Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveRupal Jain: Playing a role in advancing semiconductor technology for AI and IoT

Rupal Jain: Playing a role in advancing semiconductor technology for AI and IoT

Written by: Amrita Priya

(June 12, 2024) “As a kid, it was all about curiosity for me,” Rupal Jain says. This curiosity led her on a journey from Bhilai to Singapore and then to the US, where she made her mark in the semiconductor and microchip manufacturing industry as a young engineer, innovator, and author. In her short career, Rupal has worked with American IT corporations, AMD and Micron, published three books and earned five patents for her innovative product ideas. Her accomplishments have earned her early recognition within her industry. Recently, she received the Asia Leadership Award at an event in Mumbai.

“Technology should enhance the quality of life for people and demonstrate practical and humanitarian impact,” she believes.

Rupal Jain

Talking about semiconductors (basic materials needed to make microchips and integrated circuits) around which her career and achievements revolve, Rupal tells Global Indian, “Semiconductors play a critical role in artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Advanced processing microchips are the backbone of AI systems, enabling complex computations and data analysis at unprecedented speeds. These microchips are vital for AI-driven technologies used in various fields, from simple gadgets like smart home devices to sophisticated applications in aviation and military systems.”

Using technology to address real world challenges

Rupal believes that her patents for innovative products across interdisciplinary fields such as microchip manufacturing, AI, and IoT are significant as they contribute to advancements in electronics, agriculture, and medical devices.

“All my patents collectively contribute to improving both the technological landscape and the quality of life,” says the innovator, who is actively seeking partnerships with organisations to take these innovations forward. “While these processes are typically time-consuming, I am hopeful that I will be able to bring these technologies into real services soon,” she adds.

One of her standout patents focuses on an intelligent sleep system designed to alleviate conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic neck pain, spine issues, and back pain. Her solution integrates sensors and adaptive materials to provide personalised support and comfort, significantly improving the quality of life for individuals suffering from these chronic conditions.

Another patent involves an AI-IoT design to prevent defects in semiconductor manufacturing. “This innovation is particularly relevant given the governments’ worldwide focus on semiconductor missions, whether in India, the USA, or the UK,” Rupal highlights.

Rupal Jain at Asian Leadership Awards ceremony at Mumbai

Whether it was working independently or in collaborative teams for her five patents, the engineer and author worked on the guiding principle of using technology to address real-world challenges.

Sharing knowledge as a mentor

After graduating from Bhilai Institute of Technology and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, Rupal’s career as an engineer led her to work at organisations like AMD and Micron in both Singapore and the USA. She has worked on projects encompassing the regions of the USA, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, China, and India.

Based in Greater New York, Rupal shares her knowledge as a member of many professional organisations in her field, such as the International Society for Service Innovation Professionals (ISSIP), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Educational Society (IEEE EDSOC), and Sigma Xi, an international scientific research honour society of science and engineering. “I have always been enthusiastic about roles that allow me to contribute to the growth and dissemination of knowledge in my area of interest to inspire and support young innovators globally,” she says.

As an Ambassador for ISSIP and a Lead in IEEE Young Professionals Education Society, as well as in other roles with Sigma Xi and the IEEE Technical Committee on immersive learning, her responsibilities involve promoting service innovation and strengthening collaboration among professionals from various industries and academic disciplines. “I work to bridge the gap between technology and its practical applications, ensuring that innovations positively impact businesses and society. This includes organising conferences, workshops, and seminars to disseminate the latest research and technological developments,” she tells.

Hybrid IEEE event conducted by Rupal Jain for UICT Nakawa, Uganda

Recently Rupal had the opportunity to be a guest mentor and speaker at a hybrid IEEE event at UICT Nakawa in Uganda. “This event, initiated under the IEEE YP and IEEE Mentoring-Meet program, was an enjoyable experience where I interacted with a large group of professionals about strategies in goal setting in the semiconductor industry. There was a lot of interest and many questions regarding advancing Uganda’s growth in the microchip industry,” she shares.

