NID bachelor thesis by Gaurang Nagre

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

iii

Copyright ÂŠ 2011 - 2012 Student document publication, meant for private circulation only. All rights reserved. Graduate Diploma Programme in Design, Product Design, 2007 - 2012 National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. No part of this document will be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, xerography and videography recording without written permission from the publisher, Gaurang Nagre and National Institute of Design. All illustrations and photographs in this document are Copyright ÂŠ2011 - 2012 by respective people/organizations. Edited and designed by Name : Gaurang Nagre E-mail : gaurang.nagre@yahoo.com gaurangnagre@gmail.com nagre_g@nid.edu Processed at National Institute of Design (NID) Paldi, Ahmedabad-380007 Gujarat, India www.nid.edu Printed in Ahmedabad, India. April, 2012 iv

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

As part of the NID curriculum, all final year students are required to undertake a diploma project which is a full scale design project in the industry. The diploma project which is expected to be of four to six months in duration. It provides a platform for an independent and a complete client wherein the student is expected to generate a professional design assignment with application and implementation capabilities. The project exposes the student to a real life situation of working in the industry and function under the constraints and limitations of an organization. It involves understanding the strength and infrastructure of the organization, their design sensibilities and providing an appropriate solution within the practical parameters of constraint, time, economic viability and innovation. A student undertaking the diploma project imbibes a real life experience to gain understanding of the role of a designer, which in practice is not only restricted to just design; but also includes time management, communication skills, efficient handling of practical constraints and pitching oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design idea to concerned people in the organization. The Diploma project is an excellent platform to help students realize their strengths and weaknesses before entering the professional world of design. My diploma project was sponsored by â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Chevrolet Design Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in its Design facility based in the city of Bangalore, India. The Diploma project extended for a period of 7 months from August, 2011 to March, 2012.

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Abhishek Singh

Harish Kumar

Abhijeet Kumar

Dawn Paul

Nisha Pillai

Anil Saini

Praveen Kumar

Siddharth Rane

Raj Darshi

Raunaq Babbar

Malav Sanghvi

Dinesh Naicker

Samir Datta

Purva Sawant

Pragya Singh

Parul Sharma

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Srikanth Gogineni

Vipul Vinzuda

Makrand Dharpade

Amole Singh

Deepak Bhatia

CHEVROLETDESIGN Anil Saini Abhishek Pratap Singh Abhijeet Kumar Samir Datta Dinesh Naicker Harish Kumar Siddharth Rane Parul Sharma Raj Darshi Dawn Paul Dilip Talore Dev Shyam and the entire staff of Chevrolet Design, Bangalore

The work being presented in this document is an outcome of the steady, cohesive efforts and guidance of Chevrolet Design team members throughout the project. Special thanks to Abhishek Singh, Abhijeet Kumar and Samir Datta for their constant guidance and support. I thank Chevrolet Design for giving me the opportunity to work, learn and grow with them. The knowledge gathered during the time spent with them is priceless and immense.

PROJECTGUIDE Vipul Vinzuda

For appropriately positioning my frame of reference towards the project, and guiding me during the entire tenure of the project.

MYFRIENDS Raunaq Babbar Malav Sanghvi Amole Singh Praveen Kumar Kavya Agrawal Purva Sawant Pragya Singh Nisha Pillai

For social support, inspiration and relevant academic guidance that was crucial in keeping my interest and motivation alive through the course of the project.

Left - People who helped solve this design puzzle Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

vii

CONTENTS

01TIMELINES Overall Timeline Research Timeline

02ABOUTNID

03ABOUTBRAND About General Motors About Chevrolet The Bowtie Logo Brand Folio Concept Cars International Operations Indian Automotive industry Automotive Companies in India viii

- 001 - 002 - 003

Competition in Indian Market GM India

- 025 - 026

04INTRODUCTIONTOPROJECT

- 027

05DESIGNBRIEFGENERATION

- 029

- 005

- 007 -

009 011 013 015 017 019 021 023

Design Brief Analysis

06NEWSTRINGOFIDEAS Past Scenario Present Scenario The Three Way Battle 9H System

- 056

07HOWTOSTART Type of Project Factors affecting transport Importance of Technology

- 057 - 058 - 059

08INITIALDESIGNBRIEF

- 061

09PROJECTARCHITECTURE

- 062

10PRIMARYRESEARCH

- 063

- 042

- 043 -

045 047 050 053

India Overview JNNURM

- 065 - 067 Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

11CITYSTUDY

- 071

City I - Guwahati - Desktop Research Guwahati Photo Study

- 072 - 085

City II - Pune - Desktop Research Pune Photo Study

- 089 - 107

City III - Bangalore - Desktop Research Bangalore Photo Study

- 111 - 127

12NRGSTUDY Viable Technologies Going Electric Taking a Stand

13SCENARIODEVELOPMENT

- 133 - 138 - 140 - 144

- 145

Scenario I - Guwahati Scenario Conclusions

- 146 - 151

Scenario II - Pune Scenario Conclusions

- 152 - 157

Scenario III - Bangalore Scenario Conclusions

- 158 - 163

14PROBLEMRE-STATEMENT

- 164

15CONCEPTDEVELOPMENT

- 165

The Twelve Themes Theme Analysis

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

- 166 - 191

16INSIDEOUTAPPROACH Experiment I Experiment II Experiment III Experiment IV Interior Seal-off

17THECOVERSTORY Rough Packaging Overlay Package Study The Glass Box Exploring with a Fixed Character A new direction The Back Stage Gossip Concept Detailing Final Experiments Informative Sketches The Final Design

- 193

23RENDERS

- 260

24REFLECTIONS

- 266

25BIBLIOGRAPHY

- 267

195 197 199 201 214

- 215 -

217 219 221 222 224 226 227 231 234 237

18TAPEDRAWING

- 239

19TAPERENDERING

- 241

20CLAYMODELLING

- 243

21MODELPHOTOSHOOT

- 245

22MATHMODEL

- 249 ix

TIMELINES

OVERALL TIMELINE

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

The first thing one should do before the start of any project is plot time lines. They are very important to keep us on track during the course of the project. It help us segregate our work according to its weightage and dedicate time for the same. The ‘overall timeline’ was plotted with the reference with the first ‘to do’ list brainstormed. This was a list comprised activities to be undertaken during the course of the project. Every phase of the timeline was further subdivided into detailed sections, which I tried my best to abide by. 02

RESEARCH TIMELINE The overall timeline was further sub-divided into its different phases, the very first of them being the research timeline. There is no end to the amount of research someone can indulge himself into; but for a project to be successfully brought to life within a period of six months I had to draw a boundary for myself. Some critical phases were listed down that were a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;subset of the research phaseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and time was allotted according to their weightage. 03

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

(An old image of the main Paldi campus of National Institute of Design clicked at Eames Plaza showing the institute building

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

ABOUT NID

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN

PGCAMPUS, GANDHINAGAR -

THEMAINCAMPUS -

PG campus Gandhinagar is currently an extension campus of the parent institute, National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, is situated in the city of Gandhinagar, in Gujarat. As part of expansion plan, National Institute of Design (NID) has started building a new postgraduate campus at Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat State.

The National Institute of Design1 (NID) is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of design education and research. The Business Week, USA has listed NID as one of the top 25 European & Asian programmes in the world. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and Government of India. NID is recognised by the Dept. of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) under Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, as a scientific and industrial design research organization. NID has been a pioneer in industrial design education after Bauhaus and Ulm in Germany and is known for its pursuit of design excellence to make design in India, a reality for the world. Courses offered - For Graduate Diploma Programme in Design (GDPD) - Product Design, Furniture & Interior Design, Ceramic & Glass Design (Industrial Design). Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, Film & Video Communication, Exhibition (Spatial) (Visual Communication Design) and Textile Design.

