Avinash Iyer
If there was one place where the past, present and future of technology had converged last week, it was at GE India’s TechMela, held on 18th and 19th October in Bengaluru’s Whitefield. This annual event celebrates the best innovations and technologies to have come out of GE India’s technology centre, the company’s largest multi-disciplinary Research and Development facility.
From the laser entrance that amused both kids and adults alike to the various stalls that were testimony to GE’s technological brilliance, the event was nothing short of a carnival.Model windmills and a wind farm adorned the Power & Water stall and next to this stood the majestic Jenbacher J316 gas engine. The wind farm particularly drew a lot of visitors as it demonstrated wind energy generation using GE’s optimization technologies.
“What we are showcasing here (in TechMela) is the history of electricity and then getting into our heavy-duty gas turbine portfolio…,” said Mariasundaram Antony, General Manager, India Engineering, GE Power & Water. He added, “We are also showcasing some of the wind turbine technologies which we are doing for the globe as well as for the region.” Antony also spoke of the 1.7-103 wind turbine that GE has developed specifically for India’s low-wind speed conditions.
Another stall that was buzzing with activity was the Healthcare one. This year was of great significance as GE Healthcare had completed 25 years of innovation. With its motto being ‘At work for a healthier India’, GE has been tirelessly working to upgrade the standard of healthcare in the country. By making locally relevant products, the company has sought to overcome the unique healthcare challenges that a country as vast as India presents. “We are focused on four segments: mother & child care, cardiology, oncology and peri-operative care. Now the reason we have picked these four segments is that out of 6 billion people who live in the world, about 4 billion people have absolutely no access to any form of scientific healthcare,” said Vikram Damodaran, Director, Innovation, GE Healthcare India. Among the healthcare products on display were ultrasound machines, C-arm, which is a movable X-Ray imaging machine and the Cortex ID suite that helps in early detection of Alzheimer’s. “We want to create technologies at the right price models without compromising on clinical efficiencies, so that we improve cost, we improve access. That’s the basic philosophy,“ said Shyam Rajan, Chief Technology Officer, GE Healthcare, India.
As adults curiously went from stall to stall to soak in as much knowledge as they could, kids were having a great time too. From dressing up as scientists to getting entertained by a juggler, there was not a dull moment for them at the TechMela.
While the Oil & Gas stall gave you an idea of GE’s presence in India’s energy sector, the aviation one depicted how the company was helping India soar high into the skies. “We have a very proud heritage of innovation and that’s what we are trying to showcase. It (The stall) truly showcases the exciting technologies that engineers developed worldwide for GE Aviation and for our customers,” said Alok Nanda, General Manager, GE Aviation.
In keeping with the theme of TechMela, ie past, present and future, the Transportation section displayed the evolution of locomotives. There was also a stall dedicated to PACE (Patents and Analytics Center of Excellence) that provided visitors with an insight into the patenting system. For those who were curious to see how their digital versions looked, there was an artist right there sketching people’s digital caricatures.
All in all, GE India’s TechMela was an event where technology, fun, innovation and curiosity mixed in equal measure and ended up leaving an ever-lasting impression on people’s minds.
(Image courtesy: GE India Tech Centre's Twitter handle)
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