Rupal has also had engaging experiences as speaker and mentor at other events, such as the Nile University and the IEEE Meet in Nigeria, where she addressed topics related to microchip excellence, quality management using AI-IoT, and more.

Exploring technology as an author

With a knack for multitasking, Rupal is also a prolific author whose works aim to empower professionals in her field with practical knowledge and innovative insights. Rupal’s book ‘Mastering Project Management: PMP and Agile for Leaders’, published by BEP, USA, addresses aspiring and current project managers. It imparts transferable skills applicable across industries such as semiconductor, engineering, IT, and construction in a global context, covering critical topics like Agile, CSM, and leadership development.

Her second book, ‘Advancements in AI and IoT for Chip Manufacturing and Defect Prevention’, published by River Publishers, Denmark, addresses the dynamic landscape of semiconductor fabrication and chip manufacturing. It explores the significance of defect prevention and the transformative potential of AI and IoT technologies in optimising manufacturing processes. “It’s tailored for semiconductor professionals, interdisciplinary researchers in chip development, and electrical, electronics, and AI-ML professionals seeking knowledge and industry practices for IC (chip) manufacturing fabrication processes,” she explains.

Rupal Jain

Her third book, ‘Semiconductor Essentials: A Leader’s Express Reference to Electronics Concepts’, serves as a comprehensive reference. “It condenses essential topics and equations crucial for device concepts, semiconductor development, and design into accessible formats,” she mentions. “This book is particularly useful for quick access to support research and innovation across various fields such as electronics, applied physics, photonics, and material science.”

Looking ahead

The engineer, innovator and writer aspires to further drive innovation and excellence within the microchip manufacturing and electronics industry. She aims to lead initiatives that push technological boundaries while cultivating a collaborative and inclusive work environment. Her goal is to mentor the next generation of leaders, ensuring a sustainable and forward-thinking future for the field. “The microchip and semiconductor industry has a great impact on society as it powers the technology that underpins modern life,” she remarks.

Rupal Jain

She is consistently attuned to these aspects, motivating herself to make contributions in the ever-changing technological landscape. Reading books on technology, leadership, and personal development is one of her favourite pastimes. Rupal also loves exploring new places, spending time with family and friends, and staying active.

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Published on 12, Jun 2024

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Swimming with sharks: Into the wild with Malaika Vaz

(February 15, 2023) When they spot the uniformed men with walkie-talkies watching them - again - Malaika Vaz and her companion, the cinematographer Nitye Sood switch instantly into tourist mode. They huddle together for a selfie and gush over a shawl at a nearby stall. "I don't want to tell you what country I'm in because I feel like that could expose me to danger," Malaika Vaz says, in hushed tones, to the Nat Geo podcaster on the other end. This was 2017 and the intrepid young wildlife filmmaker was undercover in a 'city in east Asia' in a seafood market in a shopping mall. They were following the illegal trade of manta rays, a convoluted and perilous pipeline that took them from fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean to the Indo-Myanmar border and Guangzhou in China. This was back in 2021 and one of Vaz's most explosive documentaries. As one might already have noted, the now twenty-five-year-old Malaika Vaz's life beggars' belief. It's the kind of thing young filmmakers and journalists dream of doing, but rarely gather the courage to accomplish. For Vaz, however, it was almost second nature. Growing up in Goa, Vaz began diving in the ocean

diving in the ocean when she was 12 years old, immersing herself in the beauty of underwater life.

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Discovering the manta ray

She was swimming in the Maldives the first time she spotted a manta ray - "I saw a beautiful black shadow coming out of nowhere. It was curious about me. I was frozen, I wasn't expecting this giant cloud to come up to me. It was poetic. Ever since then, I have been obsessed with them."

Even as a child, the Global Indian was captivated by the great outdoors. She is the youngest person to reach the Arctic and the Antarctic with the students at the Ice Foundation. Early on, she learned windsurfing, and sailing and is a professional diver. As she grew older, though, she felt she needed more than just adventure. Having witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by unsustainable tourism, illegal trade, and climate change on the marine ecosystem. And she decided to do something about it.

