45? It's obvious that they did, but I'm just not understanding why.

[TKDWolf]

I only paid $300 for my car. Unfortunately, insurance is $100/mo for it, which I assume means they expect me to total it once every three months.

I wish owning a car was cheaper, and that I got more than 30mpg. I'd prefer 300.

[majinspy]

@TKDWolf Actually they are more worried you'll total it into the side of a 2010 Ford Mustang :D Insurance is about paying off the other guy's car as well as any injury claims he might make. The other person's car can easily bee 25k+. His or her injuries could hit the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[TKDWolf]

@majinspy

Yeah, I know :P But It's still annoying.

[RonaldsSulcs]

picture at 8:00 was photoshoped

[arngorf]

@RonaldsSulcs

Indeed it is.

Seems "someone" wanted some good pictures when non were available. Wonder how much else in that talk has been tampered with.

[gulllars]

@arngorf True, the one photoshopped image degrades the quality and integrity of the entire talk, but his bottom line points and the Ghandian Engineering philosophy remains valid.

[TheSpankymonkey]

Great, they gave us Ghandi. The man who was completely obsessed with peoples bowel movements hehe. Yeah yeah, i know he was a peaceful soul.... ;-)

[TheSpankymonkey]

I think some people forget that most of our "western" costs come from the costs of working along supported guidelines, protocols and information archiving etc. As well as the human costs, health and safety, employment regulations etc. Everything costs more because it supports what makes us the west in the first place. If you remove every single thing that costs to make something as cheap as the indians have, then you become india. Not to give credit to these guys, they pushed serious boundaries.

[AssyrianRebel1]

@TheSpankymonkey The reason why there's such dismay at "western costs", is because for a couple hundred years now it's simply been a copy / paste model of innovation from west to the rest of the world, and that's seriously left a lot of people behind. These guys are changing that, and that's what truly makes their achievements so great.

[TheSpankymonkey]

@AssyrianRebel1 - The engineers and designers that made this car deserve nothing short of an international award. Innovation never required a western model to work so your words are complete and utter bollocks. Much of it occurred there simply because it is rich enough to support the time and effort in doing so. A great amount of the "cost" of products in the west has to support employment taxes, insurances, sales taxes, pensions, health and safety reviews and equipment, (cont.)

[TheSpankymonkey]

@AssyrianRebel1 - Crash impact tests and so on. My point is you COMPLETELY miss the point of this car. The mission for creating this car was to make a super affordable car for markets such as india etc. Nobody has ever attempted to make a car at this price in the west because if we were to make something to this cost and skip all the things that make us the west then where would we be. Ahhh yes. That's right. INDIA. Let's get one thing straight, this car is great but not in spite of the west.

[TheSpankymonkey]

Great, now we are going to see Indians on top of nanos..... lol.

[solojam]

thing is ugly and no protection, what happens with transport truck hits you in that?

is this a advertisement for nano?

[chessfan6]

@solojam Are you kidding me? He didn't say it was a car produced for rich people that can mock brilliant innovation behind their computer screens. It's for people that are living on $2 a day! They don't care about looks. What do you think happens when a transport truck hits you and your whole family on a scooter???

[TheSpankymonkey]

@chessfan6 "What do you think happens when a transport truck hits you and your whole family on a scooter???" - Well, your impact is cushioned by granny. Anyone can work that one out. What do you think will happen when i a transport truck hits pretty much any car. Same bloody thing. Many indian families are more than 5 people anyway, all you will see is 5 or 6 inside and another 3 or 4 on the roof etc.

[chessfan6]

@TheSpankyMonkey Why do you have to undermine their efforts? They are trying to give the poor some feeling of dignity, some degree of safety and a reasonable, reliable, efficient transport vehicle. Not only is it a triumph of engineering to make a car that cheap, it shows the great consequences when one uses their knowledge to help out those less fortunate. Can you not respect the hard work, and look at the good these people have done in stead of making fun? What do you do to help poor?

[TheSpankymonkey]

@chessfan6 "Why do you have to undermine their efforts?" - Nobody is undermining anything. To be perfectly frank northing i said takes any credit or respect away from the men and women that made that car. With all the respect i can give you right now, fuck off. You asked a really stupid question, i gave you a correct answer to your own stupid question. This is about your own personal stupidity, nobody else. Grow up.

[TKDWolf]

@solojam Then you're slightly better off than being hit on a scooter.

[MrFrankBullitt]

TATA Nano $2000 ::: Photoshoped pic for Facebook $0 ::: Being Big Man on Campus - Priceless

[LudicrousTachyon]

About that super cheap leg, DARPA! WTF?! There was another TEDtalk about an Indian company giving people glasses for $2, why do ours cost ~$100? Shows how advanced the US is.

