Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Tuesday, 13 March 2018

Modiji’s ( incomplete ) Message !





Business Line ( 12 March ) carries following news :







Highlight :


“In India, we have started the world’s largest renewable energy expansion programme. We will generate 175 GW of electricity from renewable sources of energy by 2022, of which, 100 GW will be from solar power. We have already achieved 20 GW installed solar power,” Modi said, inaugurating the Summit that was co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.


President Macron, who is on a four-day visit to India, highlighted that to generate 1 TW (terawatt) of solar power by 2030, as envisaged under the ISA, a funding corpus of $1 trillion will be required even as he underlined financial and regulatory hurdles within the member countries for achieving the target.


But in order to reach the $1,000 billion by 2030, to reach the 1TW of solar energy, we need private investors. It means that we will improve the regulations, the terms in order to support investments in renewable. It is also about improving public procurement and to provide efficient policies,” he said.


He also urged countries to facilitate purchase and supply of electricity generated from solar energy.





In 58 months ( March 2018 – Dec 2022 ) , India needs to install 80 GW of solar to reach its target


That means 1.4 GW per month for next 58 months



That 1.4 GW would require funds of $ 1.4 Billion ( approx. Rs 10,000 crore )


Every month , month after month , for next 58 months


That is why Mr Macron talks about “ need for private investors


This is unlikely to come about unless following issues are resolved – and FAST :


·         Forget about that proposed “ Safeguard Duty “ of 70 % ( recommended by a govt agency ) , on imported Solar Panels , in order to protect Indian Manufacturers ( really , “ assemblers “ ? )


If anything , reduce that ( custom ) duty even further – may be ZERO %  !


Our “ immediate goal “ must be to get solar power at Re 1 / Kwh , for all  !


Our “ medium term “ goal must be to make India such a “ Low Cost Economy “ that we can double our exports by Dec 2022  !



·         Land based large Solar Power plants need Transmission Lines to evacuate power and feed into grids. That requires funds and long time for erection / commissioning .Hence govt must vastly liberalize its policy for Roof Top solar plants which do not need any transmission network / no metering / no PPA  !


For roof top installations , currently govt gives 30 % subsidy



Change this as follows :


#   30 % by way of subsidy


#   70 % by way of interest free loan , repayable over 10 years



·         Come out with clear and legally binding “ Power Purchase Agreements “ from which , DISCOMS cannot back out


·         Implement BLACK MONEY AMNESTY SCHEME for SOLAR INFRASTRUCTURE SPVs , as suggested in my following blogs ( earlier sent as emails to Cabinet Ministers ) :



FROMGREED TO GREAT ?  [  01  Oct  2015  ]

14  March  2018



Estonia : Our Gateway to World ?





Estonia is a tiny country in North Europe with a population of 1.3 million ( against our 1300  million )


It gained independence from Soviet Union in Aug 1991 ( 44 years after we gained independence )


What is so special about Estonia ?


·         It was the first country to hold ONLINE elections in 2005


·         It is the only country to have introduced e-residency program in 2014


·         It is one of the world leader in use / application of Information Technology



Estonia’s Minister for Entrepreneurship and IT , Ms Urve Palo is currently in India


In an interview with Times of India , she said :


“ For Start Ups, the e-residency program gives them a chance to be an e–resident, ie ; they can avail Estonia’s e services, irrespective of where they are located


We have over 30,000 e-residents from 152 different countries of which 1,200 are from India


This is an ideal platform for Start –Ups to leverage and take their businesses global “






We also invite Indian IT professionals to come to Estonia . According to reports, Estonia needs at least 7,000 IT specialists as an intermediate requirement . It will be a win-win situation for both countries as we will get skilled labour and Indians will get an opportunity to work in a country that is at the forefront of IT innovation “


=================================


And not to be left out, 






This is being necessitated due to the advent of rapid technological innovations in the societal needs in country. Japan wants to fill in this yawning gap and is looking towards India’s assistance in the IT space.



Many Japanese companies feel the limitations to conventional “in-house innovation” and hence moving towards “most-advanced IT Technology Capabilities” for which India is the most ideal partner to look out for,” he said 


The Japanese government, Maeda said, will be issuing Green Cards for highly skilled professionals, the first of its kind in the world, thereby, providing people to get permanent resident status in as short as one year. This is one of the fastest granted right of residence in the world. 





Even if the above mentioned “ physical relocation “ of Indian IT pros materialises, all of this is no more than a drop in the ocean, considering that in India adds 12 million youth to its workforce , each year




We need a VIRTUAL WINDOW through which these 12 million can serve the entire World , without physically moving out of India



Estonia’s e-resident program could well be our WINDOW  TO  WORLD, if our government implements reforms suggested by me in my following blog ( and earlier sent as e-mail to Cabinet Ministers / NITI Aayog etc ) :




"BACK FACTORY " OF THE WORLD ?  [  09  Sept  2015  ]


Highlights :

I believe this can become a reality by 2020 , if Central Government and State Governments, just get out of way of our scientists / Start Ups and leave them alone !


Then tell them :


" You are our next generation of Freedom Fighters . Free our millions from

  poverty / starvation / jobless depression / ignominy / suicides


Like war - ravaged people of North Africa , Indians cannot invade Europe / Australia / Canada , in search of jobs / better life


We depend upon you to bring the jobs to India - jobs such as ,


  *   Operating Machinery in Factories abroad

  *   Controlling Air Traffic at Airports around the World

  *   Operating upon patients in Hospitals , all over

  *   Teaching students in Schools , in remote Africa

  *   Any job that currently requires immediate presence of a worker



And , if you set up a " Back Factory " , you don't need to pay Corporate Income Tax for next 10 years !



