A Disruptive Technology is a technology or innovation, which is initially a combination of niche technologies or innovative ideas to create a high end product or service, typically such which the existing market does not expect; and when the technology becomes affordable and accessible, it eventually ends up disrupting the existing consumer market and creating a market of its own.

2. DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
A Disruptive Technology is a technology or innovation, which is initially a combination of niche
technologies or innovative ideas to create a high end product or service, typically such which the existing
market does not expect; and when the technology becomes affordable and accessible, it eventually ends
up disrupting the existing consumer market and creating a market of its own.
DIAGRAM1: Big Bang Market Adoption
FIGURE 1:
Different types of theories used to describe the market
response to Disruptive Technologies. The Rogers’
theory explains this response in the form of a bell curve
(grey), while the recent Big Bang theory explains it in
the form of a shark fin curve (orange)
• Sustaining Technologies are different from Disruptive Technologies in such that they only rely on evolutions and advancements in existing products,
thus making firms compete against one another leveraging the improvements each firm can make in their product
• In the nascent stage of a disruptive innovation, the market is largely exploratory and mostly led by smaller, innovation driven and entrepreneurial
firms. Larger firms tend to stay away from disruptive innovations because either the margins are too tight for them; or their business structure is such
that even willingly, they cannot enter the disruptive innovation market due to potential tradeoffs such as cannibalization
• Every product market is dynamic and bound to encounter disruptions at some stage or the other. Disruptive innovations can even hurt successful, well
managed companies that are responsive to their customers and have excellent R&D. Hence incumbent firms must constantly try to innovate and keep
their products relevant in the market
Source: KPMG, McKinsey & Company, Accenture

3. THE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
FIGURE2: Expected Potential Impact of Selected Disruptive Technologies by 2016
• In today’s age, technological advancements, speedy internet, super computing and so on are shaping the course of our economies, in addition to
enabling us to enjoy highly comfortable lives, with the knowledge of the world literally at our fingertips
•• We are today at the cusp of a probable technological revolution which might not only solve existing global problems, but could also transform the
world as we see it and our lives as we live them
• The world needs solutions to overcome a breadth of interconnected challenges, ranging from the economic to social issues, which could together
result in an improvement in the quality of lives globally, if addressed properly
• In such a dynamic environment, it could be potentially disastrous for individuals, companies, and even governments who refuse to embrace the
emergence of the disruptive way of thinking, since many of these disruptive technologies possess the potential to trigger the solutions to our global
problems
• Innovators and investors, who recognize and attempt to seize the various opportunities in the development of disruptive technologies, stand to reap
a first – mover advantage once these technologies manages to disrupt the existing market and capture the fancy of users around the world
Major sectors which could be influenced by the Disruptive Technologies presented in this document include
Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Energy, Healthcare, Education, Retail and Entertainment
What follows is a list of 50 major Disruptive Technologies/ / /
Innovations/ Products that currently exist in markets
around the world; and have either caused disruptions in their corresponding sectors or are on the cusp of doing so
Source: ‘Six Converging Technology Trends’, KPMG India and Nasscom, 2013

4. #1: 3D PRINTING
CONCEPT: 3D printing is basically an additive manufacturing process in which objects are built layer by
layer rather than through moulding or subtractive techniques. This technology allows the user to build real
objects from virtual 3D objects. This is done by ‘cutting’ the virtual object in 2D slices and printing the real
object slice by slice.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Consumer markets
•Certain consumer product categories are
relatively to make using technology
easy this Manufacturing (General)
•Cost cutting through elimination of tooling costs,
reduction in wasted material, and reduced handling
costs
Manufacturing (Mold's)
•Shortening setup
•times, eliminating tooling errors and high efficient
moulding process
CURRENT STAGE:
• 3D printing could generate an economic impact of USD 230 Billion to USD 550 Billion per year by 2025
• Major techniques include selective laser sintering, direct metal laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, stereo lithography and inkjet bio‐printing
• The biggest advantage of this technology is that it provides instant modeling to get an idea of the final product, which can cut costs and time
significantly
Source: McKinsey & Company, The Engineer Magazine

5. #2: THE INTERNET OF THINGS
CONCEPT: The Internet of Things IoT) is a concept of embedding every object living (or being with sensors
or actuators and generating their virtual representation on the internet. Identifying all objects in this
unique manner can enable us to effectively track, monitor and even control them.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
CURRENT STAGE:
• Has to MANUFACTURING : • identifying bottlenecks •
Optimizing processes
the potential create economic
impact of USD 2.7 Trillion to USD 6.2
Trillion annually by 2025
• around 8.7 Billion devices
p gp
HEALTHCARE : • Constant health monitoring • Detecting
counterfeit drugs
RETAIL: • Keeping track of inventory levels • Product
details
Currently are connected to internet and the
number is expected to touch 40
Billion by 2020
ENERGY : • Smart Grid applications
URBAN DEVELOPMENT :
•Traffic monitoring Waste and Water management
through smart meters and leak detection sensors y
• The major challenge is to make use of
the flood of the data that is provided
by the sensors
AGRICULTURE : • Soil sensors and Leaf sensors
y
Source: McKinsey & Company, Cisco Systems, Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group

6. CONCEPT:
#3: BIG DATA ANALYTICS
Big Data means the data sets with sizes beyond capacities of commonly used software tools to capture,
curate, manage, and process the data within a tolerable elapsed time. Big Data Analytics technology
refers to storing and managing large chunk of data in a single location for analysis and evaluation at later
stages. However, the term Big Data is quite variable in terms of data sizes ranging from few dozens
terabytes to many petabytes of data in a single data set.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
CURRENT STAGE:
• The global market of big data is
Retail • Improved marketing, merchandising, operations,
supply chain and after sales service
expected to increase from USD 5.4
Billion in 2012 to USD 48 Billion till
2016
• Clubbed with technologies like cloud
computing, social media and mobile
Healthcare •Real‐time exploration and predictive
analytics of clinical data for R & D
Telecom •Measure and analyze customer activities,
customer churn call handling at call centers
p g,
internet; Big Data Analytics can offer
benefits to sectors like education,
defense, aerospace, government
services and several others
churn, Finance •Generate customer insight and reduce
fraudulent practices
Source: KPMG, International Journal of Internet Science, McKinsey & Company

7. #4: CLOUD CO MPUTING
CONCEPT: Cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of
your computer's hard drive. Here cloud is simply the metaphor for internet. This technology can
significantly reduce the need of the personal storage devices and hence can cut down user cost
substantially.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare • Access and retrieve information stored in
scattered systems in real time
Telecom • Reduced cost in setting up infrastructure
Retail • Data stored and accessed remotely for inventory
reducing the time and cost
Public Sector • Easy and fast access to data and applications
remotely
Information Technology • Cost cutting in infrastructure
development as renting a cloud server is far cheaper than
developing one
CURRENT STAGE:
• The total economic impact of cloud technology could be USD 1.7 Trillion to USD 6.2 Trillion annually by 2025
• Cloud technology is the cornerstone for some of the most promising disruptive technologies like mobile internet,
automation of knowledge work, internet of things and big data
• Some of the major research areas for this technology are network capacity, security of data and cultural resistance
source: kpmg , mckinsey & company