[truefictions]

I hope the governments of the world are listening..

[neotoy]

$2/day x 365 days = $730/year. $2000 / $730 = 2.7 years.

$2000 / 365 days = 5.5 years / $2 per day = 2.7 years.

Given that no one can devote 100% of their income to buying a car, on average it probably takes minimum 5 years, maximum 20 for a worker in the third world to afford a $2000 automobile. Food for thought.

[666norton420]

@neotoy pfft! that's not food!

;d

[AdamhaiderTV]

One of the most inspirational stories I've ever heard was what he said at the end. 17:30

[ytMarkcg]

Indian design technology and manufacturing prowess based upon the systematic approached outlined in this talk will easily supplant the United States in innovation and leading the world into the 21st century as it should.

In the United States at this point...there only seems to be an interest in catering to the rich...it is as sad as it is disgusting...and it resonates with the Biblical observation "Pride goes before the fall" and America is now falling victim to its own self-delusional pride

[party489]

@ytMarkcg Please do not bring "biblical observations" up on this forum. TED is pretty good with facts. Lets keep the fiction in the fiction section.

[ytMarkcg]

@party489 I understand your offense..we generally become offended by those ideas that have harmed us in some way or by those ideas that we do not understand. The Bible's truth is evidenced by it's long standing and is deeply embedded in human history and culture..your perception of the facts in this instance I am afraid is quite limited..the fiction that you speak of must be a very large part part of the life that you find very hard to live;monotone, black & white, TED "fact" all else "fiction"

[party489]

@ytMarkcg how is something true because of long standing and being deeply embedded??? That makes no sense what so ever and proves nothing. There are many other religions and just plain stupid ideas that have been around for a long time and are embedded in the population. Look at astrology, wait you probably read your horoscope every so often and agree with it. Are you just afraid of reality and do not want to face the facts that their is no sky daddy that cares about you??

[ytMarkcg]

@party489 your obviously having a bad day....and I understand that you don't understand....do a little research into quantum physics and then get back to me...the illusion that you have all the facts and that "science" of the the known is all there is and informs everything that happens is fundamentally quite delusional...If you listen to what the speaker in this video is talking about you will hear him call it "Ghandian Engineering" Ghandi was anything but purely scientific...

[NickBlackDIN]

@ytMarkcg i don't know about the person you were talking to, but the reason religion offends me a lot is because it doesn't help improve peoples lives, shure it makes them feel loved and suck, but poor, unhealthy people still stay poor and unhealthy, rich people still stay rich, sure you can say the occasional "miracle" happens, but science isn't a rare miracle, it helps billions of people all over the world, to say religion competes with that is very insulting indeed.

[ytMarkcg]

@NickBlackDIN there is no dichotomy between science and religion...where ever it is posited it is an artificial distinction...to say that religion doesn't help improve peoples lives must be based on a lack of experience...you are embedded in a culture that worships technology as the be all end all fix for everything which in fact it isn't...science is a method of inquire that helps to clarify how and why things work the way they do...it is not a value laden world view that pulls it all together

[gulllars]

@maillort i see someone has marked your intellectual and well thought through comment that was critical of another users post as spam. It was in no way spam, and it sadens me that ignorant fools roam youtube comment pages marking anything critical as spam.

[gulllars]

@ytMarkcg science is a tool, for understanding how the world works, and how to predict things. It's in itself (falsifiable) truth seeking and self correcting, and every new thing must do a better job than the previous at that. A better understanding of the world automatically brings practical benefits.

Religion is also a tool, for controll of masses by oppression/suspension of critical thinking, regardless of (falsifiable) truth or practical benefits. This can be used for any given purpose.

[ytMarkcg]

@gulllars you make a good point about the essence of the scientific method however I would add that the "religion of science" can also serve as a tool for control of masses by oppression/suspension of critical thinking, regardless of (falsifiable) truth or practical benefits...Just like the essence of religious thought can serve to open minds, hearts, and souls to the world outside of utility...when the essence of science and the essence of religion are working together the whole world bennefits

[gulllars]

@ytMarkcg i think you confuse religion with philosophy here, at least substituting the words would make the comment meaningfull.

Would you care to share how "religion(/philosophy) of science" can be used to opress/suspend critical thinking regardless of falsifiable truth/proof? Without falsifiable claims supported by empirical evidence, the claim holds no power, and THE core value of any scientist is critical thinking.

Also, how can religion beat secular philosophy and ethics at opening minds?