Foray into filmmaking

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She had always had an interest in filmmaking and a conviction strong enough to compel her to quit college and follow her passion instead. She joined a production company as a researcher and not long afterward, was asked to go in front of the camera.

"I realised that while I loved being on camera, shaping the stories and bringing in new perspectives and narratives that hadn't traditionally been seen on television was what I liked best," she said. She turned to other roles - she has been a director, writer, and producer, apart from presenting. She is also the founder of 'Untamed Planet', a production company that seeks to make an impact in the conservation world.

Scaling new heights in Ladakh

In 2014, she travelled to Ladakh, to train a group of village women to climb mountains. The message: Even the most perilous wilderness might prove safer for India's women than its cities and villages. At the time she was a student at Mahindra United World College and had already found herself a place in the Limca Book of Records as the youngest Indian to travel to both Polar regions in 2011-12. She headed off to Ladakh with a group of students from school, all part of the UWC's Outdoor Education Programme. Together, they climbed the Stok Kangri and Lungser Kangri. "The nine women who are training with us are all from villages in the Muslhi valley," she said. Many had a history of domestic abuse.

Documenting wildlife to conservation

Vaz and her team travel around the world documenting wildlife and exotic locations but that's only one part of what they do. Vaz also takes on issues like animal trafficking, travelling undercover, and coming face-to-face with dangerous kingpins across the globe. Like tracing manta ray traffickers across Asia, for instance. That became Peng Yu Sai, which was nominated for the 'Green Oscars' and takes the viewer into a murky world comprising fishermen, middlemen, traffickers, and even armed forces personnel as Vaz tries to protect her beloved nautical giants.

She describes, in the Overheard podcast, seeing the manta ray trade for the first time. She was in a village in eastern India when a local farmer told her to come to see the "flat pancake fish." Intrigued, she wandered through the bustling seafood market, which overflowed with every kind of exotic marine life - more than she had seen in the ocean itself. Hundreds of people jostled through the market, the air ripe with the smell of sweat and dead fish - "You cannot wash that smell off you," she remarks. She saw piles of tuna, crab, prawn, bull shark - and then, to her dread, "twenty-five dead manta rays lying on the floor. It felt like a waste of life."

Malaika Vaz is also behind Nat Geo Wild: Living with Predators, a three-episode series that "documents the stories of the real heroes of Big Cat conservation - local communities." In each episode, Vaz talks with ex-poachers, tribal communities, and the forest guards who are at the forefront of protecting India's Asiatic Lions, leopards, and tigers. The series aired across the Asia-Pacific, South Asia, Middle East, and North Africa, starting on August 15, 2020.

The power of stories

She has also produced films about migrant workers through the National Geographic Covid-19 fund for Journalists, explored bat conservation after the species received a bad rep during the pandemic, and elephant tourism.

Through it all, filmmaking has been her medium. "We need to phase out wildlife trade," she told Business Insider. "Given that consuming wildlife is still seen as a marker of 'making it' in parts of Asia and globally, I think storytelling can make a difference. Powerful films can advocate for a world where we're not consuming endangered species."

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Innovation in orbit: India’s space tech pioneers make their mark

(November 28, 2023) From launching Chandrayaan 3 in July, to sticking its perfect landing on the Moon's south pole, and launching a mission to study the sun - the Indian Space Research Organisation has just witnessed what we can safely call the most successful year. Although ISRO didn't have a traditional beginning and faced significant financial constraints, it has emerged as one of the world's most successful space agencies. Remarkably, this achievement has not only transformed ISRO but has also inspired countless aspiring youngsters who wish to take the Indian flag to space one day. In recent years, India's space technology startup ecosystem has experienced significant growth. Nevertheless, 2023 marked a milestone year as various private entities entered the scene by launching their own satellites. According to the most recent Economic Survey, India now boasts a total of 104 space startups and 368 space technology companies. With the industry poised to attract over $300 million in investments in 2023, Global Indian examines the prominent participants in India's space technology ecosystem. AgniKul Cosmos Their journey began at IIT Madras in 2017 with just ₹3 crores in seed funding. Back then, Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM had just one goal: to build

nvestments in 2023, Global Indian examines the prominent participants in India's space technology ecosystem.

