South Asia

NOOR Architects Consultants is at the fore of figuring out what architecture looks like when freed from the limitations of physics and physical space. The Indian firm applied its real-world creative process to the metaverse, creating a digital extension of its Chandigarh studio for architects and clients to test boundaries and explore emerging technology. What began as a creative side project is already showing commercial potential: NOOR used its metaverse-based studio to imagine a brand’s experience center—a project that’s now underway in the physical world.

Seven decades after the world’s fastest land animal was declared extinct in India, the cheetah is poised to make a comeback in the country. Three dozen African cheetahs are being relocated to a sprawling national park in India over the next five years. The US$28 million project—led by an expansive team, including the Wildlife Institute of India, the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change—marks the first time a large carnivore is being moved from one continent to another and reintroduced in the wild.

India has more than 8 million rickshaws (or tuk-tuks) on its streets, which means shifting even a small portion of those lightweight three-wheelers to electric power would bring significant savings in carbon emissions. But the electric battery’s relatively short range and long charge time have made it a tough sell to rickshaw drivers who make their living from being on the road. In October 2021, Honda unveiled a novel solution: a battery-sharing network across India that will allow drivers to use one of the Japanese manufacturing giant’s new portable lithium-ion batteries, then swap it out once a charge is needed. A pilot of the service in early 2021 saw 30 rickshaw drivers cover more than 200,000 kilometers (124,000 miles)—verifying the project’s business viability. Honda isn’t alone in the race to power India’s EV transition, but its focus on the underlying infrastructure could dramatically speed adoption.

When IBM pledged to provide tech training to 30 million people by the year 2030, the company also kicked off a flurry of new partnerships and programs. One of the standouts? The STEM for Girls program in India. Launched in May 2022 in partnership with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh Department of Education, it’s as comprehensive as it is ambitious: More than 13,500 students in grades 8 to 10 will receive digital fluency training, coding skills, and life and career skills. IBM and state leaders are creating a resource group to roll out the tech-forward model across 130 schools—setting off what could be a sea change in how the country’s young girls prepare for their futures.

Social media was created for connection, but language barriers can limit how far that connection stretches. The Indian microblogging app Koo helps bust those barriers with a feature that makes automatic translation seamless and easy—even for obscure languages. In India, which nods to 22 distinct languages in its constitution, the social media platform is earning raves for its ability to retain the writer’s intended meaning and tone. With a robust slate of future features planned, Koo aims to become the premier microblogging platform of India—and beyond.

When designing a new factory for Indian electronics manufacturer Secure Meter, Studio Saar was given a simple challenge: “Create an environment to make complex, cutting-edge technology that uplifts the spirits of those in the workplace.” The key to balancing manufacturing’s focus on efficiency and security with the workforce’s need to decompress and recharge? Separating what might be one large factory into four purpose-driven buildings: one for manufacturing, another for reception, a third dedicated to a utility bay, and the final for employee recreation and meals. During the pandemic, project leaders found another benefit of the design’s separate structures: When employee travel became too risky, the company converted the canteen into temporary accommodations, housing 300 people on site.

Ever since Google Glass was rolled out nine years ago, tech innovators of all sizes have tried (and often failed) to develop eyewear that could function as a computer. But Indian startup Nimo Planet saw the pandemic-driven changes in how people work and set its sights on a new user base: all those people looking to work at home, in coffee shops or even outside—without a laptop or even a smartphone. Rolling out its beta version earlier this year, the company says the Wi-Fi-enabled smart glasses are the first capable of displaying up to six virtual screens at once—like a moving computer array only the user can see. Designed to handle average workday tasks, the face-based computer is a nod to the way we work now: remotely, on the go and with a need for serious flexibility.

Banking shouldn’t just be for the big guys, but credit constraints mean that’s often the reality for India’s entrepreneurs—particularly the country’s 8 million women running micro, small and medium businesses. So, in April, India’s ICICI Bank launched a digital ecosystem that makes banking more accessible by allowing users to open accounts digitally and access financial services in one streamlined platform. And rather than limit the new offering to its own clients, ICICI Bank put out the welcome mat for guest accounts too—leveling the playing field for small businesses across India.

It’s been called “the largest infrastructure in the Maldives.” Funded by a US$100 million grant and US$400 million line of credit by the Indian government, the recently launched project to build a 6.74-kilometer (4.2-mile) bridge will link the capital city, Male, with three adjoining islands that, in total, account for half of the Maldivian population. Such connectivity is expected to provide a major boost to the country’s economy and meant to serve as a lasting symbol of the friendship between the neighboring countries.

During a landmark visit by China’s President Xi Jinping to Nepal in 2019, the two countries elevated their relationship to “strategic partner.” Further proving that strategy happens through projects, the countries announced the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network—a series of infrastructure initiatives along the economic corridors that link Nepal to China. Highlights include a cross-border railway (creating another trade route for landlocked Nepal) and an upgrade to the Araniko Highway, which was closed following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. Launched in August, the project is part of China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative.