GENESIS 2014

A new government has taken charge at the center with a clear majority won on the plank of
good governance and a mandate that spoke of hope. India is at a crucial juncture where policies
implemented today will determine if our country is able to break free of the tag of developing
nation in the next decade. Write a white paper to suggest to the government the technological
initiatives it should undertake to make the long cherished dream of converting India into a
developed nation.


Figure 1: One of the many avenues of investment - the High Speed Rail
(Image source: http://contemporarycondition.blogspot.in/2010_05_01_archive.html)
One such proposal in the recent budget was the announcement of bullet trains connecting
Mumbai and Ahmedabad, along with an ambitious plan to connect all the major cities and growth
centers via high speed rails (HSRs) in the Diamond Quadrilateral. Currently, India has one of the
largest railway networks in the world but those do not offer a significant advantage over the road
transport. The proposal thus is for the HSRs enabling speeds of 160-200 km/hr which would
significantly reduce travel times for passenger as well as the goods carriers. The execution of the
proposal no doubt faces considerable challenges with regards to the investment, prospective
pricing and future demand.
A number of feasibility studies have thus been conducted. A pilot project for the Mumbai-
Ahmedabad route which spans over 500 km is estimated to cost Rs 370 billion to build and is
already under consideration. In order to cover the initial cost and to achieve profitability, a price
of Rs. 5/ km would need to be charged
1
. In July 14, a semi high speed train with 10 coaches
could clock a speed of 160km/hr in its trial run
2
. The aim is to make it commercially available by
November, this year.
The HSRs provide a host of benefits that would help boost the economy. In essence they provide
an efficient cost effective solution over the long term. A HSR network connecting the major cities
would help reduce congestion on the highways. Additionally, it would lead to the creation of new
cities and industries along the path of the track. It has been realized over the world that such cities
around the HSRs act as drivers of growth and prosperity. In the long run, such high speed trains
could also be integrated with the citys metro network, thereby avoiding traffic congestion and
even benefitting on the environmental front.

Figure 2: BhraMos has the world's fastest supersonic cruise missiles
(Image source: http://defenceradar.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/)
Another proposal is to invest in the joint venture BhraMos. It is a joint venture between
Government institutions of India and Russia. It is primarily known to manufacture the worlds
fastest (speeds of Mach 2.8 3.0) supersonic cruise missile in operation. A total of 42 flight tests
have been made since 2001. The most recent successful test firing was from INS Kolkata on 9th
June 2014
3
. Investment into BhraMos can accelerate delivery of cost-effective and user friendly
weapons to the defense forces. Export of BhraMos products can open huge business opportunities
for India. Investment might even be made to fund and run a high class Aerodynamics research and
training institution.


Considering the domains of transport, urban development, rural inclusion etc., with due
reasoning, explain which other such investment avenues would you recommend to the
Government so as to help India achieve Vision 2020?




















1
Runaway Train. High-speed trains could be the Indian Railways answer to low-cost airlines - Nov 5, 2009, Forbes
India
2
Indias fastest train runs between New Delhi-Agra at 160 km/hr. IANS. news.biharprabha.com. IANS.
news.biharprabha.com.
3
http://contemporarycondition.blogspot.in/2010_05_01_archive.html
Cover image- http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/files/2014/06/pwc6.png
End image- http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/images/print-edition/20130316_WBP002_1.jpg