AgniKul Cosmos

Their journey began at IIT Madras in 2017 with just ₹3 crores in seed funding. Back then, Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM had just one goal: to build and launch a space rocket within a few years. Although they faced many challenges over the last six years, these two young individuals successfully established India's first private launchpad and mission control center at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in November 2022. With a total funding of $34.5 million, AgniKul is now one of India's most respected space startups.

[caption id="attachment_26136" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM, founders, AgniKul Cosmos[/caption]

The facility at Sriharikota has a launchpad and mission control center. It's special because it has India's first rocket engine that was made using 3D printing. They built this facility in just two months. Soon, they'll use it to launch India's first private spaceflight into orbit. "We are trying to get the first few launches this year. These would be developmental flights (test launches). Then scale to a commercial launch in 2023," Srinath had said during a press interaction, adding, "There are going to be big breakthroughs in the Indian space industry in the next few years. The gestation period is a bit long, but I think we are already there. The government being upfront is going to encourage a lot of people to give it a shot. ISRO is helpful and it also has the attention of the Prime Minister’s Office. India will be among the top three in the next five years."

Skyroot Aerospace

One of India's most accomplished space companies, Skyroot Aerospace, has finally launched the Vikram-S after much waiting and several years of effort. This achievement is a big step forward for India's private space industry. The rocket, which is a single-stage design with a spinning motion and uses solid propellant, can carry a payload weighing about 550 kilograms. It's carrying three customer payloads, including one from a customer outside of India. This six-meter-long rocket was built in just two years and features a core structure made entirely of lightweight carbon fiber.

[caption id="attachment_26121" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, founders, Skyroot Aerospace[/caption]

Two friends, Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, founded a company in Hyderabad. Their goal is to become the world's leading provider for launching small satellites within the next five years. Speaking about their ambitions and plans, Pawan recently said in an interview, "2023 is just the beginning of an era of SpaceTech, which would be the next trillion-dollar industry. We are more like a cab to space, where we can offer dedicated rides to required orbits to satellite customers while companies like SpaceX are focused on building very large vehicles.”

Dhruva Space

In 2012, while ISRO was busy with the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), a man named Sanjay Nekkanti had a vision. He dreamed of creating India's first private satellite and enabling organizations to harness the potential of small satellites. This dream led to the birth of Dhruva Space, India's inaugural space technology company. Later, the founder was joined by his friends from BITS-Pilani - Abhay Egoor, Krishna Teja, and Chaitanya Dora. Fast forward to 2022, the company reached a significant milestone when it successfully deployed its satellite orbital deployer on the PSLV C53 in June, followed by the launch of its two Thybolt satellites on PSLV C54.

[caption id="attachment_26122" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Sanjay Nekkanti, founder, Dhruva Space[/caption]

This startup, which operates in both Hyderabad, India, and Graz, Austria, provides versatile satellite platforms that can be customized for various applications. Their goal is to make space access quicker, more dependable, and more affordable. Dhruva Space also offers a comprehensive solution, allowing clients to own and manage space-based assets in one place. Speaking to the press after launching two satellites in November last year, Abhay said, "We are looking to raise or invest about USD 20 to 25 million over the next two years where this amount of capital would be used to invest and build an infrastructure facility for assembly, integration, and testing of satellites up to 100 kg class. We are exploring setting up the same facility in Hyderabad. We are already in conversation with parties."

Pixxel

Back in 2019, while still in college, two 20-year-olds, Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, made an unconventional choice. Instead of pursuing a traditional job, they decided to venture into something new. Although their decision might not have had unanimous support at first, the entire nation celebrated when these two young entrepreneurs successfully launched their satellites, named Shakuntala, into a low Earth orbit (LEO) using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in April 2022. Pixxel continued to make strides in the space industry by launching their second satellite on Isro's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C54 mission.

