Rickshaw drivers in India are frequent victims of tuberculosis after just a few years inhaling traffic fumes. This near-epidemic went unacknowledged until Kapil Sibal demanded a solution. The fix, now gaining traction across the country, is a solar-powered vehicle that eliminates pedaling. But what began as a project to assist his nation’s afflicted rickshaw drivers has broadened into a much grander scheme in Sibal’s hands. Project 800 is a government venture to apply science and technology to better the lives of India’s 800 million citizens facing a multitude of hardships.
"Can you provide solutions for Indian problems by research in the US? I doubt it. The site of research must shift to where the problem exists."
— Kapil Sibal
Presented by Global MIT
The B&K Securities MIT India Forum