[ytMarkcg]

@gulllars The point being that any point of view can be politicized and used by groups of people to mislead, control and oppress others...Call it science, call it capitalism, call it communism, call it Catholicism, Judaism, Hinduism, secular humanism, if you look throughout human history you will find that they have all been used to mislead, oppress and control others at one point or another...Their essences however are quite different....There essences lay the ground work for their true power.

[maillort]

@ytMarkcg Of course many ideas can be perverted to mislead, but that doesn't make all ideologies the same. You have a failure in logic here. Just because science or religion or philosophy can be used negatively does not make them the same or equal to each other. Science, philosophy, and religion are each very different approaches. Your simplification shows you misunderstand the differences. You understand very little, misuse words, and generalize too often to be taken seriously.

[Shalek]

Efficiency gives me a big old hard on.

[drealm]

@Shalek How big there big boy?

[gulllars]

@Shalek then you should never visit the Large Hardon Collider (sorry, hadron), where scientists do mindblowing things efficiently. ;)

[unluckylion]

are you serious??? the car at 7:31 is Photoshoped!

[Shadowstray]

@unluckylion Photoshoped indeed, and badly too!

[Morganix01]

@unluckylion First thing I thought when I saw that. Glad to know it's not just me.

[derman077]

@unluckylion Are YOU serious?? That car could have been put in using any number of photo editors. lol

[bestplugins]

@unluckylion its cheaper to photoshop a car than giving this guy a car.

[mike6459]

I can now throw a foot at George Bush next time I see him...cheaper than my shoe

[marsCubed]

We permit capitalist 'elites' to have wealth so that we don't have to adore them.

If everybody made about the same, someone who helped all do better would be worthy of adoration by all. However if someone makes billions for themselves, then good luck to them, but don't ask us to applaud.

Leftist states like Kerela educated their populations, taxed the rich & took death off the streets. It became India's Silicon Valley, power house of her economy.

Pride & inequality is what holds India back.

[masonkiller666]

@marsCubed "However if someone makes billions for themselves." They make those billions in serving other people. Bill Gates didn't steal or murder or anything like that to make billions for himself. He did it by providing the WORLD with tons of great new technologies that allow the world to be more advanced and allow people to be more efficient and produce more and etc. etc. etc.

[Gelinika]

@masonkiller666

[alphaignus]

At 7:48 the picture is clearly BADLY photoshopped (only the tires have shadows lol?)

[saadasim]

@alphaignus Because its doing more with less. Why bother giving an actual car when a photoshopped one is much cheaper. Most in the audience won't know the difference.

[LemonLimeLaughter]

7:48 why is he showing me a photoshopped picture

[mantrik00]

@LemonLimeLaughter

The Tata car is a real car and is presently running on Indian roads. It has also passed the European crash tests.

[rajasmasala]

@LemonLimeLaughter lol, i know lecturers and they tend to run out of time collecting their presentation material. guess that's what happened here. he probably isn't precisely lying about that guy having the tata car.

[GeofsFilms]

I wish they made one of those for snow conditions, like we have in Canada. :(

[pixelr0]

i can get a second hand BMW with 2000$ in Europe

[KrisMTL]

@pixelr0 It's the concepts. You must not have understood what he was saying.

[Suertsje]

@pixelr0 and pay more for fuel too

[pixelr0]

@Suertsje well only because the car is heavier, but the engine is more efficient at same speed. I bet you can drive a new BMW more economically than a Toyota prius if you like :)) top gear made a test IIRC about the myth of the prius

[Suertsje]

@pixelr0 That depends on different variables. If you're driving on a racetrack or if you're driving in a city during a traffic jam. And it depends on the car you're comparing: a new BMW € 26.000,- = $ 35.887,80 or a second hand BMW .

[morthim]

fair content but dnr

[mastertonberry]

lol I'm sorry but 07:33 looks soooo photoshopped. :P

[CognosSquare]

@mastertonberry that is beside the point. Its about a concept, It still helps Narayan to image that he is taking car to the house where he works.

[jaideepbs]

TATA is part of RAND corporation ...

India's actual representative for world affairs ...

[ringostar8]

I was watching this when my brother walked in and said "leave it to a brown guy to find the cheapest way to do things"

[guyincognito84]

wow this is incredible.

[BroBroDude]

collectivism lol

[batfly]

Nano is a proper car? Give me a EFFING break.

[CurtHowland]

@batfly So don't buy one.

[batfly]

@CurtHowland

They make great bumpers.

[CurtHowland]

Nobody gets rich by selling 50 expensive airconditioners to the Royalty of Europe.

They get rich by selling 500 million airconditioners to absolutely everybody.

In a free market, those who cut costs make better profits, and sell to the "many".