8. #5: ADVANCED NANO‐MATERIALS
CONCEPT: Any use or manipulation of materials at a scale of less than 100 nanometers (10‐7 meters) can
be termed as nanotechnology. Advanced nano‐materials can be created by direct modification of
molecular sized nano‐particles using tools like atomic force microscopes, electron beam or laser
lithography which are capable of dealing with nano‐scale features.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare
•Rapid, inexpensive electronic DNA sequencing
Energy
•Application in solar cells
•For energy storage as supercapacitors
Electronics
•Integrated Circuits
•Transparent conducting electrodes, which
can be used as touchscreens; LCDs
CURRENT STAGE:
• For healthcare, which will be the most benefitted sector through this technology, advanced nano‐materials could have a potential economic
impact of USD 150 Billion to USD 500 Billion annually by 2025
• Graphene is the most promising advanced material. It is one sixth the weight of steel and 100 times stronger. The production of Graphene
has been started, however at high cost and in limited quantities
Source: McKinsey & Company, Inmesol Power Solutions

9. #6: MOBILE DEVICES
CONCEPT: Mobile devices have changed the way people access digital content. Smartphones and tablets
have brought rich, digital content to the fingertips of consumers. The surging popularity of mobile devices
like smartphones and tablet computers has created ripples across the computing industry.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Retail• Browse, compare and buy products online
Healthcare • A patient can seek medical advice
more often and have flexibility in terms of point of
care
G•oRviseer onfm meHneta lSteh csteorrvices
•Involving citizens for better governance through
maximum reach to the citizens
Finance• Easy and fast access to banking services
CURRENT STAGE:
• Mobile handset and tablet shipments are envisaged to grow from 1567 Million in 2012 to 2162 Million till 2016
• Today mobile devices are available in desirable size and shape at very reasonable price very easily. This includes mobile phones, tablets and
mobile computers
• j Gujarat g government has introduced m – Governance y system for more involvement of citizens. One such p example is of j Rajkot p
Municipal
Corporation, which provides SMS facility for interactive services, alert services and management services
Source: KPMG

10. #7: AUGMENTED REALITY
CONCEPT: Augmented Reality (AR) offers a live view of a physical, real‐world environment whose elements
are enhanced by computer computer‐generated sensory input such as sound sound, video video, graphics or GPS data data. An AR
system generates a composite view for the user that is the combination of the real scene viewed by the
user and a virtual scene generated by the system that augments the scene with additional information.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare • Better view of body parts inside to aid the
surgery
Defense •• Improved navigation for Soldiers
•Access to battlefield data in real time
Education • Can enhance a standard curriculum
•Better understanding by visual graphics
Construction • Visualization of georeferenced models of
•• construction sites, underground structures, •• cables and
pipes using mobile devices
Entertainment
•Gaming, videos, music, photos, personalized apps
Current Stage:
• AR has gradually moved from the world of science fiction, to our everyday lives and now everyone from retailers to
healthcare providers have embraced AR
• The growth of the augmented reality applications market is expected to be exponential with the revenue growth
from USD 181.25 Million in 2011 to USD 5,155.92 Million by 2016, at a CAGR of 95.35% from 2011 to 2016
Source: Research and Markets
y
• High cost is currently a major challenge that in the large scale application of Augmented Reality

11. #8: NEXT GENERATION GENOMICS
CONCEPT: DNA sequencing technologies, big data analytics and technologies with ability to modify
organisms altogether are known as next generation genomics; these could power rapid acceleration in the
field of biology as well as health care. This technology allows manipulation of genes for innovative disease
treatments and new types of genetically engineered products.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare
E d l id tifi ti d f
CURRENT STAGE:
• Next‐generation genomics could have a
•Easy and early identification and cure of l f
typical diseases like type 2 Diabetes
•Accurate and quick cure of cancer at low
costs
Agriculture
•Development of advanced varieties with
potential economic impact of USD 700
Billion to USD 1.6 Trillion per year by 2025
• Advanced genomics may offer tremendous
potential to develop personalized
p treatments for cardiovascular diseases
higher potential value
Tissue Engineering
•Creation of artificial organs as well as
organisms
• Next generation sequencing represents
newer and cheaper methods for sequencing
or decoding DNA
•• Technical challenges include sequencing
samples of low quality and/or quantity,
reliable identification of structural and
copy number variation and assessment of
intratumour heterogeneity
Source: McKinsey & Company, British Journal of Cancer

12. #9: MOBILE INTERNET
CONCEPT: Mobile Internet is a combination of mobile computing devices, high high‐speed wireless connectivity,
and applications. Basically it is the ability to access the internet on the mobile phone. This technology has
brought a revolution in the information technology field with availability of as much information as
required at just the tap of your finger.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare • Treatment of chronic diseases
•Remote monitoring of patients
Education • Online admission and classes
•Improve learning inside and outside classrooms
Public Sector • Citizen services
Retail • Online Shopping
Finance • Bill Payment and Online Transactions
CURRENT STAGE:
• Mobile Internet usage could generate global economic impact of USD 3.7 Trillion to USD 10.8 Trillion per year by 2025
• Global mobile internet traffic reached 1.5 exabytes per month at the end of 2013 with over half a Billion (526 Million) mobile
devices and connections added in 2013
• The major challenges for the limitless growth of this technology are to pack more computing power, sharper displays, multiple
sensors, and powerful antennas into ever‐smaller mobile devices
Source: McKinsey & Company Cisco Visual Networking Index

13. #10: AUTOMATION OF KNOWLEDGE WORK
CONCEPT: Use of computers to perform tasks that rely on complex analyses, subtle judgments, and
creative problem solving. This technology enables computing into new realms and creates new
relationships between knowledge workers and machines. This facilitates the replacement of man crew
with machines for doing the basic jobs.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare • Chronic care
•Cancer treatment diagnostics
Education • One‐on‐one attention and coaching
Business • Clerical
•Customer service and sales
Professional Services • Science and engineering
•IT • Finance • Legal
CURRENT STAGE:
• The potential economic impact of knowledge automation tools could reach USD 5.2 Trillion to USD 6.7 Trillion per year by 2025
• Technological, regulatory and organizational concerns can be some key areas of focus before the full utilization of this technology
Source: McKinsey & Company

14. #11: ADVANCED ROBOTICS
CONCEPT: Traditional robots can perform the tasks which require exceptional speed speed, precision precision, stamina or
strength excellently in specific conditions. But the need of the hour is to have robots that have greater
mobility, dexterity, flexibility, and adaptability in much diverse situations. This has encouraged the
development of advanced robotics technologies. These technologies allows the robots to take complex
judgments and execute tasks on their own.
CURRENT STAGE:
B 2025d d b i ld h ld id
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare • Robotic surgery
•Robotic Prosthetics
Manufacturing • Benefit in production line
•To perform repetitive, heavy, or dangerous
• By 2025 advanced robotics could have a worldwide
economic impact of USD 1.7 Trillion to USD 4.5
Trillion annually
• Apart from advanced technologies, high cost remains
p p , y, g the major challenge for the procedures
Service sector • Cleaning and Maintenance
•Customer service and sales
Defense • Automated Vehicles
•Auto Guided Weapons
worldwide acceptance of
advanced robotics
• For commercial adaption of this technology,
investments of scale USD 1 Trillion to USD 1.6 Trillion
may be required
Aerospace • Space Shuttles • Aircrafts
• For many businesses, advanced robotics promises
significantly reduced labor costs, greater flexibility
and reduced time to deliver products to the
marketplace
Source: McKinsey & Company, International Federation of Robotics