(Excerpts from www.nid.edu Image Courtesy : NID archive) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

For Post-Graduate Diploma Programme in Design (PGDPD) Product Design, Furniture & Interior Design, Ceramic & Glass Design, Textile Design, Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, Film & Video Communication.

Courses offered - For Post-Graduate Diploma Programme in Design (PGDPD) Toy & Game Design, Transportation & Automobile Design, Photography Design, Apparel Design, Lifestyle Accessory Design.

R&DCAMPUS, BANGALORE NIDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s R&D Campus at Bangalore was set up as a joint initiative of and funding from the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India and was inaugurated in March 2006. R&D Campus commenced two research intensive PG Programmes namely Design for Retail Experience and Design for Digital Experience, from the academic year 20072008. Courses offered - For Post-Graduate Diploma Programme in Design (PGDPD) Information & Interface Design, Design for Digital Experience, Design for Retail Experience.

YOCHEVY!

(ABOUT THE SPONSOR)

ABOUTTHESPONSOR The next few pages are intended to enlighten and introduce you to the sponsor of this project – ‘Chevrolet’ They talk about the company’s present scenario along with its background and highlights, evolution of its present logo and the brand’s portfolio (range of vehicles). They also highlight the company’s global presence in the fierce global market, the strategies of the brand and plans to adapt itself to cope up with its competition. It is important to understand these aspects while working for a brand to know the brand’s true projections and plans for the forthcoming future in order to successfully design a product that creates value addition or provides insight to something unheard of. 07

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

(General Motors head office at the Renaissance Centre in Detroit, Michigan, Image courtesy - File photo by Carlos Osorio / Associated Press. Friday, May 15, 2009. August 2011. http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/stocks_fluctuate_day_after_lab.html)

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

ABOUT GENERAL MOTORS PRESENT Industry Founded Founder(s) Headquarters Area served Key people Products Revenue Operating income Net income Total assets Total equity Employees

Divisions

- Chevrolet2 Buick Cadillac GMC

Subsidiaries

- General Motors India ACDelco GM Components Holdings LLC OnStar Adam Opel AG GM Holden Ltd GM Financial GM Korea General Motors do Brazil Vauxhall Motors General Motors South Africa

Automotive September 16, 1908 William C. Durant Renaissance Centre Detroit, Michigan, United States Worldwide, 156 Facilities on six continents Daniel F. Akerson, Chairman and CEO Automobiles, Financial Services US$ 150.28 billion (2011) US$ 9.287 billion (2011) US$ 7.585 billion (2011) US$ 144.60 billion (2011) US$ 38.99 billion (2011) 207,000 (2012) Type Industry Founded Founder(s) Headquarters Products Owners

Division Automotive November 3, 1911 Louis Chevrolet, William C. Durant Detroit, Michigan, U.S. Automobiles General Motors Company

(Information from - 9 September 2012. August 2011. www.gm.com) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Model D

Suburban Carryall

Corvette

Impala

Corvair

Camaro

New Camaro

Volt

New Corvette

ABOUT CHEVROLET

BACKGROUNDANDHIGHLIGHTS -

(Information from - August 2011. http://www.autoevolution.com/chevrolet/history/ Images courtesy - August 2011. http://www.autoevolution.com/chevrolet/history/) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Chevrolet is the auto equivalent of a gene-boosted steroid-pumped feline. The ferocious cat was groomed by Swiss born racing driver Louis Chevrolet and business whiz Buick Resurrector and former GM Head William Durant, as a joint venture that started in 1910. Shortly after Durant was forced out of GM, he partnered with Chevrolet, whom he had previously employed at his Buick racing team, to regain the popularity he had lost. No matter how it originated, the golden Chevy logo persisted. In fact, the brand grew at such a fast pace that it allowed Durant to regain ownership of GM in 1916. After becoming wealthy enough, Durant bought a smashing 54.5 percent of GM’s shares, reinstating himself as head of the auto empire. Soon after the takeover, Chevrolet was absorbed into GM, which became a separate division. Having gained even more strength after the merger, the newly formed entity was quick in starting off production and launched the model D in 1918. The V8 35 hp engines fitted on these cars were replaced by smaller 6 cylinder ones, that proved particularly successful on commercial vehicles. The engine gained reputation due to its high durability and earned the “cast iron wonder” nickname. Only a few years later, Chevy revealed the SUV in its archaic form: the Suburban Carryall. Sporting rough terrain riding capabilities, seating for 8 and weighing around one and half tons, it marked the beginning of Chevy’s future SUV line-up.

The American producer continued its successful innovations streak by introducing the Power glide transmission in 1950, becoming the first low-price competitor to equip its vehicles with automatic shifting. Shortly after the introduction of the fully automatic transmission, the legendary Corvette was born. The Vette had such a good reception that it remained the longest running Chevy model in the brand’s history, also being the first American sports car to enter mass production. The Vette also premiered the usage of lightweight construction materials for the car’s body, like plastic, at that time. Following the acclaim garnered by the Vette’s release, Chevy launched several other models, including the flashy Impala and the short lived air-cooled Corvair. During the 60’s, Chevy reached its sales peak with 3 cars out of any 10 sold in the US. However, before such a performance was achieved, Chevy designed a new small-block V8 engine used to equip its 55 truck range. This particular engine made it till today; going through plenty of modifications in the process ranging from lightweight, durable aluminium construction to ECU managed control and modern fuel injection for better dosage and increased power.3 Although Chevy has been registering lower sales in the past few years due to uncontrolled brand extension, some of the “bowtie” emblazoned automobiles have become either cult classics or vintage collectibles, four wheeled icons as reminders of a past age of glory. 12

1911

1914

1934

1942

1965

1978

2000

2004

2011

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

THE BOWTIE LOGO

HISTORYANDEVOLUTION Chevrolet logo is one of the famous distinctive logo designs in the world which enacts a simple, smart and a sporty design. The Chevy headquarters was set in Detroit and the newly formed brand was baptized, receiving its famous “Bowtie” logo in 1913. There are several hypotheses as to how the logo design came into being, two of them being the closest to unanimous acceptance. One of the theories hints at the logo having been designed after a poster Durant had seen in a French hotel while the second claims the bowtie is actually a stylized representation of the Swiss flag cross.

DESIGNINTRICACIES (Information from - http://www.logoreviews.org/chevrolet-logo-review, http://www.chevystory.com/history-of-chevrolets-logo) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Although the shape of the logo does not really look like

a conventional bowtie, it popularly called as Bowtie logo which is iconic and is still the marquee of today’s Chevrolet. The cross are aligned in a linear and perpendicular alignment like that of the bowtie itself, with the letters ‘Chevrolet’ written below, which makes the logo distinctly unique and recognizable. The fonts are very simple, distinct, clear and neat making it easily readable giving it a logotype style. There are mainly two colours used. Golden yellow for the cross and black for the rest. The gold colour depicts the grandiosity and buoyancy of the company and the black depicts the bold and strong nature of the company. At a glance, the logo really does not suggest anything with the automobile company, but since the logo has been used from the beginning of company till date it has become the magical symbol that represents the brand of the automobile company. Nevertheless the Chevrolet logo has become one of the world’s popular logos to catch all the praise the brand is worth of.4 14

Chevrolet Impala

Chevrolet Camaro

BRAND FOLIO Chevrolet Cobalt Sedan

Chevrolet Malibu

Chevrolet Cruze

Chevrolet Cruze Wagon

Chevrolet Sonic RS

Chevrolet Sonic Sedan

Chevrolet Spin

Chevrolet Captiva

Chevrolet Volt

Chevrolet Colorado Double Cab

Chevrolet Colorado Extended Cab

Chevrolet Tacuma

Chevrolet Equinox

Chevrolet Beat

Chevrolet Spark

Chevrolet Aevo/Kalos Five Doors

Chevrolet Coupe

Chevrolet ZO6

Chevrolet ZR1

Chevrolet Express

Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid

Chevrolet Silverado, Silverado 2500HD, Silverado 3500HD

Chevrolet Suburban

Chevrolet Traverse

Chevrolet Trailblazer

Chevrolet Avalanche

Chevrolet Aevo

Chevrolet HHR

CONCEPT CARS

In 2009 the Corvette Stingray Concept was developed as an internal design challenge to combine classic Corvette cues with surprisingly high-tech features, modern materials, and a striking new appearance. It has been rumoured to be the basis of the C7 corvette.

