"To enrich the nation with technology-enabled policy options for equitable growth."
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Projects

Solar Thermal Modeling

Detailed mathematical modeling is underway for a large scale solar thermal power project.

Karnataka ESCOMs IT Analysis and Roadmap

This project involves detailed studies of existing business processes and information flows in four Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs) in Karnataka to analyze IT needs under RAPDRP and beyond. The aim is to create a framework and a roadmap for deployment of IT over the medium to long term.

The Evolution of Bangalore: Mobility, Livelihoods & Shelter

This project addresses the links between housing, livelihoods, and transportation in Bangalore. We continue our collection, compilation, visualization and analysis of data, acquisition of additional data from within and outside India, and continued research on planning, relocation, and other urban policies affecting the poor and infrastructure. Data challenges, not to mention different definitions of the term "slum," have slowed this project down, as the first component of shelter being addressed is the slum. Later stages will address other types of shelter.

Disaster Management

In the wake of recent terrorist attacks and natural disasters in urban areas, disaster preparedness has been identified as a key factor to respond to such situations effectively, failing which casualties can be very high. This project aims to understand the effect of intervention options available to the authorities in the event of a natural or a man-made disaster in urban areas. The influence of information flow structures (or lack thereof) during a disaster and efficient use of infrastructure systems and services to contain the disaster is explored within this project.

Energy Related Infrastructure

Focused on ecological sustainability and renewables - Currently underway include models on the Indian exceed and trade system, demand side management of electricity in a microgrid, and development of an energy game to think about maximizing use of renewable energy resources in the Indian context.

Institutional Aspects of Infrastructure

In conjunction with the TU-Delft & Harbin Institute of Technology, we are partners with in a comparative project funded by NGIF that compares the institutional aspects of transportation infrastructure.

Simulation and Game Development: Energy, Agricultural Supply Chain Management & Government Budget Planning

Agricultural Supply Chain: A simulation-based game built on a model of agricultural supply chains is underway in collaboration with TUD. An academic paper was presented at the 9th Wageningen International Conference on Chain and Network Management in Netherlands by one of our Dutch partners in May 2010. This mango season we did another round of fieldwork, and are in the process of analyzing this data to rework the simulation.

Regional Development via Multipolis

This area of work builds on a multipolis approach  - many smaller cities connected with good infrastructure, based on a European regional planning model. This preliminary work here is being done in multi-modal transport, including usig regioal aircraft to bring transportation benefits to rural areas.

New materials for batteries

"Harnessing Materials for Energy: Special Issue of the Materials Research Society Bulletin". This comprehensive report on challenges and progress made in materials research as they apply to energy. CSTEP Chairman V.S. Arunachalam, the editor of this issue, has received a Board Special Recognition Award from the Material Research Society "for meritorious service in and important contribution to the development and publication" of this issue.

Watercasting: Piloting the use of participatory media for identifying public health and water management concerns

The goal of the Watercasting project is to encourage bilateral engagement among public health researchers and policy makers using cultural artifacts as participatory media to drive critical thinking about personal, community and policy decisions affecting water and public health management.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Program

Energy Efficiency is a broad effort by CSTEP to provide the intelligence needed for lowering energy intensity of industrial processes, making them more efficient and productive. There are currently several initiatives underway in the Energy Efficiency Program which are driven by the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency under the Prime Minister’s National Action Plan for Climate Change.

Rural Energy-Livelihood Linkages

We have completed fieldwork in a pilot study of rural energy-livelihood linkages in three districts in Andhra Pradesh, India. Working with the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, a team of energy engineers accompanied by a sociologist, and with periodic assistance of other CSTEP staff from field ranging from ecology to economics to systems dynamics, cnducted in-depth interviews with households.