15. #12: SOCIAL MEDIA
CONCEPT: Social Media is an instrument of communication; it is a platform that not only gives information
but also allows users to interact with each other. It is not just a tool for communicating with friends and
acquaintances; Social Media now exerts tremendous influence over the people around the world of all
ages, to get and share information.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Retail • Connects with the customers and reach out
to them personally know their interest and
to preferences
Healthcare • Remote patient care and monitoring
•One‐to‐many’ doctor patient communication
Government Sector • Enhance the outreach of
government •• Effective citizen engagement and
communication with all stakeholders in real‐time
Finance • Understanding the customers’ opinion
about services and products • Quick response to
customer feedback
CURRENT STAGE:
• Total number of social media accounts are expected to grow from 3.13 Billion in 2012 to 4.87 Billion till 2016
• The major advantage of this technology is that it facilitates open communication, leading to enhanced information discovery and delivery
• Social Media is being used extensively by organizations for branding, advertising and corporate communications
Source: KPMG

16. #13: AUTONOMOUS AND NEAR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
CONCEPT: This includes vehicles which can be manipulated with little or no human intervention. This
technology includes on‐board systems which continuously transmit information about vehicle status and
location and this information allows real time monitoring as well as maneuvering if needed by remote
operator.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Logistics • Long distance transport of goods
•Deliveries of products from retail outlets to users
using drones
Defense • Unmanned Vehicles
•Automated Aircrafts
Automotive • Automatically driven vehicles
Aerospace • Automated Space crafts
CURRENT STAGE:
• 01The potential economic impact of autonomous cars and trucks could be USD 200 Billion to USD 1.9 Trillion per year by 2025
• Currently, we have autonomous vehicles, although still in experimental and development stage, the technology is entering consumer market
with systems such as improved cruise control, automated parking, low speed autonomous driving, which in turn could lead to a full
autonomy in driving
• Benefits of this technology include reduced accidents, traffic reduction, higher safe speeds, cost reduction, time savings etc
Source: McKinsey & Company, Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organization

17. #14: ADVANCED ENERGY STORAGE
CONCEPT: Conversion of electricity into form that can be stored and converted back into a electrical
energy for later use, providing energy on demand. This concept allows users to generate energy in times
of low demand and store and use later in times of peak demands.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Automotive
•Can make electric vehicles a viable option to
conventional vehicles
Energy/ Power
•Rural and underserved areas can be provided
with electricity
•To store significant amount of energy for use
in peak times
CURRENT STAGE:
• The economic impact of energy storage technologies has the potential to reach USD 90 Billion to USD 635 Billion annually in 2025
• Some of the common technologies for energy storage are solid state batteries, flow batteries, flywheels, compressed air energy storage,
thermal energy storage and Pumped Hydro Energy Storage(PHES)
• The major advantage of this technology is for peak load shifting. This allows provision of power in times of peak demands with comparatively
less infrastructure
• However for all the benefits to be realized, these energy storage methods must be cost competitive with other methods
Source: McKinsey & Company, Energy Storage Association

18. CONCEPT: Providing affordable to #15: UBIQUITOUS BROADBAND
and accessible internet services almost all sections of the society,
overcoming logistical, technological, economic and geographical challenges that might prevent such
internet access. Ubiquitous broadband itself is not a new technology, but an application of the internet
technology to the masses, which possesses great potential to help in the socio – economic development of
the world.
ll
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
All sectors
•Having ubiquitous internet facilities can help
in the commercial development of
businesses, both from a financial as well as
information sharing point of view
•Internet can be used a powerful tool for the
rapid social development of currently
developing or under developed and
economically backward nations
CURRENT STAGE:
• As of 2013, 134 countries had National Broadband Plans; India’s policy for National Optical Fibre Network was adopted in 2011
• According to the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, more than 45% global internet penetration is envisaged by 2015
Source: McKinsey & Company, Broadband Commission for Digital Development,
International Telecommunication Union

19. CONCEPT: Paying computer #16: DIGITAL PAYMENTS
for goods and/ or services using a combination of hardware, internet and
digital stored value systems, without the need of exchanging hard cash physically. Digital payments also
include Electronic Fund Transfers and digital currencies. Near Field Communication, Bluetooth Low
Energy and Mobile Wallets are examples of technologies that aid in conducting digital payments.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Retail/ Consumer Markets
R l t f ffli t b th
•Replacement of offline payments by these
cashless payment technologies
•Reduction in the risk of physically carrying
cash
•Boost to e – commerce markets
•Storing not just cash but coupons and other
important cards via mobile wallets
CURRENT STAGE:
• A number of countries, banks and organizations have significantly embraced Digital Payment systems; and it is possible to use credit cards and
electronic cash transfer to pay for services even in another country
• Bluetooth Low Energy can replace Near Field Communication in the coming future because of its larger operating range and wider
applicability
• In addition to e – Commerce and e – payments, m – commerce (through mobile phones) is also a major contributor to the growing popularity
of digital payments
Source: McKinsey & Company, businessinsider.in, hongkiat.com

20. #17: UNIVERSAL BIOMETRIC IDENTITY
CONCEPT: The technique of assigning an unique identification number or code to each and every
individual person’s biological characteristics which helps the identity of that
individual, linked to the person s certain characteristics, ensure person only during all activities related to the identification number carried out by the person. Biometric
identifiers can include fingerprint scans, iris recognition, retinal scans or DNA identification.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
All sectors
•Assigning biometric identities to individuals can be considered more
reliable than other traditional identifiers, since biometric identifiers
are unique to each person and difficult to be replicated
•Biometric identities can also help reducing scams or fraudulent
activities against individuals
•Biometric identifiers can also help to track persons having criminal
records or linked to terrorist groups
CURRENT STAGE:
• The technology is fairly highly implemented in developed countries with a number of countries also having biometric ID card scanning systems
installed at places frequented by people
• Biometric ID cards are also linked to sensitive areas in organizations to limit access to public; and also to bank accounts to ensure safety of
monetary transactions
• Adaptive Biometrics, biometrics linked to the brain and heart signals are some of the recent advancements in this sector
• India has issued Biometric ID cards (Aadhaar Cards) to more than 56 crore citizens under the UIDAI; this database is the largest biometric
database in the world
Source: UIDAI, McKinsey & Company, Center for
Global Development, about.com, fastcompany.com

21. #18: IMMUNOTHERAPY
CONCEPT: Method of treatment using the patient’s own immune system to fight diseases such as cancer or allergies, by
ith ti l ti th i t t k t b i i tifi i l i t t i t th b d
either stimulating the immune system to work smarter, or by giving artificial immune system proteins to the body.
Immunotherapy treatments, also known as biotherapy or biological response modification, either boost the general
immunity of the body, or train the immune system to specifically attack malevolent cells.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare
•Medicinal treatments for certain diseases need to be
taken on a regular basis, sometimes at a high cost, and
even then might not be fully effective; immunotherapy
provides the option of directly attacking the root cause
of the disease and strengthening the immune system of
the body
CURRENT STAGE:
• Immunotherapy research is currently focused on finding effective treatments for cancer and allergies
• Immunotherapies need to undergo proper regulatory and legal approvals before they can be commercially implemented
• j Major yp types of g biological p response modifiers include , Interferons, , Interleukins, Monoclonal , Antibodies, Vaccines and y Colony g
Stimulating
Factors
Source: American Cancer Society, mdanderson.org,
cancer.net, allergytherapeutics.com, hcplive.com