Auto Week editors unanimously awarded the Camaro Concept “Best in Show.”

CHEVROLETEN-V Concept cars are show cars designed by the company as experiments to showcase new design languages or technologies. They are often shown at auto shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced. Their only job is to make the customer lust after the brand and get aspired. Concept cars never go into production directly; in modern times all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety and cost. A ‘production-intent’ vehicle, as opposed to a ‘concept vehicle’, serves this purpose. The materials and technologies are mostly exuded from the concept car as it morphs itself to become a production vehicle; this process is called as ‘decontenting’. Concept cars are often radical in engine or design. Because of often impractical or unprofitable leanings, many concept cars never get past scale models, or even drawings in computer design and as a result we cannot find them parked in our backdoor garage but only as beautiful installations in company museums. General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing the concept car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s.

CORVETTESTINGRAY The Corvette Stingray was a privately funded concept car that formed a basis for the second generation Corvette Sting Ray. The Stingray racer-concept car was designed by Pete Brock, the youngest designer to work at GM at that time, Bill Mitchell, GM Vice President of styling, and Larry Shinoda in 1957. 17

CHEVROLETMIRAY GM Korea introduced the Chevrolet Miray Concept at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show. The roadster celebrates Chevrolet’s 100-year heritage of designing stunning vehicles in the brand’s newest market. Combining cutting-edge hybrid powertrain technology and advanced styling, it balances iconic Chevrolet design cues with a future design vision. According to GM Korea President and CEO Mike Arcamone, “’Miray’ is Korean for ‘future.’ As GM rolls out Chevrolet across Korea, the Miray concept offers an exploration of future possibilities for the brand. It strengthens the bond between car and driver, creating a fresh look at what sports cars of the future might be.”

CHEVROLETCAMARO Classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car; the first generation camaro went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang. The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird, also introduced for 1967. Four distinct generations of the Camaro were developed before production ended in 2002. The nameplate was revived again on a concept car that evolved into the fifth-generation Camaro after several years on hiatus since the previous generation’s production ended. The concept is based on the new GM ‘Zeta’ platform (the original name for General Motors’ full-size rear-wheel drive automobile platform) and was designed by South Korean-born Sangyup Lee, while

General Motors EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) is a 2-seat urban electric concept car jointly developed by Segway Inc. and General Motors that can be driven normally or operated autonomously. In October 2011 General Motors announced its decision to develop a concept EN-V under the Chevrolet badge for use in field testing and demonstration programs, beginning in Tianjin, China. The most significant feature of the vehicles is autonomous operation. The EN-V can detect and avoid obstacles, including other vehicles, park themselves and come to you when called by phone. Accomplished through a combination of GPS, vehiclebased sensors, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication, this autonomous technology is an extrapolation of that found in GM’s 2007 autonomous ‘The Boss’ Chevrolet Tahoe created for the DARPA Grand Challenge (2007). The EN-Vs can communicate with each other allowing platooning, with one or more EN-Vs tagging along automatically behind a leader. Also, if an EN-V detects another in close proximity, it can check what that other is intending to do and agree on how to pass it safely.5 Through the years Chevrolet has developed a wide spectrum of teaser cars in their portfolio, it seems Chevrolet and general motors on the whole have a very concrete vision of what lies in the future and are moulding themselves to adapt to it. Chevrolet with its desire to serve the mankind with something new and exciting has lead the idea of concept cars since 1950’s and is still showcasing some of the best concepts by investing huge sums in the areas of R&D and D&D. Dripping with technologies it would be safe to say that “the concepts are ready for the world when the world is ready”; but till then this industry giant will continue to tease us and make us wait. (Information from - September 3, 2011. www.wikipedia.org, www.netcarshow Image courtesy - September 3, 2011. www.netcarshow) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Chevrolet Camaro Concept

Chevrolet Miray Concept

Chevrolet EN-V

Chevrolet Stingray Concept

Germany

Russia United States

France

Russia Turkey

China

Israel

Mexico Colombia

India

Korea

Thailand

Peru Chile South Africa Argentina

TOP 2011 SALES MARKETS OF CHEVROLET (Information from - General Motors Reports. Wednesday, July 18, 2012. September 4, 2011. http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/07/chevrolet-sells-record-13-million.html)

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

INTERNATIOAL OPERATIONS

manufactured was a Coronet 440); and then, in 1980, began producing Chevrolet cars. Currently Colmotores has more than 75% of the domestic market, with models from GM Korea and Suzuki. Particularly worthy of mention is the Aveo, Optra and the Spark.

additional capacity to export Colorado’s to the U.S. In addition to the Colorado pickup trucks, General Motors began assembling Chevrolet Captiva sport utility vehicle in its Rayong plant during June 2007. Also the Holden Commodore is badged as the Chevrolet Lumina in Thailand.

05CHILE

08RUSSIA

Chevrolet production in Chile began in 1962, although at first through local partners, Avayu with the Nova II. Chevrolet has been operating in Ecuador for 80 years. GM Ecuador sells US Chevrolets alongside GM Korea sourced models. It also sells the 1983 Suzuki Supercarry under the Chevrolet name, and the Isuzu Rodeo was sold as the Chevrolet Rodeo throughout the 1990s. In Venezuela, Chevrolet has been operating since 1948, when truck production began in Caracas. In 1979 production moved to a plant in Valencia that was purchased from Chrysler. Chevrolet assembled more than 1,500,000 vehicles in its first 50 years in Venezuela.

In Russia, various Chevrolet models are available. Current Chevrolets include the Spark, Lacetti, Cruze, Rezzo, Epica, and Tahoe. Also, a joint venture between GM and Russian AvtoVAZ from 2002 makes the Chevrolet Niva, an SUV especially for Russian market and conditions. In 2009 this model received restyling by Bertone.

01MEXICO Mexico has a mix of Chevrolet models from different GM brands and platforms branded as Chevrolet. The models come from Chevrolet USA, GM Korea, Mexico and other origins. GM also manufactures Chevrolet vehicles such as the Suburban and Avalanche in Mexico.

02CHINA In 2009 China became Chevrolet’s third largest market, with sales of 332,774 vehicles, behind only the United States and Brazil (1,344,629 and 595,500 vehicles respectively).[16] By 2010, Chevy sold just over half a million, with the Cruze being its best seller there.

06BRAZIL 03SOUTH KOREA Many global-market Chevrolet vehicles are designed and manufactured by GM Korea of South Korea, but they had been sold under Daewoo brand in South Korea until February 2011. Daewoo brand was fully replaced by Chevrolet in March 2011 and all Daewoo products have been relaunched under Chevrolet brand, with the release of Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Orlando and Chevrolet Aveo.

Chevrolet’s product line-up in Brazil comprised some exclusive designs like the Corsa “B” based Celta, which was sold in Argentina under the Suzuki brand, the Astra, and a Brazilian designed Vectra based on the Opel Astra H. The passenger car range currently includes the Cruze, the Captiva, the Agile hatchback, and the Omega sedan which is actually a captive import of the Australian Holden Commodore. The latest home-grown product is the Chevrolet Cobalt sedan, released in late 2011.