[caption id="attachment_26123" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, founders, Pixxel[/caption]

Giving an insight into their company and its mission, Awais said, "Our one-line model is to make satellite imagery data useful. This is why we process the data once we have it beamed down from the satellites. Once the data is ready, there are a lot of companies that know how to analyse satellite imagery. There is Orbital Insight, there are precision agricultural companies and hedge funds that buy this data to extract insights from this. They are going to be our customers. We will be working with banking institutions, agriculture, mining companies, oil and gas companies, and defence organisations. All of them are going to be our customer base."

Bellatrix Aerospace

It took a while for them to establish themselves in the space technology sector, but once they grasped the dynamics, they've been excelling in every aspect. Founded by two young entrepreneurs, Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, the Bengaluru-based company, Bellatrix Aerospace, is gearing up to conduct tests on their propulsion technologies, which are responsible for directing satellites to their intended locations, in 2023. Their ambitious plan includes launching a "space taxi" service by 2024.

[caption id="attachment_26124" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, founders, Bellatrix Aerospace[/caption]

The startup has introduced a cutting-edge facility to accelerate its prototyping and model production, complementing its testing lab affiliated with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). In an intriguing move, the company is set to invest $76 million in the establishment of a local Research and Development (R&D) center and manufacturing plant in Bengaluru. This new facility is anticipated to produce a variety of thrusters, including the hall thruster, microwave plasma thruster, nano thruster, and environmentally-friendly propulsion systems.

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Digvijay Singh: Making homegrown artisanal chocolate a global brand

(February 27, 2024) Getting off the Chapora Fort on his maiden trip to Goa in 2022, Digvijay Singh saw a woman selling sherbet. Exhausted from his day trip, he decided to quench his thirst with a kokum sherbet - a native fruit of Konkan he had never heard of. Taking his first sip, the teen chocolatier realised that it could be paired very well with dark chocolate due to its tartness. A few months later, he stumbled upon a rose apple in Kolkata, which natives refer to as gulab jamun. "I thought, I know of cranberry or strawberry or macadamia nuts which have perhaps nothing to do with India but I know nothing about the fruit that grows in the Konkan belt which is hardly 1000 kilometers from where I live," the Udaipur resident tells Global Indian. This epiphany led him to bring indigenous berries and fruits into the conventional world of chocolate making with Saraam - a homegrown artisanal chocolate brand. Finding the real deal in exotic native fruits With the chocolate market almost saturated with flavours like cranberry, orange, and hazelnut, Digvijay saw an opportunity in the often-overlooked native fruits. "The biggest issue is that the people haven't

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Finding the real deal in exotic native fruits

With the chocolate market almost saturated with flavours like cranberry, orange, and hazelnut, Digvijay saw an opportunity in the often-overlooked native fruits. "The biggest issue is that the people haven't invested in the supply chain of these fruits as they don't have a long shelf life. People don't grow them anymore and they are at the mercy of the wild. There are a few collectors who collect and sell them," explains the 19-year-old who is ready to change the game. "India has long overlooked what's within and it's time that we look inwards," adds Digvijay, whose brand sells Kulfi and Orange & Coffee chocolates.

However, the teen chocolatier was aware that such a drastic combination might call for strong reactions." Some chefs thought it was blasphemy to make such combinations but to me that suggested the strong personality of the product," says Digvijay, adding, "I'm not disregarding their experience or their opinion but if you have been institutionalised long enough with French culinary school, and you have seen what works and what's demanded, it becomes difficult for you to give different options a chance. On the other hand, because of this push and pull, there was a great pull towards the other end where people find such combinations intriguing."

[caption id="attachment_36167" align="aligncenter" width="409"] Saraam chocolate[/caption]

In just two years, Ber and Kulfi have become their bestsellers which sell a lot more than coffee and orange flavour. "There are people who are ready to try new flavours out of curiosity, and they have already taken the bet by trying a new brand," says Digvijay who started making chocolate at the age of 16.

Learning chocolate making during the pandemic

When the entire world was locked indoors during the pandemic, Digvijay was keen to start his "gig" and googled recession-proof industries. Apart from edtech, it was chocolate that popped on his screen. "Since I hardly know about technology and less about education, chocolate was something I wanted to try. I started reading about it and even tried a lot of fine chocolates. This got me thinking that it can be a lot different than the artisanal chocolates we find in the country. This idea led to Saraam - which means essence in Sanskrit and Tamil."