Simply register on web site of Income Tax Department as a " Back Factory " owner and file annual " Zero Corporate Tax Return "



When this happens ,


*  Millions of skilled Indian workers will operate factories around the World ,
    sitting in , internet connected " Back Factories " in small Indian towns


*  Foxcon will not need to replace its high-wage Chinese workers with one
    million robots ( as officially announced sometime back )


    At half the wages of those Chinese workers , Indians will operate Foxcon
    factories , all over the World , remotely !


*  " Contract Labour Act " will need to be replaced with " Back Factory " Act


*  " Minimum Wages Act " will need to be scrapped !


*   India will not need to fight with WTO on " Manpower / Service Exports "


*   " Make in India " will morph into " Make from India "


I hope NDA Ministers and members of NITI Aayog will ask , Narayan Murthy / Sam Pitroda / Azim Premji / Sundar Pichai / Satya Nadela / Ray Kurzweil etc :


"  How soon can this be done ? How can you help ? "


14  March  2018

www.hemenparekh.in / blogs  


Monday, 12 March 2018

In the footsteps of London ?




Recent news reports :


Hindustan Times



Business Line

The national Capital may soon become the first city in India to levy a toll on vehicles entering congested roads, several senior government officials familiar with the development said.

Delhi’s Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, along with stake-holders such as the three municipal corporations and the Union urban affairs ministry, has zeroed in on 21 stretches in the Capital where congestion tax could be imposed in a bid to ease traffic and check pollution, two of the officials quoted above said.

No time frame has been set about when the congestion fee will kick in. How much tax will be levied on which category of vehicle, and how it will be implemented are yet to be worked out as well.



I hope authorities do not construct barriers on both ends of the roads and post humans to collect the toll


That would slow down the traffic and create traffic jams


At the least , they should install on both sides , FASTag ( RFID Sensors ) readers , which can automatically debit the vehicle account , even as it drives through


But what about thousands of vehicles which may simply “ park “ on those roads ?


They too must be made to pay !


----------------------------------------------------


ANSWER :

Consider implementing :




RevolutionizingTransport ?  [  14  July  2017 ]

 https://myblogepage.blogspot.com/2017/07/revolutionizing-transport.html

 

 

But why should we always “ follow in somebody’s footstep “ ?

 

It is high time we give our engineers / scientists / S-W geeks , a challenge to enable India to “ overtake “ London in the matter if de-congesting traffic in our cities

 

Ask them to “ leapfrog “ reading of FASTag RFID for just collection of tolls

 

Let them implement a mobile app based Block-Chain technology , not only to collect toll from travelling vehicles but also to collect “ Parking Charges “ ( automatic debiting ) from India’s vehicle population of 200 million vehicles  

 

For those who are eager to know how , read :

 

Cars  on  the  Block  Chain  ?





Extract :


The company sees the potential for car owners to use blockchain to pay for the electricity to charge electric cars. Imagine if every time you charged your vehicle, the action triggered a smart contract on the blockchain that took the appropriate amount of money from your account and sent it to the charging station.

The financial applications could also extend to paying for the car itself. You could create a smart contract that sent in your car payment on the first of the month. The car blockchain would record the balance due and stop making payments once it reached $0.

The same could go for your monthly parking cost, your insurance, or any other financial transactions involving your vehicle.



Dear Shri Gadkariji,



If implemented as suggested , this can earn Rs 5,000 cr per year to the State government of Maharashtra , for city of Mumbai alone !



Extending NaviC based solution to our entire vehicle population of 200 million ( growing by 10 million per year ), could well earn a revenue of Rs 100,000 CRORE per year !



Investment in proposed Technology Platform would pay back in less than ONE DAY !





13  March  2018


Sunday, 11 March 2018

Precariously Perched at Cliff-Edge ?




Latest development in US – North Korea “ war of words “ , would suggest that the warring leaders seem to have realized that playing the Game Theory  using NASH  EQUILIBRIUM , could hurt both the nations – and the entire World – in the long run



Witness how they have changed their narrative recently :




FIFTH  ROUND  :

Kim      :   I am committed to denuclearization

Trump  :   A meeting is being planned




SIXTH ROUND  :

Kim       :    We will stay away from further nuclear tests


Trump   :    I am willing to sit down as soon as possible




SEVENTH  ROUND  :

Kim      :   I agree joint military exercise between US / South Korea has to continue

  
Trump   :   Will meet Kim in May

                Great progress being made but sanctions will remain

                I am not doing this for theatre, I am going there to solve a problem




World is glad that both leaders have realized that the EQUILIBRIUM which they must seek together lies on the flat/stable side of the cliff and not at the bottom of the valley  !


May be they also realized during the past 5 months ( since I wrote my following blog ), that it is too risky to handover future dialogue to Artificial Intelligence !

NashEquilibrium ?  [  20  Sept  2017  ]




FIRST ROUND :

#  Kim …………. We are not afraid of US bullying

#  Trump………  Do not provoke us




SECOND ROUND :

#  Kim……….    We will teach you a lesson

#  Trump……    Fire and Fury




THIRD ROUND :

#   Kim………   We will send you some shocking gifts

#   Trump…..  All options are on table / nothing ruled out




FOURTH ROUND :

#  Kim………   We will sink Japan and destroy US cities

#  Trump…..  We will totally destroy North Korea ( in UN speech , yesterday )




12  March  2018