2 Indian-founded firms among 2010 tech pioneers
By siliconindia   |   Monday, 07 December 2009, 15:06 IST   |    23 Comments
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2 Indian-founded firms among 2010 tech pioneers
Bangalore: Vihan Network, for developing a solar-powered GSM system, and Bloom Energy, for developing method to convert renewable and traditional fuels into electricity, have been recognized as Technology Pioneers in 2010 along with 26 other companies by the World Economic Forum. Technology Pioneers are chosen on the basis of six criteria: Innovation; Potential impact; Growth and sustainability; Proof of concept; Leadership; and the company must not currently be a Member of the World Economic Forum, according to Rediff.com. Rajiv Mehrotra is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Gurgaon-based Vihaan Networks. Mehrotra is working on the next wave: bringing mobile phone service to the more than one billion people who live in the world's poorest and remotest areas. VNL has developed a solar-powered GSM system specifically for remote and rural areas where people have less than 2$ a month to spend on their phone bills. VNL's WorldGSM technology can help bring the reach of the current mobile infrastructure to billions more people. K.R. Sridhar is Founder and CEO of California-based Bloom Energy. The company aims to change the way the world generates and consumes energy by converting a wide range of renewable and traditional fuels into electricity through a highly efficient electrochemical reaction, rather than combustion. If it works, homes, offices and factories could generate their own electricity and fuel their own vehicles, using local resources. In the developed world, this would help meet energy needs while reducing costs and the carbon footprint. In the developing world, it would help give people access to power for the first time without huge investment in infrastructure or negative impact on the environment.

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