A few months later, his cousin Mahaveer Singh joined, and now the two run the venture which began taking shape with the help of YouTube tutorials. Calling it a great start for beginners, their biggest learning came from experimenting and sampling chocolates. "I wouldn't have waited to get a diploma to start making chocolate. I don't think people should wait for an institutional validation to start a venture, as any source of learning can be good enough for a start," says the teen who consulted with many chefs.

Ask him if making chocolate is an easy or complex process, and he quips, "How we make chocolates is different from how Amul or Cadbury's make as theirs would be much more standardised and easier as their recipes are set and they have got big machines. Small manufacturers like us use a wet stone grinder, which is a humble idli grinder from Coimbatore modified into a chocolate melanger of sorts." He adds that it's quite tedious to make chocolate on this small scale because of the precision it requires. "As there are only a few steps to follow, you can go wrong at many steps - be it sourcing or roasting. Since it doesn't have any additives, it can also get affected by the odours around it during storage."

Getting the attention in India and abroad

Five months into learning the art of chocolate making, Saraam bagged its first order from a car dealership after he pitched the idea of customising their packaging for marketing. "I knew we didn't want to grow on that but it could be a good strategy to begin with. Finding first customers in a category that's competitive with many similar-looking chocolates in the market, we knew it would be an uphill task," says Digvijay. Despite being a new brand that works out of the basement, Saraam got tremendous attention from artisanal chocolate lovers in India and abroad. "We were not equipped enough to leverage the kind of attention we got from the NRIs in the US and UK as we weren't equipped enough to deliver it to them. Many people wanted to try it in the stores in their cities, and we couldn't do it," says the teenpreneur who is keen to solve the functional and execution problems.

Saraam sold 20,000 bars of chocolate in 2023, with most of their sales happening during the festive and wedding seasons. "We sell it online, through selected retailers, and send it to a few hotels." The homegrown brand sources its cacao from small farms in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, but finding exotic fruits is a challenge. "We have found a few collectors and dehydrators who provide us with the fruits," reveals Digvijay, who is studying Philosophy (H) at Delhi University.

A global brand in the making

Three years into chocolate making, Digvijay has plans of revolutionising the chocolate market and is keen to make something in confectionery that comes especially from India. "We haven't scratched that surface and I think India does have a potential as we grow our cacao."

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Ever since its inception, Digvijay has seen Saraam as a global brand. "It doesn't mean we have stores in 200 countries but it's a brand that has global appeal and people anywhere in the world have desires to consume it. There are 4.4 million NRIs and yet are underserved in terms of things that come from India. I want to take Saraam to them," says the teenpreneur who believes the revolution in the chocolate industry is yet to come. "I do look at its global consumption - through online fulfillment or physical presence. This is for the Global Indian rooted in India story," he signs off.

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Nikita Menon: Indian danseuse shining a spotlight on Bharatanatyam in Singapore

(May 3, 2024) Kohl-rimmed eyes, with beautiful mudras, and nuanced facial expressions, there is a story unfolding on the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, the durian-shaped landmark in Singapore. An Indian girl is deep in the midst of shabdam, a part of Bharatanatyam, and the audience is left spellbound. In the hustle-bustle of Singapore, Indian danseuse Nikita Menon is taking the age-old dance form to new audiences. The 27-year-old's tryst with dance began early, and over the past two decades, Nikita, who was conferred the title of Natya Visharad by the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, is evolving. "In recent times, there is great acceptance about Indian classical dance across the globe. There is a lot of visibility, and I think it is one of the most exciting times to be an artist,” Nikita tells Global Indian in an interview. For someone who initially trained under Guru Maalika Girish Panickkar in Singapore, Nikita relocated to Bengaluru for a brief period at the age of 16 to learn the nuances of dance from the Late Smt Nagamani Srinivasa Rao. "I owe everything to my gurus who have been the guiding light for me," says Nikita, who now performs in the

o. "I owe everything to my gurus who have been the guiding light for me," says Nikita, who now performs in the UK where she currently resides.

