Vision of a Wireless World

 

WHITE PAPER  :   Vision of a Wireless World

Date: July 16, 2026 

1. Executive Summary: The 1989 Mandate

In my 1989 report QUO VADIS submitted to the L&T Management, I proposed a

fundamental paradigm shift in how we power our lives. I wrote:

"In short, an unprecedented change in the entire manner of managing our

enterprise.

 

Just one forecast should suffice to illustrate the point I am making.

By the end of the 21st century, I foresee total elimination of wires and cables

 

within residential and commercial complexes. I foresee all low-powered home-

 

appliances/office-equipment to draw their energy requirement directly from an

 

electrically charged field pervading each building, with the help of a micro-

 

processor controlled device built into each appliance/equipment, whether it is

 

an ordinary light bulb or an expensive super-computer.

 

No wires, no plugs, no sockets!

 

The demise of a whole industry and the birth of a new one!

 

And instead of 100 years, this could happen in 50 years or even 25 years!"

 

Blog - "Strategy Inputs: Primary Resources" - May 2014

 

This vision—the complete wireless electrification of our built environment—remains the guiding star for my observations of technological progress over the intervening decades.

2. Current Progress: The Wireless Frontier (2026)

Recent developments indicate that the "wireless world" is moving from theory to reality. For instance, new advancements in wireless electricity are receiving significant global attention:

• Recent Developments: 
• Industry discourse highlights emerging wireless energy solutions that seek to minimize cabling infrastructure, aligning with the "no wires" vision articulated decades ago.
• 
  
• LinkedIn Post - "Energy Innovation Wireless Electricity" - 2026

3. Historical Milestones & Parallel Innovations

Between 1989 and 2026, various attempts to transmit power and data without traditional wiring have surfaced. While my original vision focused on power, the convergence of wireless power and wireless communication (LiFi) provides a modern bridge to this future.

Wireless Power and Energy Harvesting

• DARPA POWER Program: 
• The U.S. DARPA program is actively developing airborne optical wireless energy relays to distribute power wirelessly, a significant step toward the large-scale wireless energy distribution I once envisioned.
• Blog - "A Wireless Future: predicted 34 years ago?" - Sept 2023
• 
  
• Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENG): 
• My correspondence has explored the potential of TENG and micro-supercapacitors to provide power to embedded sensors (like RFID) in thin materials, potentially eliminating the need for physical batteries or wires.
• Email - "FW: TENG / Triboelectric Nanogeneratot" - July 2018
• 
  
• Ambient Energy: 
• My recent exploration of GEAS (Generation of Electricity from Ambient Sound) demonstrates how infrastructure itself can harvest energy to power local sensor nodes and lighting, moving us closer to self-powered, wire-free environments.
• Blog - "Generation of Electricity from Ambient Sound" - March 2026
• 
  

Wireless Data Transmission (LiFi)

LiFi (Light Fidelity) has been a central pillar in my advocacy for utilizing existing infrastructure to move beyond copper cabling.

• Implementation: 
• 
  
• Projects in Ladakh and Gujarat have successfully implemented LiFi networks using existing LED lighting and power lines, proving that "data" can be transmitted wirelessly through existing light-delivery infrastructure.
• 
  
• Email - "Dear Ashwini Vaishnawji - Rajeev Chandrasekharji" - Nov 2023 Blog - "February 2021" - Feb 2021

4. Conclusion

The transition from 1989 to 2026 has been marked by a shift from centralized,

 wire-heavy distribution to decentralized, wireless-capable ecosystems. While the

 "electrically charged field pervading each building" is still under development, the

 components—wireless charging, LiFi, and ambient energy harvesting—are already

 here. We are witnessing the birth of the new industry I forecasted.

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Sources

#	Title	Date	About
1	Strategy Inputs: Primary Resources	2014-05	Original 1989 QUO VADIS report and vision for a wireless world.
2	FW: TENG / Triboelectric Nanogeneratot	2018-07	Discussion on powering embedded sensors without traditional batteries/wires.
3	February 2021	2021-02	Implementation of LiFi technology in Gujarat villages.
4	A Wireless Future: predicted 34 years ago?	2023-09	Coverage of DARPA’s POWER program and wireless energy transmission.
5	Dear Ashwini Vaishnawji - Rajeev Chandrasekharji	2023-11	Advocacy for LiFi to replace physical broadband infrastructure.
6	Generation of Electricity from Ambient Sound	2026-03	Introduction of GEAS for self-powering wireless nodes.
7	Energy Innovation Wireless Electricity	2026	Recent updates on wireless electricity innovation.