22. #19: INSURANCE SECURITIZATION
CONCEPT: Financial tool, whereby insurers pool contractual debts, and transfer major risks on their books,
through bonds or securities to capital market investors, thus reducing their exposure to insurance risks,
reducing their costs of re – insurance, and allowing them increased liquidity to issue more insurance
policies and services. Catastrophe bonds, Sidecars and Life Insurance Securitization are important
segments of the Insurance Linked Securities (ILS) market.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Finance
•Increasing risks of disasters and high mortality rates are
putting pressure on insurers by increasing the risks they
face; transferring risks to capital markets could be a
cheaper, transparent and more liquidity providing
model for insurance companies as compared to re –
insurance
•Lower cost of capital and efficient risk transfer possible
through ILS; can offer investors a chance to be more
prudent about how their invested capital is utilized
CURRENT STAGE:
• Including all sources of ILS capital, the amount of alternative capital in this segment could almost equal USD 60 Billion by 2015
• ILS have been around for more than 15 years now, but only in recent years have they started putting real pressure on re – insurers
• After the financial crisis of 2008 2008, a an mber number of stricter regulations ha e have come into effect regarding ILS which hich are aimed at red cing reducing the risks
posed by ILS and the issuers of securities
Source: Citi Group, The Economist, National
Association of Insurance Commissioners, artemis.bm

23. #20: PRECISION AGRICULTURE
CONCEPT: An agriculture management and optimization technique, which makes use of sensors, Global Positioning System
(GPS) bi d t d di ti l ti t ll t l ti d t d it t d t d ti l dt l
GPS), big data and predictive analytics to collect real – time data, and processes to understand spatial and temporal
variations across a single field or multiple fields, or even variations in humidity, soil quality and crop maturity, thus giving a
holistic overview of the impacts of current agriculture methods being used, and to make relevant modifications in the same,
as per the data collected. Pictures of the fields are also taken using satellite imagery or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV),
which combined with GPS and sensor – recorded data, precisely pinpoint the current crop status of any location in the field.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Agriculture
•Increasing populations and demands for food are
making it necessary to optimize and improve current
crop production techniques, to ensure constant high
yields; precision agriculture can help in forecasting crop
outputs and thus making relevant modifications to boost
these outputs
Current Stage:
• Precision agriculture technologies currently require expensive and robust IT infrastructure and monitoring resources
• Venture Capital funds focused on agriculture technology are being established to promote precision agriculture
• Cleantech startups related to food and agriculture reportedly experienced the biggest growth during the Q4 of 2013
• Weather forecasting and modeling, cloud computing, data analytics and data management systems related to food and agriculture will also witness growth
in conjunction with precision agriculture
Source: Forbes, IBM, Cleantech Group, Michigan State University

24. #21: HYBRID VEHICLES
CONCEPT: Any vehicle that combines more than one source of energy to provide propulsion for the functioning of the vehicle is called a hybrid
vehicle Various sources of energy for hybrid vehicles include gasoline diesel natural gas electric batteries biofuel solar energy wind power and
vehicle. gasoline, diesel, gas, batteries, biofuel, energy, even human muscle power. The most common types of hybrid vehicles used today combine a fossil fuel source with electricity. Hybrid vehicles
include cars, motorbikes, trains, buses, cranes, boats and even submarines.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Automotive
•Hybrid vehicles provide users with benefits such as
more fuel efficiency, automatic shut off when not
driving, regenerative braking; and lesser emissions
Energy/ Environment
•With such a huge global demand for vehicles, hybrid
vehicles can help conserve energy, and also help
reduce the carbon footprint
CURRENT STAGE:
• Hybrid vehicles are considered a bridge between conventional fuel powered vehicles and fully electric vehicles
• A number of hybrid vehicle options are available to users today including full hybrids, mild hybrids and plug – in hybrids, depending on the
users technical and financial preferences
• Companies such as Toyota, Honda, Ford and Chevrolet are major players in the hybrid cars space
Source: howstuffworks.com, fueleconomy.gov, hybridcars.com

25. #22: E – TAILING
CONCEPT: Business to over is tailing (electronic retailing)
Customer (B2C) interaction for the sale of goods and/ or services the internet known as e – retailing).
e – tailing commonly involves an online brochure of goods, along with the user interface to purchase these goods and pay for them through a variety
of payment methods, such as online payment portals. e – tailing also involves a bigger external logistical network of warehouses and product
transport and delivery systems.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Retail/ Consumer Markets
••e – tailing can completely eliminate the physical requirement of going to
brick and mortar retailers for purchase of goods/ services
•This makes the offering attractive for consumers who have a time or
logistical constraint which hinders them from actually going to retail
outlets
•Consumers can browse through a multitude of product offerings, either
on the same e – tail website, or on any number of such websites, before
choosing the optimum product according to their taste and budget
Current Stage:
• e – tailing players have started capturing major market shares, boosted by prompt deliveries and novelties such as order tracking services and
Cash On Delivery (COD) applications available
• The Indian e – tailing market is expected to grow to around USD 22 Billion in the next five years, with major players such as Flipkart, Myntra and
Amazon India expected to grow around 70 – 100 % on a year – on – year basis
• m – commerce (shopping via mobiles) has also given a boost to the e – tailing industry, with almost all major e – tail players offering mobile
shopping applications
Source: moneycontrol.com, howstuffworks.com
etailingindia.com, searchcio.techtarget.com

26. #23: POWERED EXOSKELETON
CONCEPT: A bodysuit having a hard outer covering, and using a combination of motors, hydraulics and power supply
y g g, g , y p pp y
devices to primarily boost the strength and endurance of the user. Such exoskeletons can be used to leverage the benefits of
technology to augment the capabilities of the human body, either in extreme conditions or in the presence of some
disability.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Defense
•The soldiers of the future will be able to wear
such exoskeletons to navigate through hostile
conditions during wars or rescue operations
Healthcare
•Exoskeletons are also being developed to help
people with lower body disabilities to stand
and move around
CURRENT STAGE:
• A large number of companies and organizations including the US Army are working on developing exoskeletons for a defense as well as
healthcare point of view
• According to Panasonic, the world’s first affordable and mass produced exoskeleton will be on sale 2015 onwards, costing around USD 5000
• Issues concerning the development of exoskeletons include durable power supply, flexibility and motion controllers
Source: Ekso Bionics, howstuffworks.com, extremetech.com

27. #24: GESTURE RECOGNITION
CONCEPT: The interpretation of hand gestures and/ or facial expressions by a computer or a machine, thus
reducing the use of conventional mechanical input devices, whilst increasing the Human Machine
Interface (HMI). Gesture recognition uses a combination of computer programming, computer vision and
image processing; and input devices such as wired gloves and a variety of cameras.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Entertainment
•Using gestures to control devices such as music players,
smart phones and tablets
Manufacturing
•Using gestures to operate control panels in manufacturing
units can save time
Healthcare
•Patients with disabilities will also be able to operate devices
having gesture recognition
Education
•Novel and interactive methods of education can be
introduced
CURRENT STAGE:
• Current gesture recognition devices use combinations of accelerometers, gyroscopes and infrared detectors as
sensors; and are already finding applications in gaming consoles, smartphones and so on
• The global Gesture Recognition market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 29.2% over 2013‐2018
Source: digitaljournal.com; gizmodo.com; whatis.com

28. #25: MASSIVE ONLINE OPEN COURSE
CONCEPT: A Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) is a method of providing online education to a very large number of students across the globe, free
or at a very negligible cost as compared to conventional higher educational methods. MOOCs typically involve a MOOC platform, wherein students
can access educational content in the form of lectures, reading material and related assignments, all online, thus reducing physical, financial and
even time zone related difficulties. MOOCs may or may not grant credits to the applicants, and have different course durations depending on the
course.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Education
•Access to a broad range of courses, across sectors, and
capable of catering to an almost unlimited number of
students
•Removing the physical and financial barriers can help
spread education massively in developing countries
and to people who cannot afford higher education
••MOOC providers charge a nominal amount for
certification; which is also acceptable to many students
taking the course
CURRENT STAGE:
• MOOCs bring together a large number of stakeholders such as MOOC providers, Universities, Internet services
providers and Venture Capitalists
• Around 2230 MOOC players are currently operational, including profit/ not for profit organizations; and even
conglomerates of Universities
• p Adaptive g testing, p peer g g grading, yp typing g p pattern g recognition and other such g technologies are g being p
developed to reduce
the effect of cheating in MOOCs
Source: The Complete University Guide; www.moocs.co; www.coursera.org