04COLOMBIA

07THAILAND

The Colombian Automotive Factory SA (Colmotores) was founded in 1956 and initially produced vehicles in Austin; in the ‘60s, Simca and Dodge automobiles (its first car

General Motors is currently exploring cost cutting options as part of its restructuring plan. One of these options involves expanding the Rayong, Thailand plant to add

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

09EUROPE Until 2005, Chevrolet Europe sold a few models, mostly United States domestic market (USDM) models modified to suit European regulations. Certain models that were sold by Chevrolet Europe were the Camaro, the Corsica/ Beretta, the Corvette, the Blazer, and the TrailBlazer. The current generation of North American–built Chevrolet Impala V-8 sedans has also been available in Europe in recent years, marketed as both large family sedans and more economically priced alternatives to Jaguars and BMWs as high performance executive cars.

10INDIA Launched by GM’s India operations, Chevrolet is among the more recent auto brands. Until 2003, GM India— originally a joint venture with Hindustan Motors) sold the Opel Corsa, Opel Astra and the Opel Vectra. Chevrolet currently sells the Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Spark, Chevrolet Optra, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Tavera, Chevrolet Captiva, Chevrolet CRV, Chevrolet Beat and Chevrolet Aveo U-VA.6 20

INDIAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

25 20

15 15.3

0 -1

Passenger cars

-0

Commercial vehicles

5 20

-0

9 19

-9

8 19

-9

4.3

3.5

3.2

2.6

3.4

1.5

1.4

1.5

1.3

1.4

9.3

8.3

7.9

7.9 5.1

5.7

6.7 3.7

3.3

2.2

2.8

(Source: Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA)

3.7

3.2

GROWTH OF AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY FROM 1996-96 TO 2009-10

The first car ran on Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roads in 1897. Until the 1930s, cars were imported directly, but in very small numbers. Embryonic automotive industry emerged in India in the 1940s. Mahindra & Mahindra was established by two brothers as a trading company in 1945, and began assembly of Jeep CJ-3A utility vehicles under license from Willys. The company soon branched out into the manufacture of light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and agricultural tractors. Following the independence, in 1947, the Government of India and the private sector launched efforts to create an automotive component manufacturing industry to supply to the automobile industry. However, the growth was relatively slow in the 1950s and 1960s due to nationalisation and the license raj which hampered the Indian private sector. 21

After 1970, the automotive industry started to grow, but the growth was mainly driven by tractors, commercial vehicles and scooters. Cars were still a major luxury. Japanese manufacturers entered the Indian market ultimately leading to the establishment of Maruti Udyog. A number of foreign firms initiated joint ventures with Indian companies. In the 1980s, a number of Japanese manufacturers launched joint-ventures for building motorcycles and light commercial-vehicles. It was at this time that the Indian government chose Suzuki for its joint-venture to manufacture small cars. Following the economic liberalisation in 1991 and the gradual weakening of the license raj, a number of Indian and multi-national car

companies launched operations. Since then, automotive component and automobile manufacturing growth has accelerated to meet domestic and export demands7. Following economic liberalization in India in 1991, the Indian automotive industry has demonstrated sustained growth as a result of increased competitiveness and relaxed restrictions. Several Indian automobile manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra and Mahindra, expanded their domestic and international operations. Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s robust economic growth led to the further expansion of its domestic automobile market which has attracted significant India-specific investment by multinational automobile manufacturers. In February 2009, monthly sales of passenger cars in India exceeded 100,000 units and has Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

since grown rapidly to a record monthly high of 182,992 units in October 2009. From 2003 to 2010, car sales in India have progressed at a CAGR of 13.7%, and with only 10% of Indian households owning a car in 2009 (whereas this figure reaches 80% in Switzerland for example) this progression is unlikely to stop in the coming decade. Congestion of Indian roads, more than market demand, will likely be the limiting factor. SIAM is the apex industry body representing all the vehicle manufacturers, home-grown and international, in India. The Indian Automobile Industry manufactures over 11 million vehicles and exports about 1.5 million each year. The dominant products of the industry are two-wheelers with a market share of over 75% and passenger cars with a market share of about 16%. Commercial vehicles and three-wheelers share about 9% of the market between them. About 91% of the vehicles sold are used by households and only about 9% for commercial purposes. The industry has a turnover of

more than USD $35 billion and provides direct and indirect employment to over 13 million people. The supply chain is similar to the supply chain of the automotive industry in Europe and America. Interestingly, the level of trade exports in this sector in India has been medium and imports have been low. However, this is rapidly changing and both exports and imports are increasing. The demand determinants of the industry are factors like affordability, product innovation, infrastructure and price of fuel. Also, the basis of competition in the sector is high and increasing, and its life cycle stage is growth. With a rapidly growing middle class, all the advantages of this sector in India are yet to be leveraged. With a high cost of developing production facilities, limited accessibility to new technology, and increasing competition, the barriers to enter the Indian Automotive sector are high. On the other hand, India has a well-

developed tax structure. The power to levy taxes and duties is distributed among the three tiers of Government. The cost structure of the industry is fairly traditional, but the profitability of motor vehicle manufacturers has been rising over the past five years. Major players, like Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki have material cost of about 80% but are recording profits after tax of about 6% to 11%.8

Indian Automotive Industry

Three Wheelers

Passenger Carriers

Multi Utility Vehicles

Goods Carriers

Mini Vans

Commerical Vehicles

Small Cars

Medium Cars

Passenger Cars

Luxary Cars

Motor Cycles

Two Wheelers

Mopeds

Scooters

GENRE OF INDIAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY (WITH CHEVROLETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S AREAS IN THE MARKET)

(Information from - Parhi, Mamta. S&T and Industry. 2008. http://www.nistads.res.in/indiasnt2008/t4industry/t4ind12.html) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

AUTOMOTIVE COMPANIES IN INDIA BMWIndia – Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1917. BMW India is headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana and is a 100% subsidiary of the BMW Group. India operations commenced on 29th March 2007, when BMW India officially opened its production plant in Chennai. Cars – 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X1, X3. X5, X6

FiatIndia – (in collaboration with Tata Motors): Fiat is an Italian automobile manufacturer based in Turin. Fiat India Automobiles Limited is a 50-50 Joint Venture between Fiat Group Automobiles of Italy and Tata Motors of India. FIAT was originally incorporated on 2 January 1997 and is located at Ranjangaon in the Pune District of Maharashtra. Cars – Grande Punto, Linea, Fiat 500

FordIndia – Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Ford India Private Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company in India. Ford India Private Limited’s headquarters are located in Chengalpattu, 23

Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Ford India Private Limited began production in 1996. Cars - Figo, Fiesta Classic, Fiesta, Endeavour

Cars - Eon, Santro, i10, i20, Accent, Verna, Sonata, Elantra, Tucson LandRover –

Chevrolet(General Motors India) – General Motors Company commonly known as GM, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. General Motors India Private Limited is a 50:50 partnership between General Motors and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China SAIC that is engaged in the automobile business in India. General Motors began doing business in India in 1928, in 1994 General Motors India Private Limited was formed as a joint venture, owned 50 percent by Hindustan Motors and in late 2009, General Motors announced that it would put its India operation into a 50-50 venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China. Cars - Spark, Beat, Aveo U-VA, Aveo, Optra, Cruze, Tavera, Captiva

HondaSiel – Honda Motor Company, Ltd. is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Honda Siel Cars India Limited (HSCI) is a joint venture between the Honda Motor Company of Japan and Siel Limited for the production, marketing and export of passenger cars in India. It began operations in December 1995. Cars - Brio, Jazz, City, Civic, Accord, CR-V

HyundaiIndia – Hyundai Motor Company is a South Korean multinational automaker headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Hyundai Motor India Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Company in India, formed on 6th May 1996 by the Hyundai Motor Company.

Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon. In 1994 Rover Group plc. was acquired by BMW. In 2000 Rover Group was broken-up by BMW and Land Rover was sold to Ford Motor Company. On 2 June 2008, Ford sold the two companies Jaguar and Land Rove to Tata Motors. Cars - Freelander 2, sport MarutiSuzuki – Maruti Suzuki India Limited commonly referred to as Maruti, is a subsidiary company of Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor Corporation. It has a market share of 44.9% of the Indian passenger car market as of March 2011. Maruti Udyog Limited (MUL) was established in February 1981, though the actual production commenced in 1983. Cars - 800, Alto, WagonR, Estilo, A-star, Ritz, Swift, Swift DZire, SX4, Omni, Eeco, Gypsy, Ertiga Mercedes-BenzIndia – Mercedes-Benz is a multinational division of the German manufacturer Daimler AG, and the brand is used for automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Daimler entered the Indian market and set up Mercedes-Benz India Ltd in 1994. Cars - C-Class, E-Class, M-Class, S-Class, ML-Class, SLK, CLK, CLS, SLS MitsubishiIndia – (in collaboration with Hindustan Motors): Mitsubishi Motors Corporation is a multinational automaker headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Joint venture between Mitsubishi and Hindustan Motors started in 1998. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Cars - Lancer, Lancer Cedia, Pajero, Outlander NissanMotors – Nissan Motor Company Ltd usually shortened to Nissan is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. Nissan Motor India Private Limited is the Indian subsidiary of Nissan Motor Company of Japan. Nissan Motor India Private Limited (NMIPL) started its operations in India in 2005. Cars - Micra, Sunny, Evalia, Teanna, X-Trail ToyotaKirloskar – Toyota Motor Corporation is a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited is joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation and the Kirloskar Group, for the manufacture and sales of Toyota cars in India. Toyota Motor Corporation entered India in 1997 in a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group. Cars - Etios Liva, Etios, Corolla Altis, Innova, Fortuner VolkswagenIndia – Volkswagen India Private Limited is a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group Sales India Private Limited that assembles, manufactures and distributes Volkswagen vehicles in India. It was established in 2007. Volkswagen India Private Limited operates a manufacturing plant in Chakan, Maharashtra. Cars - Polo, Vento, Jetta, Passat, Tourag, Phaeton ŠkodaIndia – Škoda Auto India Private Limited, more commonly referred to as Škoda Auto India, established November 2001, is a fully owned subsidiary of the Czech automotive manufacturer Škoda Auto and a division of Volkswagen Group Sales India. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Cars - Fabia, Rapid, Laura, Superb

AudiAG – Is a German automobile manufacturer, marketed under the Audi brand, positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group. Audi India is the wholly owned subsidiary of Audi. Audi has been selling Luxury cars in India since 2004; however the Audi India was established in March 2007 as a division of Volkswagen Group Sales India. Cars - A4, A6, A8, Q3, Q5, Q7, TT, RS4, R8

TataMotors – In 1945 Tata Group established the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO) to manufacture engineering and locomotive products; it was renamed Tata Motors in 2003. Tata Motors is a part of the Tata Group manages its share-holding through Tata Sons. It is an Indian multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. The company saw major expansion in its commercial vehicle sector in 1954 after forming a joint venture with Daimler-Benz AG of Germany. Cars - Nano, Indica, Vista, Indigo, Manza, Indigo CS, Sumo, Grande, Venture, Safari, Xenon, Aria Mahindra&Mahindra – Mahindra & Mahindra Limited (M&M) is an Indian multinational automaker headquartered in Mumbai. It is one of the largest automobile manufacturers by production in India and a subsidiary of Mahindra Group conglomerate. Mahindra & Mahindra was set up as a steel trading company in 1945 in Ludhiana. It soon expanded into manufacturing general purpose utility vehicles, starting with assembly under licence of the iconic Willys Jeep in India. Cars - Major, Xylo, Scorpio, Bolero, Thar, Verito, Genio, XUV500.

RenaultIndia – In October 2005 this French automaker registered in Mumbai and since then has developed several cars starting off with the Renault-Mahindra Logan. Renault India has tie ups with Nissan and Mahindra. Renault India in 2011 has opened a manufacturing facility in Chennai and has crossed 40 dealerships across India and soon to hit 100 by the end of the year. Cars - Fluence, Duster, Logan, Pulse, Koleos HindustanMotors – Hindustan Motors Limited (HML), India’s pioneering automobile manufacturing company and Flagship Company of the C.K. Birla Group was established just before Indian independence, in 1942 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India by Mr B.M. Birla of the industrious Birla family. It is part of the Birla Technical Services industrial group. The company was the largest car manufacturer in India before the rise of Maruti Udyog. It is the producer of the Ambassador car, widely used as a taxicab and as a government limousine. Cars - Ambassador ChinkaraMotors – Chinkara Motors is a Mumbai based auto manufacturer, which designs and customizes automobiles- Boats. They make 2 seat sports car called the Chinkara. PremierAutomobilesLimited – It is a manufacturer of vehicles based in Mumbai, India. Founded in 1944, the car first launched production by building vehicles under license from Dodge and Plymouth. In 1951, they began producing versions of the Fiat 500 for the Indian market.9

COMPETITION IN INDIAN MARKET

THETRUESTORY THROUGHMYEYES -

(Information from - Mr. Kumar, Bijo. ANALYSIS OF INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY. December 20, 2009. September 7, 2011. http://www. scribd.com/doc/24333238/Indian-Automobile-Industry-Analysis)

Brand is created in the mind of the customer. A product becomes a brand when a customer not only buys it but also takes away a part of the legacy created by the company. The customer is conscious to use the product so as to not offend its legacy. A brand defines the lifestyle of its user and thus each brand should always know its drawbacks and strengths. Indian consumers know precisely what they want, and do not settle for less, therefore increasing the competition in Indian automotive industry to all time high. Automotive industry is a volume-driven industry, and certain critical mass is a prerequisite for attracting the much-needed investment in research and development, new product design and development. Research and development investment is needed for innovations which are the lifeline for achieving and retaining competitiveness in the industry.

This competitiveness in turn depends on the capacity and the speed of the industry to innovate and upgrade. The most important indices of competitiveness are productivity of both labour and capital. The concept of attaining competitiveness on the basis of low cost and abundant labour, favourable exchange rates, low interest rates and concessional duty structure is becoming inadequate and therefore, not sustainable. A greater emphasis is required on the development of the factors like innovation which can ensure competitiveness on a long-term basis. Chevrolet has a fight with brands like Maruti and Hyundai, which have an advantage of breaching very early in the India auto industry and developing a very strong foothold in the market. Going through “Auto India: Best Brand Awards 2012” the brand positioning of various brands was more clear. Chevrolet topped the category of safety; but if Chevrolet wants to compete for the biggest market in India “the middle class” then Chevrolet has to come closer to target audience. In this cut throat competition Chevrolet needs to fight Indian, German and Japanese brands, for which Chevrolet needs to create a brand image of its own and sell more aspiring cars. In India, customers want something that is well-balanced between design, cost, mileage and space. Indeed for Chevrolet, the inputs from design studio are critical to crack the Indian market, which has seen a deluge of car brands making a beeline for India.10 Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

GM INDIA “The design studio in Bangalore will serve as an important component of GM’s 11-member global design network, by leveraging the unmatched global resources and best practices of the GM Group, it will carry out important projects for GM in India, as well as work with other design facilities on important projects for GM on a worldwide basis.” - Ed Welburn,

December 10, 2007

(Vice President, GM Global Design)

(Information from - Gallina, Eric. GM India Operations. December 10, 2007. September 8, 2011. http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/ new_cars/display/store4/item97322/) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