Dance - an extension of oneself

Born in Trivandrum to a businessman father and a marine geologist mother, Nikita moved to Kuwait when she was two-month-old. When most children of her age would immerse themselves into cartoons, little Nikita would watch classical dance on Doordarshan. It wasn't until she was three that she began her formal training in Singapore, where her family settled in the late 90s. "I was always inclined towards dance, even when I could hardly comprehend beats or movements. I was three when I started training. After my parents enrolled my elder sister into dance, I wanted to learn too,” recalls Nikita.

Being obsessed with colours, Bharatanatyam was the perfect celebration of what Nikita loved. "Dance is an expression and extension of oneself," she says. Her pure love turned into a passion as a soloist at just eight years of age. "I was so fortunate to have access to such a beautiful art form," adds Nikita, who has performed across Asia and Europe.

[caption id="attachment_37546" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Nikita Menon in Angkor Wat[/caption]

Growing up, Nikita had to strike a balance between Bharatanatyam and her studies, and is thankful for her parents' support. "They have been the wind beneath my wings. From making me enroll so early to financing my training, they have been my support system. For them, grades were non-negotiable. Thus, since childhood, I have maintained good grades while continuing dancing,” she reveals, admitting that it was a mammoth task to balance, but she was victorious in the end.

Embodying the philosophy of life through dance

The hard work and perseverance paid off. Dance gave her an interesting perspective on life too. “The way I think, see and feel is different. Being a classical dancer has helped me cultivate a more beautiful outlook towards life," says the University of the Arts London-graduate.

It hasn't been a bed of roses either. She faced casteism and groupism in the art form early on. “For the longest period, the art was shielded by Tambrams (Tamilian Brahmins), and fitting in was a challenge. Many 'outsiders' don't get enough performance opportunities - you have to prove yourself," reveals the dancer whose performance at Alapadma at the Madras Music Academy is most cherished (2020). The Agathi at the Wildrice Theatre in Singapore (2021) and SITA - supported by ICCR India’s Ramayana Festival are close seconds.

Raised in Singapore, Nikita is often seen as an outsider when dancing in India. "It's a common notion that artists abroad are outsiders as they haven't learnt from the place of origin. It takes time to fight this notion, and prove that the love for art transcends boundaries. However, it helped me break the glass ceiling and make it into mainstream," beams the proud girl, who has a master's degree in data science and artificial intelligence from London.

Nikita currently works as a design associate in London. "Funding a life through dance is impractical unless you are a teacher,” states Nikita, who wanted to be financially independent to fund her passion. But with a full-time job now, she has to make time for her craft.

Learning on the go

During the pandemic lockdowns, she continued dancing, and even did a few online shows. The experience of flying down to Singapore for six live shows during the pandemic when the 21-day quarantine was mandatory, was the wildest thing she has ever done for dance. “I was studying in London when my artistic director from Agathi called about live shows in Singapore. At the time quarantine was mandatory, and I also had my university finals. But I missed dance, so I decided to risk flying to Singapore,” reveals the amateur painter, who loves reading poetry too.

Excited about how Bharatanatyam has evolved over the years, she believes Singaporeans are most enthusiastic and receptive. Changing perceptions, Nikita believes, has been a collective effort by the industry in Singapore.

"The future of Bharatanatyam is in good hands. The access to good art is doubling. Artists preserve the art, and that’s what makes it beautiful," says Nikita, who has performed in London too.