29. #26: SPEECH RECOGNITION
CONCEPT: Speech is the ability of a computer, computer software program or hardware
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
recognition device to decode the human voice into digitized speech that can be interpreted by the computer or
hardware device. This technology enables us to operate a device or perform commands without using
the conventional input devices.
CURRENT STAGE:
• Speech recognition has developed
Healthcare
significantly in past few years. Today,
this technology is offered in mobile
devices as well as computers through
Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)
software
• The accuracy of speech recognition has
•Medical documentation processes
•Maintaining EHR (Electronic Health Records)
Defense
•Operating aircrafts smoothly
also been increasing. The F‐35 pilot‐aircraft
of US Air Force offers system
speech recognition with an accuracy of
~98%
• Apart from technical challenges the
high tech •Better control over weapons due to ease of input
Business
•Easy and fast document production with reduced labor
of typing physically
challenges, reliability of the inputs interpreted by
the software remains a key issue of
research
Others • A boon for visually impaired peoples
•Hands free computing • Home automation
•Vehicle navigation systems • Mobile telephony
Source: Department of Computer Engineering, Çukurova University; US Air Force

30. #27: QUANTUM COMPUTING
CONCEPT: A method of computing that uses the principles of quantum physics to store information as a 1 or a 0 or
a superposition of both at the same time time, instead of conventional binary computing which can store information
only as a 1 or a 0, but not a superposition of the two. Using quantum superposition, in conjunction with the
effects of quantum tunneling and entanglement, makes quantum computers consider all possible combinations of
quantum bits (qubits) simultaneously, thus enabling them to perform calculations much faster than conventional
digital computers.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
All sectors
•With tremendous amounts of data being generated
across sectors everyday, superior computing abilities
could make data analysis and management easier
•Applications in cryptography and data encryption vis‐à‐
vis data protection
CURRENT STAGE:
• A number of Government agencies around the world are funding Quantum Computing programs from a national safety point of view
• Quantum computing is still more of a theoretical concept which is in its practical infancy
• The D –Wave is the only commercial Quantum Computer available in the world, priced around USD 10 Million and with very limited
computing power; companies such as IBM are also developing Quantum Computers
• High costs remain a major challenge f for Quantum Computers as f
of now; topics such as coherence on a single qubit level and stringing
multiple fully entangled qubits together are major current areas of research in this domain
Source: D –Wave Systems, howstuffworks.com,
about.com, extremetech.com, guardian.com

31. #28: BIOFUELS
CONCEPT: A Biofuel can be described as a fuel that contains energy from geologically recent carbon
fixation. These fuels are extracted from living organisms such as plants or microalgae. Biofuels differ from
conventional fossil fuels in a way that Biofuels can be regenerated in short time period making them a
renewable energy source.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
CURRENT STAGE:
• Among the various biofuels like Ethanol
Power
•Electricity generation is the single largest use of fuel
•Biofuel can offer a viable alternative to conventionally
used coal and natural gas
Ethanol,
Biodiesel, Green Diesel, Biofuel Gasoline, and
Vegetable Oil, the most promising Biofuel today
is the Biodiesel
• In US, the NFESC, with several biodiesel
industries, is developing biodiesel technologies.
Automotive
•Less dependence on fossil fuels
•Clean and renewable fuel
, p g g
Another group of Spanish developers has
announced a new biofuel made from trash
• In India, the development of biofuels pivots
around the cultivation and processing Jatropha
plant seeds, which can grow on the wastelands
Energy
•Energy and cost efficient alternative to the
conventionally used fuels like wood, natural gas etc.
across India
• Offering the biggest advantage of partially to
fully replacement of the fossil fuels with clean
and ecological fuels, Biofuels face technical
challenges. Besides cost, the size of land needed
to produce the biofuels in mass very Source: BerkeleyBioDiesel, http://biofuel.org.uk/
is large

32. #29: ELECTRONIC SKIN
CONCEPT: Thin and flexible electronic material which can mimic the human skin in multiple ways. Using a
combination of nanotechnology, sensors and conducting materials, electronic skin has been created which
can sense pressure and temperature; and even stretch and heal itself. Electronic skin can be used to impart
the ability of sensations to people using prosthetics and also to enable robots to feel human – like
sensations.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare
•Restoring sensations such as touch and temperature
to people using prosthetics
•To be used by patients with diseases such as
Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy to constantly
monitor health data
••Applications wherein electronic skin will also be able
to administer medicine to patients are being
explored
CURRENT STAGE:
• A research team at Stanford University, USA has developed a self – healing skin; a research team at UC Berkeley, USA
has also developed an electronic skin which also lights up when touched
• Researchers have also constructed an electronic skin which is a combination of sensors that detect temperature and
motion motion, resistive RAM for data storage storage, micro heaters and drugs; which is capable of monitoring the health of patients
and administering drugs itself
Source: IEEE Spectrum; nature.com; news.discovery.com

33. #30: CROSSBAR MEMORY
CONCEPT: Crossbar Memory is a unique type of Non – Volatile Resistive Random Access Memory
(RRAM) being developed by Crossbar, based in California, USA, which is a memory format that allows
storage capacity of upto 1 Terabyte (TB) on a chip the size of a postage stamp. Further, Crossbar
technology can be stacked vertically in 3D, providing multiple TB of storage on a single chip. According to
Crossbar, this memory can disrupt the existing USD 60 Billion Flash memory market.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
CURRENT STAGE:
• By 2016, the demand for non – volatile memory
is 48 4 Billion
Entertainment and Consumer Markets
•High storage capacity in laptops, tablet computers,
smartphones and gaming systems
expected to reach USD 48.4 • Crossbar has successfully developed its
demonstration product in a commercial fab. This
working silicon is a fully integrated monolithic
CMOS controller and memory array chip
Manufacturing and Business
•Will be able to boost the success of the Internet of
Things and the Industrial Internet
•Extra storage capacities for IT systems and Cloud
service providers
• Crossbar is currently completing the
characterization and optimization of this device
•Real time automotive applications
•Application in smart meters and thermostats
Source: Crossbar Inc.; venturebeat.com

34. #31: CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER
CONCEPT: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Technologies use mirrors or lenses to concentrate the sunlight
into a relatively small area, where this light is converted to heat. This heat then creates steam that drives
steam engines to generate electric power. CSP systems have very wide ranges form remote power
systems as small as few kilowatts up to grid‐connected power plants of 100’s of megawatts (MW).
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Energy/ Power
•CSP is most economically viable in large
installations. This allows for economies of scale in
production and installation, leading to price
reductions
•Moreover electricity system operators are
accustomed to deal with large installations, which
further help lead to widespread acceptance
CURRENT STAGE:
• The most widespread CSP technology used is parabolic‐trough plants which covers ~90% of CSP plants
• Nokh Plant located in Rajasthan, by Godavari Green Energy is one of the major CSP plants in India. Spread over 400 acres of land, the plant
has the capacity of 50 MW
• The major challenge faced by this technology is the higher cost compared to other alternate technologies
• h With proper f l financial support l b global l CSP capacity ld could reach h 147 GW b
by 2020
Source: Solar Energy Development Programmatic EIS, US Department of Energy