GM India started its Indian journey in 1996 and has offered products under the Chevrolet brand in the country. Its flagship brand, Chevrolet, was introduced in India in 2003, under the banner “For a Special Journey Called Life”. In a move to further strengthen its global presence and provide world-class design services to GM’s operations in India and other parts of the world, General Motors India opened the GM India Design Studio in Bangalore. The new facility, which is located at the GM Technical Centre-India (GMTCI), is India’s first digital design studio. The GM India Design Studio is capable of supporting a global design strategy for GMTCI, making it GM’s centre of expertise for interior trim and component surfacing, and enabling it to progress toward developing a full studio

capability. The studio will also play a key role for the GM Design network as a “listening post” in India to gather and understand local product design requirements. In addition to this in 2011 GM India also opened a benchmarking centre and a full scale prototyping facility in Bangalore, a few klicks away from the Design Centre. In addition to this GM boasts a full scale manufacturing facility at Halol. Since its first entry in the Indian market GM has built a versatile portfolio of cars such as Chevrolet Tavera, Chevrolet Optra, Chevrolet Aveo, Chverolet Aveo U-VA, Chevrolet SRV and Chevrolet Spark. GM has made quite a few bold moves to capture the Indian market, and likes to keep their future plans a secret.11 26

INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Chevrolet has always been associated with innovation and setting benchmarks in the field of automobile design. The brief for my diploma project was to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Design a car for Chevrolet (General Motors) for 2030â&#x20AC;? with no preconceived solutions in the beginning. The project extended plenty of creative freedom as the core idea was to not be overly constrained with the current technical and marketing boundaries but by the outcome of research. the design being a concept car, I had the freedom to think freely and come up with innovative, radical design ideas that would open doors to new unheard possibilities. I had the option to defy the car as it is perceived by people and install my thoughts to create something totally original, a once in a life time opportunity in the auto industry. Student projects at Chevrolet are usually aimed at getting individual interpretations from budding designers across the world; which are then portrayed as experiments as they open doors to new tangible or intangible ideas. I was given a free hand in my diploma project, spanning across several aspects like creating a brief for the project, carrying out an extensive research, and coming up with a set of ideas enriching and evoking new emotions in a car. Design as a process more than the end result which has rejuvenated me as a designer. The final result is for the audience, while the journey is what has excited me, taught me and helped me grow as a designer. It does not follow a path nor rules, and its intangible essence can only be experienced. The audience regardless of their background has a hidden designer in them which is always anxiously lurking out, and this defines their taste which the designer relentlessly tries to satisfy all his life. In essence, this project was an exciting journey that I made in these seven months questioning my learning at every stage, trying to find the right direction and exploring something novel every time. I aimed to strike the right balance between meaningful radicalism and emotions, and at the same time, come up with something which was original in essence and not just a futile exercise. Further ahead I will be sharing some of my works and insights from my four year journey in Design, culminated into my junior thesis project. I hope you enjoy . . .

- Ahmedabad, August 2012

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

KORAKAGAZ

( THE THOUGHT )

TRYING TO SET THE DESIGN BRIEF I believe selecting an idea is as difficult as working on the project itself. I was given the freedom to set the design brief of my thesis project. But starting off with a blank canvas wasn’t easy. I had no preconceived notions about the project and was very unclear about what I wanted. I wanted to work on a topic which no one had thought before. But one thing was certain, all I wanted at the start was ‘something different’. So my mentors at General Motors decided to give me a week to research and come up with some interesting ideas that would then form the title of my thesis. It was my first attempt to work on a detailed project all by myself, and just like everyone else, the expectations were every bit as high and I wanted to prove myself by creating a benchmark project. The following few pages showcase some of the ideas that were put forward to kick start the project. 29

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

DESIGN BRIEF

2030INDIANCAR Cars are built for a very specific target market after understanding the mentality of the user and their needs. But global standards set in the car market do not allow the designs to reflect specific values of the place. If we assume that twenty years down the line these rules will be abolished and cars will be designed or customized taking into consideration the specific needs of every region then there is a very bold scope of designing a car that would reflect Indian characteristics in its form and behaviour. THE IDEA - â&#x20AC;&#x153;To design a car that reflects Indian characteristics and values.â&#x20AC;? 31

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

DESIGN BRIEF

THENATURALCAR The ideas revolve around a car that is based on scientific principles borrowed directly from nature. The end result could not be defined but had to evolve along the process and the project would strongly run along the lines of biomimicry. Some analogies were included in the proposal just to give an overview of the direction (they are however flexible). The project seemed challenging as it was an unventured area in the field of transportation. The question that I would like to ask at the beginning is: (Image Courtesy - http://www.picstopin.com/1920/monochrome-water-drops-wallpaperjpg/http:%7C%7Ciiwallpapers*com%7Cim ages%7Cbig%7Cmonochr me-water-drops-wallpaper*jpg/) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

â&#x20AC;&#x153;How would the car be, if it was discovered and not invented?â&#x20AC;? 32

DESIGN BRIEF

( CONTINUATION )

Current scenario of transportation

Projected scenario

THECOALESCEDCAR Imagine if you want to travel from point A to point B in your car. Your car occupies volume V and size X. There are other 100 cars travelling on the same route, resulting in 100V as the total volume and 100X as the size. But do we need traffic of such dimensions? Taking the analogy of a water droplet, if these cars would coalesce to an object which holds the volume 100V but is far less in size as compared to its individual entities, what would happen? (Image Courtesy - http://www.picstopin.com/1920/monochrome-water-drops-wallpaperjpg/http:%7C%7Ciiwallpapers*com%7Cim ages%7Cbig%7Cmonochr me-water-drops-wallpaper*jpg/)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The volume to be transferred remains the same but the size reduces drastically.â&#x20AC;? Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

THEINERTCAR What happens when we sit on a bean bag? The bean bag gets deformed; but it does not get damaged. It only changes form which again is reversible. Imagine the analogy applied to a car. In an accident the car will get physically participate but will not suffer any damage. For example the cars body can be filled with water or can have small electromagnets which will spontaneously react in a collision, allowing the car to deform its shape and absorb the impact. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The car will not get damaged in case of a collision.â&#x20AC;?

(Image Courtesy - August 2011. http://www.xoopsaddons.org/Article-Feed/ways-touse-bean-bag-chairs-bean-bag-chair-uses-bean bag-chairs-purpose-uses-of-beanbag-chair-hello-kitty.html) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

DESIGN BRIEF

( CONTINUATION )

CARMUTATION Let’s say there were 100 giraffes in the beginning, amongst which 10 were having long necks and therefore had a better chance of survival. So giraffes evolved out of mutation from a deer or some other creature; but not through need. Imagine if a car based on algorithms would evolve by itself. There will be many cars which would look exactly alike, when the brand would introduce an external parameter the output would change, resulting in a ‘mutation’. But the Design DNA from the previous result will be carried over to the next one allowing homogenous designs. “This sounds like the Darwin of Machines.”

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

MOVEMENTPATTERNS

(Image Courtesy - http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Africa/South_Africa/photo251211.htm, http://www.giraffes.org/ giraffelinkhtml, http://www.enotes.com/topic/Giraffe Across - Image Courtesy - http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/wallpaper/sidewinder-rattlesnake_image.html,http:// www.worldbook.com/world-book-explains/item/1331-how-smart-are-octopi) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

We invented the wheel about a thousand years ago, and still base our car designs on them. Nature demonstrates so many different ways of locomotion. For example, the side winder snake minimizes friction through it’s movement pattern in deserts just like the wheel on the road. What happens to the car when it gets scratched? We repaint it. The snake provides us with another solution like shedding it’s skin. Can the car do it? “Can we find innovative a new substitute to the age old wheel; or create a skin on the car?” 36

DESIGN BRIEF

The kidney grill

( CONTINUATION )

The three stripes

The white colour

DESIGNIDENTITY Companies have their design identities embedded in surface level design. We cannot imagine a BMW without the kidney grill, nor an ADIDAS shoe without the stripes. But we do not realise that the design identities have developed a culture, restricting designers to experiment because of these fixed features. Can the design identity be incorporated in any other way? For example in handling, weight, sound, shape etc. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Allowing the company to embeed their design DNA in a much deeper context.â&#x20AC;? 37

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

HYBRIDIDENTITY What happens to the products when two or more companies merge together? General Motors is a huge parent company which has branched out with many brands. Can the companies in future share the design DNA? If yes, how will their products look like? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hybrid phenomena will not only be applied to cars but also to companies creating products through amalgamation of design identities.â&#x20AC;?