Anurudh Ganesan, the young innovator revolutionising the healthcare world

(March 30, 2023) Almost every year, over one million kids die as a result of not getting vaccinated on time. The unavailability of vaccination transportation and storage facilities in several developing parts of the world has proven to be fatal for those who cannot afford expensive healthcare institutions. While the world leaders are still discussing the issue, a young innovator - Anurudh Ganesan - has been working tirelessly to resolve the problem in his backyard. At just 15, Anurudh invented VAXXWAGON, a portable refrigeration system to transport vaccines safely and effectively. The invention won him a slew of awards, including the LEGO Education Builder Award and the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The VAXXWAGON runs on a "no ice, no electricity" system and is very cost-effective (less than $100), and can also keep the temperature consistent for several hours at a stretch. Living in Clarksburg, USA, the young innovator's VAXXWAGON is inspired by the problems faced by healthcare workers who have to transport vaccines to the remotest corners of the world. After working on the prototype for several years, the youngster came up with a machine that would require only 2.3 watts of energy to cool a well-insulated cold

tPdf/11314" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VAXXWAGON is inspired by the problems faced by healthcare workers who have to transport vaccines to the remotest corners of the world. After working on the prototype for several years, the youngster came up with a machine that would require only 2.3 watts of energy to cool a well-insulated cold chamber. "In this day and age, nobody should die from vaccine-preventable diseases," the innovator believes, "I’m committed to seeing this project through to the next phase. I will have succeeded when the first person’s life is saved because of VAXXWAGON.”

Destiny's child

When he was an infant, his grandparents carried him ten miles in rural South India to get him his routine polio vaccination. When they finally arrived, they found the vaccines were useless after having not been refrigerated for an extended period. "I was fortunate," he told Global Indian, adding, "For many, that trek to be vaccinated is a matter of life and death." Anurudh was able to receive the vaccine the next day but realised that so many others aren’t as lucky, with 4,000 children dying every day from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Always the one to raise important questions and come up with innovative solutions, he recalls asking his father when he was five years old, about inventing a vehicle that doesn't need gas. Anurudh didn't stop there. He went on to research the subject, learning everything he could about self-generating power. In keeping with this, VAXXWAGON works with "wheel-powered refrigeration". As the wheel turns, mechanical energy is converted to thermal energy and can keep vaccines cold for up to 16 hours after being powered for only half that time.

What an idea

It was while he was working on a school project that the young innovator got the idea for VAXXWAGON. He read several textbooks to learn everything he could about refrigeration, then he did research online to learn more about vaccines. Next, he began formulating his ideas on paper. Rather than relying on electricity or ice, Anurudh figured out a way to use wheels to power a refrigeration system for about eight hours. The entire rechargeable cooling system can be pulled to areas in need of vaccines by bicycle, car, or animal.

However, there was a loophole in his design that he not only identified but also managed to fix. To be safe and effective, vaccines must maintain a "Goldilocks temperature" between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius — similar to a very cold refrigerator — from the time they leave the manufacturers to the moment they reach the patient. Hospitals will package the vaccine on ice, but this can easily backfire if the ice is too cold and freezes the vials, or if it melts before the vaccine reaches its destination. "I took a refrigerator apart," the innovator recalled, adding, "I saw how it worked and tried to re-engineer it so that it used no electricity and no ice to provide accurate refrigeration of vaccines while in transport." All this, in roughly $100.

Eventually, Anurudh took his design to professors at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland for advice. Not only did they confirm that VAXXWAGON could work, but they also offered Anurudh funding to help build it. To test the prototype he had built, the innovator ran the VAXXWAGON on a treadmill at eight miles per hour for six hours — racking up the energy to power the refrigerator — and let it rest for nearly five hours to collect data while the compressor wasn't being powered. In this simulated last leg of the trip, the fake vaccines maintained a temperature in the Goldilocks ranges for over four hours.

The road ahead

After nearly two years of refining a half-dozen prototypes, Anurudh has a patent pending for his latest design of VAXXWAGON now. He has won several awards for his innovation including Google Science Fair and also got a chance to demonstrate the working of the machine to US President Obama at the annual White House Science Fair. However, his main priority at this time is to start selling the machine to relief organisations by the end of the year so it can be used to help people around the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnDevi9r0hM

“In my mind,” the innovator said, "my design will be a success as soon as it saves even a single life. If it can save one life, it can save many more.” Currently, pursuing a finance degree at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, Anurudh's message to the other young innovators is quite simple. "Don’t give up on your ideas. But always try to help others with your projects. That’s the point of innovation - to help people."

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