[ThatsSouTrik]

@CurtHowland This is the model that allowed Microsoft to get Windows on 90% of computers on Earth, as opposed to Apple's 6%.  Sell to everyone who wants a computer as opposed to rich hipsters.

[CurtHowland]

@ThatsSouTrik That's the model that dropped the price of a PC from $4000 to $400, including Windows, and made it possible for half the world to have their own computer.

I've been using Linux since before Win95 came out, and Linux is far cheaper and more international than Windows. Again, more from less for more, by the simple expedient of no govt enforced monopoly: The Free Market.

[P1ranh4]

@CurtHowland agreed, yet your example with air conditioners is unfortunate as it shows already that the environment will be the one suffering at some point when you keep cutting costs (same goes for security (oil spills) and wages (outsourced cheap labor)). These things should of course be demanded by the customer for the Free Market to function, yet it does not, because the customer is either not informed or not interested, which both is a shame.

[Panpiper]

@P1ranh4 Air conditioners won't be at the level of cheapness as the videos examples, if they have to pull energy off the grid to function. The kind of air conditioner that would fit this criteria would be some sort of solar powered heat pipe made with printing technology, that simply gets installed as part of the roofing. Getting more with less is the solution to the world's ecological problems, not a contributor to it.

[CurtHowland]

@P1ranh4 "These things should of course be demanded by the customer for the Free Market to function, yet it does not"

Yes, they are demanded. Politely put, "Green sells."

If it didn't, would AGW be as popular as it is?

Seriously, pollution is a cost. It's wasted product, at the very least, like gasoline and paraffin were before they were turned into profitable products.

Ammonia makes a good refrigerant, and is used in place of more expensive engineered refrigerants like Freon, for example.

[P1ranh4]

@CurtHowland Yeah.. slowly there are a few small companies realizing that there can be a profit with the Green. Yet most customers don't even look at running costs of the product not to mention it's impact on the environment.

Your the first person I have ever met anywhere that called AGW popular. I feel it's rather an inconvenience and puts limitations on how freely we can use all kinds of resources.

Plus: just because you can sell shit, doesn't mean it gets into the environment eventually.

[CurtHowland]

@P1ranh4 "there are a few small companies..."

Hardly! Starting in the 1970s products everywhere were touted as "green". Most were a sham, of course, but the sales draw was obvious.

"the first person I have ever met anywhere that called AGW popular."

Of course it's popular! Look at the politicians who use it to get votes. Or say it's not real, and watch how fast and numerous (and impolite) the replies are.

I believe in strict liability. Prosecute all pollution.

[CurtHowland]

@P1ranh4 Everything gets into the environment eventually. Strict liability on pollution (rather than govt protection of industry and campaign contributors) would make "green" a very profitable goal.

Intel stopped using CFCs to clean their chips when they realized distilled water worked just fine. Saved HUGE money, too.

But "green" also can mean more capital intensive processes. Look how polluted the USSR was. Capitalism gives us the wealth to even care about the environment.

[wolffenhaus]

Oh Jeeze, many/money. Cute catch phrases save the day.

[graphattic]

Sorry but the Tata Nano, is not too smart, cause for 1.500 dollars you can get a used car. It is good, but its not helping the people that make 1000 dollars per year...

[P1ranh4]

@graphattic what about the running costs? a used car has probably a shorter lifetime and uses more fuel while being less efficient. These are just assumptions, but price is not the only factor you should take into account when judging a product. Not even if you only want to look at it from a financial stand point. IF the Nano uses less fuel and is more efficient it also has less impact on the environment, which for me is not a question of luxury.

[graphattic]

@P1ranh4 YEas, agreed, I know exactly what you mean. But you know, an Opel Cadett 1.4 litre engine, will take you anywhere safely, for low gas consumption, and you can get one for 1000 euros. My father has 2. One for the farm and one for the city. Its parts are laughably cheap too, and it refuses to brake down generally. So yeah this car is a good Idea, but still, its somewhat far from its goal. Really poor people with no other options, will still find this option hard for them.

[WhichDoctor1]

@graphattic In order to have cheap second hand cars you need a large number of new cars being bought every year and there for a surplus of second hand ones to drive down the cost. I dont know but I would imagine that's not the case in India. But what about a second hand Nano? How much will they sell for, $500?

[graphattic]

@WhichDoctor1 Yeah fair enough, used cars might be in shortage in India. But still my point was not to support used cars. My point was that 1500$ is still a lot of money for the people that are supposed to be benefiting from this car.

[DSBrekus]

@graphattic So imagine how little a used nano would cost.

[VitriolicAC]

I like talks like this. Nothing wrong with efficiency!