35. #32: WEARABLE BLUETOOTH RING
CONCEPT: Wearable Bluetooth ring (g( ) Fin) is an g elegant y tiny device that can be worn on thumb to convert the user’s p
palm
into a gesture interface. With this technology one can control multiple devices supporting Bluetooth without even
touching them. Fin can transmit natural gestures as commands to any connected Bluetooth device.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Entertainment
•Wireless control of smartphones, TVs, and other
connected devices
Defense
•Remote controlling of the weapons
Augmented Reality
•Controlling head mounted displays
Virtual Modelling
•Better visualization of concept models
CURRENT STAGE:
• Wearable Bluetooth ring is still in its research and development phase
• High retail price is one of the prime concerns for widespread acceptance of this technology. However the cost could be cut to a reasonable
amount once it mass production commences
• Among the other benefits those will transform the way of living, the most important benefit is that the palm can be a touch interface for the
visually impaired; and Fin can be used to control disability aids with the least amount of physical stress
Source: Indiegogo, www.bgr.in, http://www.wearfin.com/

36. #33: HOLOGRAPHIC TELEPRESENCE
CONCEPT: Projecting realistic, moving and 3D images of far off people or surroundings at some other place, to give the
i i f th f ff / bj t t ll b i t t th l ti h th i j t d Th i
impression of the far off persons/ objects actually being present at the location where the images are projected. The images
of the subject are captured, compressed, transmitted over an internet network; then decompressed and projected at the
target location using lasers, in a process similar to creating holograms.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Business/ Communication
•Using Holographic Telepresence in business meetings/ to address
public gatherings, to cut the travel times and logistical costs of the
participants
Entertainment
•Using the technology to recreate artists and performers on the
stage, who might not be able to actually perform
Healthcare
•Combined with telemedicine, the technology can be used to obtain
medical advice from experts at far off locations
Education
• Interactive methods of teaching can be introduced; students can
be taught by subject experts located at distant places
CURRENT STAGE:
• Telepresence technologies such as videoconferencing are already actively used for long distance communication
• Britain based Musion uses an effect named ‘Pepper’s Ghost’ , popular with illusionists to beam moving images onto sloped glass. Poland based company Leia
uses laser projectors to beam images onto a cloud of water vapor. This results in an effect wherby3D objects can be viewed and manipulated from every angle
• Holographic Telepresence has been used to even create projections of dead artists for musical performances during events
• Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi extensively used innovative holographic telepresence while campaigning for the National Elections 2014; this has
also been featured in the list of Guinness World Records
Source: Musion, The Telegraph, whatis.com, telepresenceoptions.com

37. #34: DNA LASER PRINTING
CONCEPT: A technology that uses laser to etch DNA on a molecular level. This etched DNA can then be
injected into a cell to generate an organism programmed as per the specific input parameters. The
technique uses microarray cloning to mass‐produce a Million oligonucleotides in parallel, and then uses
massively parallel DNA sequencing to sort the different DNA variants and identify those with the desired
sequence.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare
•The Laser Printing technology is expected to reduce costs of
generating the DNA, while also making the process more
accurate and error free
•This cost reduction could result in advancements in medical
treatments
•Opens up the possibility of preserving animals on the verge
of extinction, and also of generating new living beings
CURRENT STAGE:
•• Traditional DNA printing is well known throughout the world, however a major concern is its very high cost and
observed high error rate. These shortfalls could be overcome by the Laser Printing technology
• US based Cambrian Genomics is leading the way in testing and developing DNA Laser Printing technology
• This technology is still in its nascent stage and once fully developed can open up the doors to personalized healthcare
applications
Source: Cambrian Genomics, The Economic Times, www.prote.in,
3dprintingindustry.com, laserfocusworld.com, extremetech.com

38. #35: OCEAN THERMAL ENERGY CONVERSION (OTEC)
CONCEPT: OTEC a marine renewable technology that harnesses is energy the solar energy absorbed by
the oceans to generate electric power. OTEC uses the temperature gradient between cooler deep and
warmer shallow or surface ocean waters to run a heat engine and produce useful work, generally in the
form of electricity.
Industry Application
Energy / Power
•Clean and renewable source of energy
•A base load electricity generation system which generates
electricity 24 hours, all year long.
Synergetic Products
•Fresh water: Fresh water of quality at par with standard
desalination plants
•Food: Nutrient rich cold water from the deep ocean
•Cooling: Cold water can be utilized for applications such as
cooling greenhouses
Current Stage:
• World’s first operating OTEC plant is located in Okinawa island, Japan. The electricity generation capacity of the plant
is estimated to be 50 kW
• Lockheed Martin group along with Hong Kong‐based Group has planned to develop a OTEC pilot plant
Source: OTEC News, OTEC Okinawa
Reignwood that will be built off the coast of southern China

39. #36: BALLOON POWERED INTERNET
CONCEPT: A project currently being undertaken by Google that involves a series of high – altitude
balloons, floating in the stratosphere, higher than the altitude at which aeroplanes fly, and creating an
aerial wireless network, to which users on the ground can connect to, if they have the corresponding
receivers. The flight of the balloons is controlled by the direction of the wind, and the internet signal
bounces from a terrestrial antenna, up to the balloon network and then down to the actual users on the
earth.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
All sectors
•The aim of such projects is to
provide affordable and accessible
internet connectivity to developing/
under developed areas, where
currently internet access is difficult
to provide due to either logistical or
cost issues
Current Stage:
• Google’s Project Loon has been started in June 2013 with an experimental pilot in New Zealand; the results of the pilot are being used to
constantly refine the technology in a research facility in California’s Central Valley
• Project Loon aims to establish a ring of uninterrupted connectivity around the 40th southern parallel during this pilot stage
• One of the balloons used in the project has been able to traverse the globe in an impressive 22 days
• In addition to the balloons, solar powered drones can also come up as a similar technology for providing global internet access
Source: Project Loon, theverge.com, techcrunch.com

40. #37: PROSTHESIS
CONCEPT: A prosthesis or prosthetic device is an artificial substitute for a missing human or animal body
part. Prosthetic devices include, but are not limited to artificial limbs, eyes, ears; and even replacements
for the heart, kidneys, skin and blood. Prosthetics are extremely helpful to amputees who might have lost
their body parts in accidents or because of diseases. Prosthetics need to be carefully designed and
manufactured as per the patient’s needs.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare
•To enable amputees to lead better lives by attaching
artificial substitutes for their amputed body parts
•Lightweight and high strength materials used these days
have even made it possible for prosthetics to help the
patient in participating in games and sports
•Neurocognitive prosthetics are helping patients to physically
reconstitute or augment cognitive processes such as
executive function, attention, language and memory
CURRENT STAGE:
• Cutting edge materials such as carbon fiber, titanium and Kevlar allow prosthetics to be stronger and lighter, thus reducing the effort required
to control them
• Combinations of hydraulics, mechanical linkages, motors, computer microprocessors, and innovative combinations of these technologies give
much more control to the prosthetic user; Myoelectric limbs, which control the limbs by converting muscle movements to electrical signals,
have started to replace the cable operated limbs
• Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing are used to design and manufacture prosthetics prosthetics; prosthetics generally cost
around USD 5000 – USD 35000
Source: Britannica Encyclopedia; www.howstuffworks.com

41. #38: DIGITAL PILL
CONCEPT: A pill that contains an inbuilt sensor, which sends out information to an external patch worn
by the patient, when the pill has been taken; the patch can then relay the information to a linked
smartphone or tablet. A Digital Pill contains a sensor about the size of a grain of sand, alongwith copper
and magnesium, which together create an electrical circuit when they come in contact with the human
body’s digestive acids. This circuit then powers the sensor.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Healthcare
•Since human beings are prone to missing out on
regular doses of medicine; since patients with chronic
diseases need to take their medicines regularly; and
since it is necessary to constantly monitor the actual
effects of the medicine, such pills will prove to be very
successful in the healthcare industry
CURRENT STAGE:
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 50% of patients around the world fail to take medicines correctly ,
while 50% drugs are prescribed incorrectly
• US based Proteus Digital Health is developing such Digital Pills, expected to be in the market from 2015
• Companies such as Otsuka Pharmaceuticals and Novartis are also working with Proteus to develop these digital medicines
• Proteus is setting up a large scale testing and manufacturing facility for the Digital Pills in England
Source: Proteus Digital Health, fastcoexist.com,
histalkmobile.com, telegraph.co.uk, bbcnews.com

42. #39: VERTICAL FARMING
CONCEPT: Cultivating crops on segments vertically stacked one over the other, mostly in indoor facilities,
with artificial, user defined control over the light, water and nutrients needed by the plants to grow. Since
vertical farming has stacks of crops growing upwards, this reduces the actual land surface area being used
for agriculture; hence it is mostly associated with urban farming. Vertical farming uses LED light sources
and hydroponics extensively for the development of the plants.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Agriculture
•With a burgeoning population, ever increasing demand for food, and
rising costs of land, vertical farming can serve as a solution to increase
crop production, while reducing the horizontal usage of land
•Growing crops indoors in controlled conditions can help us to grow
crops all round the year, irrespective of weather conditions; and even
reduce the usage of pesticides and insecticides
•With proper technology to supply light, water and nutrients to plants,
there could be no physical limit to the number of stories we can build
on top of one another, to cultivate crops
CURRENT STAGE:
• Commercial vertical farming has already started in places like Singapore
• A vertical farm is Pennsylvania, USA is set to be the world’s largest farm using such technology
• Lighting systems for indoor farms farms, methods for supplying nutrients to plants; and ways of soil and water management
in high storied vertical farms are current topics of research vis‐à‐vis vertical farming
Source: verticalfarm.com, theguardian.com, howstuffworks.com, newscientist.com

43. #40: WIRELESS POWER
CONCEPT: Electric supply to devices or gadgets, without the device being physically connected to a
power source via cables. Wireless chargers are especially aimed at charging gadgets, while the device can
still be used and moved from one place to another by the user. Major wireless – charging technology
currently available are magnetic induction, magnetic resonance; and using a transmitter with small
antennas to send radio waves to a receiver connected to the gadget wherein the gadget converts the
energy from radio waves to DC power.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
All sectors
•Charging personal entertainment devices such as
smartphones and tablets, wirelessly
•Wirelessly charging medical implants such as
pacemakers to eliminate their batteries and reduce
their size
••Extending the application of this technology to
larger machines and even electric powered cars in
future
CURRENT STAGE:
• Simple devices such as electric toothbrushes use the principle of magnetic induction for charging
• Companies such as Energous and Witricity are actively developing chargers using the above mentioned technologies for charging gadgets
• Researchers at Stanford University, y, USA have discovered a new g wavelength at which wireless p power could be transferred, , thus reducing g
the
size of conventional medical implants
Source: MIT Technology Review, Electronic Engineering Journal,
edition.cnn.com, howstuffworks.com, mddionline.com,

44. #41: ARTIFICIAL BRAIN
CONCEPT: A synthetic brain, created by reverse engineering the mammalian brain down to INDUSTRY APPLICATION
the molecular
level. This can be achieved by the study of the brain’s architectural and functional principles. The focal
point is reconstructing the brain piece by piece and building a virtual brain in a supercomputer.
Healthcare
•Better understanding of neurological diseases
Research
•Understanding the effect of drugs on the brain
•More efficient neuroscientific research
CURRENT STAGE:
• Blue Brain Project is by far the most promising in this technology. Started in 2005, it has shown impressive results
including development of a cellular mesocircuit of 100 neocortical columns with a million cells in total
• A cellular rat brain is being developed with 100 mesocircuits, totaling a hundred million cells; and a cellular human
brain is predicted to be developed by 2023 equivalent to 1000 rat brains with a total of a hundred billion cells
• The major hurdle in achieving the goal is the computing power. Each simulated neuron requires the equivalent of a
laptop computer. Hence a model of a full brain would require billions of laptops. However, with developing
supercomputing technology artificial brain is an achievable goal
Source: École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne

45. #42: NANTENNA
CONCEPT CONCEPT: N Nantenna (N Nano A Antenna) ) i is a i nanoscopic if i rectifying antenna, an i l experimental h l technology b i
being
developed, which will convert light to electric power. This technology is based on the concept of wireless power
transmission. Nantenna is a very small rectifying antenna the size of a light wave, fabricated using nanotechnology,
which acts as an antenna for light, converting light into electricity.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Energy / Power
•Efficient use of solar energy than conventional
devices
•Though the current in each antenna is small, an
array of them can generate significant amount
of electricity
•Nantenna arrays can be designed to absorb any
frequency of light
CURRENT STAGE:
• As of now, Nantennas are being developed on experimental basis
• One of the challenges is that the frequency at which Nantennas operate is very high. This adds complications for
choice of diode
• Another challenge is that current Nantennas are produced using electron beam lithography. This process is slow and
expensive which limits the rife acceptance of this technology.
Source: Integrated Defense Staff; Media Arts and Technology, University of California

46. #43: PROGRAMMABLE MATTER
CONCEPT: Matter that can change its properties and/ or its shape, based upon either inputs provided by
the user, or by the inputs received by the sensing system of the material itself. Programmable matter
possesses properties such as computation, sensing, actuation and display.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
All sectors
•Manufactured products could be modified even
after manufacture, either by external inputs, or
by the inputs received by the product itself
•Clothes made from programmable matter could
modify their texture according to weather
conditions
•Prototypes of machines and devices could be
built and rebuilt any number of times
CURRENT STAGE:
• A number of programmable materials such as Claytronics and Smartdust are being developed which are operated
using computer science and/ or applications of computer networks
• Researchers at MIT, USA are working on smart sand particles which could enable the material to form and reform
shapes as per the user’s requirements
Source: MIT News, mit.edu, harvard.edu

47. #44: AIRLESS TIRE
CONCEPT: Non pneumatic tires, supported internally by compressible materials such as polymers, and not
by air pressure are known as airless tires. An absence of the air filled tube removes the risk of these tires
getting punctured, while these tires are being tested for their load carrying as well as shock handling
capacity too. Airless tires are commonly combinations of solid inner hubs, polymeric spokes in distinct
patterns, shear bands and treads.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Automotive
•Reduction in the risk of tires getting punctured in
challenging terrain, while providing possibly similar
levels of load carrying capacity and shock absorbing
capacity as pneumatic tires; and enhanced
durability and minimal maintenance than
conventional tires
•Possible applications in heavy duty vehicles such as
construction vehicles; or military vehicles
CURRENT STAGE:
• Airless tires have already been tested for light load carrying vehicles such as golf carts and lawn mowers; and even for
certain military vehicles and All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
• Major players in the tire industry such as Michelin and Bridgestone are developing different types of airless tires;
Michelin’s version is called the Tweel, Bridgestone’s version is the Air‐Free Concept Tire
• Resilient Technologies and Polaris both have airless tires based on a honeycomb shaped internal design
Source: howstuffworks.com, gizmodo.com, airless‐tire.com

48. #45: HYBRID DRILL BITS
CONCEPT: Drill bits which are combinations of conventional Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) drill
bits and Roller Cone drill bits bits, use to drill heterogeneous sub – surface formations formations, during hydrocarbon
exploration. These bits combine the cutting superiority of PDCs in soft formations, and the crushing
strength and stability of roller cone bits in hard formations, to provide higher overall Rate Of Penetration
(ROP) than a conventional bit used individually.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Energy
•Drilling is a costly part of the hydrocarbon
exploration and production process. Using
hybrid bits reduces the time otherwise
wasted in pulling out the drillstring and
changing the bit, when encountered with a
different sub – surface formation
•This reduced drilling time, and increased
utility of the drill bits can lead to a significant
saving in costs for the operator
CURRENT STAGE:
• US based Baker Hughes Inc. is a pioneer in hybrid drill bit applications, with its range of Kymera Hybrid Drill Bits
• Current major applications of hybrid drill bits include drilling interbedded formations, directional drilling and drilling wells
experiencing torque and vibration problems
• The hybrid drill bits have been proven to drill challenging formations in countries such as US, Brazil and Iceland, faster than
conventional bits
Source: Baker Hughes, National Oilwell Varco

49. #46: SMARTPHONE CO – PROCESSORS
CONCEPT: A Co – Processor is a processor which assists the main processor in a smartphone in
performing specific tasks such as motion sensing, thus decreasing the load on the main processor;
freeing up main processing power and also helping to increase battery life of the phone. This does not
imply that the main processors are not smart enough to perform these tasks; it is just that co – processors
are much more power optimized.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Entertainment
•Increase in the battery lives of smartphones is
the major impact expected
•Measurement of motion data from
accelerometers, gyroscopes and compasses
will be devotedly performed by co –
processors, enabling usage of main processing
capacity for other important tasks
CURRENT STAGE:
• The most prominent co – processors today are the ones used in Motorola’s Moto X and Apple’s iPhone 5S
• The co – processors in the Moto X enable the phone to listen to voice commands, and also to detect motion; similar
tasks are p performed y by the co – p processors in the iPhone 5S, in addition to g reducing network p g g pinging to save y
battery
life
Source: Apple; Cnet; BGR; Techradar

50. #47: LASER BROADBAND
CONCEPT: Advanced method of data transmission, primarily to be used to transmit data from satellites in
space to receivers on the Earth. NASA is developing the technology under the Lunar Laser Communication
Demonstration (LLCD) to transmit hundreds of Millions of bits of data per second from the moon to Earth.
This would be equivalent to transmitting more than 100 HD television channels simultaneously.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
CURRENT STAGE:
• NASA has successfully tested the data transmission
All sectors
•In today’s world, an enormous amount of data is being collected and
stored everyday all over the world
•Such superfast methods of data transfer would help in vastly
improving our understanding of the space, and help build more
capacity of the LLCD by downloading both pre –
decided files as well as real time data from the
Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer
(LADEE)
• NASA required just five minutes to transfer a
thus gigabyte of information effective space programs
•When such broadband networks are made available on the earth, this
will aid in rapid and secure data transfer, which will benefit
development across all economic and social sectors
information, and the limiting factor in
transfer speed turned out not to be the LLCD’s
transmission from the moon to the Earth, but
LADEE’s transmission to the LLCD just a few short
miles away
• The laser signal could be read without error even
in broad daylight and through light clouds; thus
increasing confidence in its technical success.
However, the signal wasn’t able to pass through
thick clouds or obstructions to light, which was in
line with NASA’s expectations
Source: NASA; extremetech.com; dslreports.com

51. #48: SMART GRIDS
CONCEPT: Smart grids are electrical grids that are integrated with computerized, two – way
communication networks which, in addition to transmitting electricity, also collect electricity usage data
and provide feedback to the electricity provider. Smart grids leverage the power of Information &
Communication Technology to allow real time monitoring and modification of the electricity supply
network, based on the trends in electricity consumption.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
CURRENT STAGE:
• Countries such as the USA, UK, China and many
European nations are already actively involved in
smart grid deployment or smart grid pilot projects
Energy/ Power
•Efficient transmission of electricity, lower operating
costs, faster restoration of electricity after outages
and reduced energy use during peak‐demand hours
•Abilities of anticipation and isolation, which allows
the system to locate problematic sections and to
isolate those which might have failed
grid modernization. Fourteen smart grid pilot
• The Ministry of Power, Government of India, under
the Restructured Accelerated Power Development
and Reform Programme (R‐APDRP) is directing
almost USD 10 Billion over the coming years to
projects have been announced by the Government
of India, which will be located all over the country
• The Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Ltd. (UGVCL) has
plans to roll out India’s first smart grid in Naroda
and in Gujarat 2014 Infrastructure
•Energy efficient infrastructure, enhanced cyber‐security,
integration with sources of electricity like
wind and solar power, energy security and reduced
b Deesa North Gujarat, by April 2014. In
collaboration with the Government of India, UGVCL
will invest almost INR 50 crore to set up new
infrastructure, meters, servers and analytic
systems for smart grid
carbon emissions
Source: Ministry of Power, Govt. of India; US Dept. of Energy; Business Insider

52. #49: LITHIUM – AIR BATTERY
CONCEPT: Batteries similar to traditional Lithium – ion batteries, in which the cathode is replaced by air,
wherein the oxidation of lithium at the anode and the reduction of oxygen at the cathode induces a
current flow. Since the cathode is air, such batteries are also called ‘breathing batteries’; having an air
cathode also makes these batteries lightweight. Li – air batteries have very high energy densities
compared to Li – ion batteries.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Energy
•Li – air batteries are being envisaged to be
used majorly in electric car applications. Their
reduced weight and increased energy density
could help increase the energy efficiency of
electric vehicles
CURRENT STAGE:
• Automobile companies such as Volkswagen are developing Li – air batteries to be used in their electric vehicles
• Researchers at MIT, USA have developed a genetically modified virus, which can increase the surface area of the nanowires used as
electrodes in the Li – air battery, which can then improve the performance and durability of Li – air batteries; Active research is also going on
to find the optimum electrolytic solution to be used in Li – air batteries
• In addition to Li – air batteries, Sodium – air batteries and Aluminium – air batteries are also researched and developed
Source: extremetech.com, cleantechnica.com,
theengineer.co.uk, gizmag.com, greencarreports.com

53. #50: ANTIBACTERIAL FABRIC
CONCEPT: Fabric embedded or imbibed with nano particles (generally silver particles) which prevent bacterial colonization on the fabric fabric, thus
keeping the fabric disinfected and hygienic, while also minimizing bad odors emanating from the fabric. These silver ion nano particle networks are
quite durable, and have been shown to not harm the human skin.
INDUSTRY APPLICATION
Textile
•Disinfected, odor free and durable clothes are
highly desirable in sport wear or gear
designed for outdoor activities
Healthcare
•The antibacterial properties make such fabrics
excellent contenders to be used in bandages,
surgical wear and other such wound treatment
related fabrics
CURRENT STAGE:
• Such Antibacterial Fabric is being manufactured around the world, even for use in furniture, home textiles, beddings,
mattresses and so on
• Researchers at Australia’s RMIT University have now developed silver nano wire enabled fabrics, which can kill of
b i bacteria i hi within j just 10 i minutes of f contact; h the i environmental li impacts f of hi this f b i fabric are now b i being i d
examined
Source: Trevira, HHL Technology, wisegeek.com, gizmag.com

54. Organized By Knowledge Partner National Partner
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