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

DESIGN BRIEF

( CONTINUATION )

COLOURCHANGE We all have experienced the lunar eclipse. The moon appeared to us in colours we could only imagine. However those were not the true colours, but the position and the change in wavelength caused the moon to change its colour in different stages of the eclipse. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Can the same car appear different to different people around it?â&#x20AC;?

(Image Courtesy - December 20, 2010. http://echeng.com/journal/2010/12/20/lunareclipse-dec-20-2010/)

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

MASSCUSTOMIZATION The feeling of ‘liking’ is very subjective. We do not always agree on our likes, do we? But can we create something that can be perceived differently by everyone? Using the analogy of the lunar eclipse, imagine if we can amplify the colour’s wavelength using an algorithm, making the car look different to different people depending on their position and distance. “Creating a mass appeal.” Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

DESIGN BRIEF

THERELIGIOUSCAR India is a culturally rich country, divided on linguistic terms with religious masses. There is an ever growing craze and awareness amongst the people to preserve and nurture their religion, and it reflects in their lifestyle, cuisine and things they buy. With the introduction of Vastushastra, Feng Shui and many other beliefs, people have become very sceptical and choosy. These beliefs have ventured in the area of transportation on a very small scale, for example - The colour of the car is not preferred black in the Indian market. But sooner or later there is a remote possibility these ideologies will make a mark on the car industry. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is there a possibility to design a car based on religions for the religious Indian masses?â&#x20AC;? 41

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

DESIGN BRIEF ANALYSIS

BRIEF 01DESIGN 2030INDIANCAR -

Cars are designed and manufactured to make profit for the organization. Companies market their products in different countries by making cosmetic changes to their products avoiding heavy capital investments. After discussions with the design team we realised that, there is a very remote possibility for companies to overcome this mental block and design cars that would cater precisely to the needs of the specific markets. Also, different companies have strong footholds in vivid markets, so an activity like this would include more market research, and heavy investment up-front with trimmed profit margins. So this design idea was discarded.

result would look like; whether it would be automotive oriented or a creature that would transport people. General Motors demanded fresh thinking with future directions, and believed an idea like this will not be of much help to the organization. The ideas such as ‘The inert car’ and “New movement patterns’ were interesting. However, I personally believed that they were too small an idea to take the shape of a thesis project. It would have been great to incorporate those ideas in the design brief as a subset, making them a small project in itself. The thought provoking ideas such as ‘The mutation of cars, the evolution of design and brand identities’ were a lot farfetched. It was a slingshot in the dark and the end result would be very uncertain. A time period of six months would have proven very short, if I had to work on such ideas. Moreover there was a fear that the project would have reached a dead end because of lack of technical support. So I decided to savour these ideas for the future. The ideas such as ‘The change in colour, and mass appeal’ were not child’s play either. But it would involve the need of algorithms, something out of my core area of expertise. So I would have to take assistance of a brilliant programmer, which was hard to find in order to make the project conceivable. It was wise to discard these ideas at the movement.

with this brief was interpreting the ideas borrowed from every religion. The design would have to be based in very specific territory and trespassing into different territories meant provoking sensitive issues. After this exercise my expectations became a little more composed. I wanted an idea that could be conceivable, yet it should be futuristic and connected to people. Most important of all it had to be ‘simple but different’.

03DESIGN BRIEF THERELIGIOUSCAR -

DESIGN BRIEF

THENATURALCAR -

The string of ideas in this brief was very innovative and diverse. The idea of a coalesced car was very unique and was not only in the territory of car design but also system design. To make it fool proof, a time period of six months would have proven short. Also there was no idea of how the end Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

The reasons for disregarding this idea run along the lines of the first design brief. Car manufacturers try to create a wholesome design that would cater itself across societies and not create ridges between people. A design that would be based on different religions or to cater different religions individually would be dangerous in the sensitive societies in India. Moreover it will not evolve, as religious thoughts take a very long time as they are written with ink on the minds of people. The design would again involve heavy research into understanding every religion in India. The real challenge 42

NEW STRING OF IDEAS

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

THEFIRSTTHOUGHT ( NEW IDEAS )

I decided to spend another week contemplating on the design brief. As aforementioned, the idea had to be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;simple but differentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Those were the two keywords that I was aiming for. But the simplest of idea comes through complex research. Sometimes to predict the future it is important to understand the present and decode the past. So I decided to go back in time and understand the loopholes in transportation, trying to understand how car has evolved over the years before predicting its far-fetched future. I wanted to design a car for the future, somewhere about 2030. That would be four generations of cars down the line. It is always difficult to predict the future as there is nothing to cross check it against. However, I think the best method is to base it over a string of events which lay the foundation and provide backing. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PAST SCENARIO

COLONIZATION Fortunately I found an article which helped me understand the evolution of colonization of man. Man as compared to other creatures of his day was not as strong or could not outrun his rivals. But his intelligence evolved over time to make him realise that if he hunted in groups using ambush, just like a few animals hunt in packs, he might as well be successful. He was right, success followed shortly. He soon realised that his body would no longer tolerate the raw food and this led to the invention of fire. Men used to hunt on foot, as there was no other means of locomotion. After the kill they used to gather around the campfire waiting for the food to be cooked. Men with greater honour or respect in the colony had to wait equally longer for the food to get cooked before they could savour it. This led to a bond between people and man started residing in colonies. Fire is believed to be the most important discovery of mankind. Experts believe that if some other species had discovered they would have been more social than us today. 45

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

THE MYTH ABOUT TRANSPORTATION 1. Ages ago when man started residing in colonies, he settled around an old rock or a tree firm enough to last for ages. He believed it would protect him from danger and natural calamities. And due to frequent recurrence of problems he settled in muddy houses. During those days the society demanded a means of exchange, and food was considered to be equivalent to money. Transport existed back then as men used to travel to neighbouring villages on horse or bullocks. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

A HOUSE

ON WHEELS

2. Then dominance started to creep in the society as few people started cultivating more crops. Inequality set its foot in the life of man. Soon man realised that his crops had to be protected from theft. So he migrated from his neighbours and began to build a little more concrete houses to protect his wealth. Transport was still present in the form of animals.

PRESENT SCENARIO

3. Over the years the society evolved and monarchy was introduced. The administration provided a sense of security. So people began migrating again, and resided near the castle, they had to pay the government in one way or the other. But the government assured their protection. Transport also evolved over the years, with the invention of the wheel, commuting became easy.

Glocalisation (global + localisation) today has become increasing dependent on transportation. Earlier people used to stay in villages. With the introduction of currency, there was an expansion of trade and certain areas became more conducive for business. People set up certain meeting places near their residential areas because of easy availability of resources and short travel times. These areas were then called industrial areas, as they were major clusters in the society where businesses evolved. People settled around these areas and this gave rise to the concept of a city. Within no time the land rates in these areas increased exponentially, and buying a piece of land was not affordable. People slowly shifted and settled on the outskirts and were even forced to migrate to far off places. With the introduction of efficient transport

If we notice, transport was present all along the way. But people still migrated to different places. This bursts the greatest myth about transportation that ‘transportation led to colonization of man at various places and also brought people closer’.

COLONISATION

CAR

facilities, for e.g. metro and buses, they could now travel large distances at reasonable rates. There was peace of mind in living on the outskirts. The households with low disposable income could support themselves and could travel to and fro to work easily. This led to the development of remote areas and ‘transportation caused this paradigm shift’.

IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPORT Transport services aid economic growth and enhanced mobility is essential for continued economic progress, however mobility should be sustainable. “ A community without roads does not have a way out.” “ If we get a road, we would get everything else, employment, post office, water, etc.” Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

These are the statements of the poor, illiterate but aware rural Indians. Mobility and sustainability is a complex mix technology, human behaviour, economic growth and public policy. Surely ‘mobility opportunity divide’ does exist between developed and developing areas, but this gap is slowly being bridged by a complex web of transportation routes and policies all over India. Transport resource footprint will grow as transport related material use, land use and energy use all increase. Disposable income is one of the most important driving factors of vehicle ownership. It is also responsible for the number of trip rates and it provides people with a higher value of time, which causes people to choose faster modes of transport. India’s disposable income will indeed prove detrimental to its robust growth.

PERSONAL TRANSPORT Owning a personal transport solution has become increasingly easy with the rise in disposable income and easy aid provided by financial institutions. Expenditure level of urban population is about 88% higher than rural India, hence auto manufacturers design their portfolio specifically for the urban population. The car in India is considered as the second biggest investment after a real estate; but this

48%

RICKSHAW / TAXI

culture is slowly changing. With hardly any liabilities, the youth look at personal transportation as the first biggest investment, and there has been a substantial increment in the number of personal transport unit sales. Asia accounts for more than 75% of worlds fleet of two wheelers and India 20%. Two wheelers are considered to be mobility equalizer. Car companies are not holding back either, with luxury car markets in India experiencing 70% rise in sales every year. It is believed that the road based traffic volume will increase from 3079 billion passenger kilometres in 2000-01 to about 12546 billion by 2030. And the aggregate share of private and para-transit modes is projected to increase from 24.3% to 55.3% over the next twenty years. It is believed through projections that there will be a six to seven fold increase in India’s vehicle fleet by 2030. The car as known has also evolved to a certain extent and will expedite it’s evolution in the forth coming years. It is no longer perceived as a box on four wheels. It’s form has attained the attribute of a sculpture and it drips with features. Todays luxury cars feature everything from an air condition, music system, television sets, massage chairs to a mini fridge. Nothing short of calling it a ‘house on wheels’. People today spend an equivalent amount of time in their cars as compared to their homes. And this time frame has increased over the years due to increased traffic and increased distance between destinations due to new emergence of developed areas. Besides owning a means of

36%

LIFT / SHARE

personal transport in India, it is considered as a prestige symbol, and this mentality is expected to continue allowing car companies to sell their products comfortably. Owning a personal car provides freedom to travel to places. However, the increments in fuel prices have made it difficult for people to travel by cars However personal transport is not the only way of covering distances. The twentieth century has seen a development in few other technologies which are evolving to become fierce competitors of personal transport. The following diagram shows different ways in which people save money on transportation.12

(Information from - WBCSD (World Buisness Council for Sustainable Development). Mobility 2030-Meeting the challenges of 2030. England: Seven. July 2004)

45%

WALK

75%

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

USAGE ALTERNATIVES TO PERSONAL TRANSPORT Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PUBLIC TRANSPORT “A highway without a bus lane can move 2000-4000 people per hour, exclusive bus lanes can move 20,000 passengers per hour at the speed of 27km/hr.” Public transport is surely considered more reliable and energy efficient and caters to wide range of population. It is also easy on the pocket, hence it is projected that the share of public transport is expected to increase from 44.7% to 75.4% in the next couple of decades. Making customers lust after cars is a top priority for car makers. They tease people with their concept cars, and try to provide the masses with more and more beautiful, different and affordable models both in terms of pricing and running costs. People always dream of buying cars as it showcases their position in the society, but often don’t because of financial reasons or some other priorities. The infrastructure cannot cope up with the pace at which cars are being purchased. This leads to traffic congestion, parking problems, increased demand for fuel etc. This makes traveling a tedious and hectic activity causing physical and mental strain on the population thus reducing their efficiency. In an attempt to eliminate this the government

provides better services for public transport. Reduced fare prices, monthly passes, increased frequency of public transport solutions such as metros, buses, flights etc. are some incentives provided by the government. It is very obvious that the government supports and encourages the use of public transport for financial as well as environmental reasons. This has resulted in 75% of Indian population to travel by public transport. So there is a direct competition between public and private transport. For car manufactures to win this war their products should transport people using less space, faster than ever before and at a lower cost; or cater ‘something different’ that will provide them with an extra edge over the governments initiatives.12

VIRTUAL TRANSPORT Unlike personal and public transport which are forms of physical transport a new form of transport has originated in the twenty first century called ‘virtual transport’. This includes the social media such as internet and the phone. After being invented by Martin Cooper in 1973 the mobile

phone twenty two years to break in the Indian market. The first mobile phone call in India was made by the Chief Minister of west Bengal to the Union Communication Minister. The call charges were 32 rupees per minute which have now dropped to 50 paise per minute, something which every household in India can afford. The first mobile phone in India was marketed for 25,000 rupees which was chunky with very few features. Over the years the mobile phone has evolved itself into a high-tech multifunctional gadget. It is now equipped with features like a powerful camera, GPS, video chat, internet, messaging, calling, music player, watch etc. In terms of coverage India is the world’s second largest market after China. About 65% of the total population in India has subscribed to various coverage services and the number is expected to soar to 82% by 2014. About fifteen operators have established their presence in the Indian market, a number that stands toe to toe with the car manufacturers. It is also easy to switch operators or devices as compared to cars. Features like video chat on 3G and 4G networks eliminate the need to personally travel to a particular destination to get work done. Messages can be easily conveyed from across the world, and the social media has certainly bridged the gap between people. We no longer feel the absence of dear ones, family and friends in our life while traveling across the world.

1210 million users (82% by 2014)

PHONE USAGE IN INDIA (Information from - Candy, Sarah, (Head of External Marketing Relations, Airline IT, Amadeus). Influence of mobile. July 1, 2011. September 20, 2011. http://www.amadeus.com/blog/01/07/how-mobile-will-influence-the-future-of-air-travel-infographic/)

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

There are over more than 100 million online users in India itself. No wonder India ranks third in social networking after United States of America and Indonesia. About 45,000 users get connected to various sites on a daily basis; where as over 20 million users visit the internet daily amongst which a major chunk is of youngsters aged between eighteen to twenty four. It is very important to understand the evolving sociographics and demographics of this set of population as they would be the major driving factors of the future economy. The internet has created a huge awareness amongst people as information is just a click away. More brands have come into existence over the years and are able to touch the minds and hearts of the population through these mediums. The figures certainly are overwhelming and are much enormous as compared to those of the automotive industry. Car companies have joined hands with software companies and are trying to amalgamate their ideas into products, for e.g. The BMW connect drive and the General Motors ENV series of cars are an excellent example of how the social media and the car market can work hand in hand.

THE THREE WAY BATTLE It is clear that there is a three way battle between personal, public and virtual transport. Technology matures at a very fast rate and it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be long enough until people wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel the need to travel long distances to have a party with their friends. Technology would make tactile feelings possible as there have been considerable developments in the field of augmented reality. But what would be the role of car manufactures in the future twenty years down the line? Would all these disciplines and trade of thoughts evolve hand in hand? I think it is very important to understand the change in psychographics and demographics of the population and the area where all these advancements cater to. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

THE THREE - WAY BATTLE 50

DEMOGRAPHICS AND PSYCHOGRAPHICS There are a lot of highly diverse classes in India, if we divide them on the basis of their age groups, and the ability to perceive things around them is also unique to each group. This is also true for gender. It is very important to understand these minds in order to serve them with fresh ideas. Today’s major class with a substantial buying power is the aspiring middle class (age twenty five to forty years). With a few responsibilities and a lot of spending the youth are imitating the middle class. They are raised in a multicultural society, are young and restless. They live in a consumption friendly environment which is highly influenced by new innovations every day. This class also exhibits ‘duality’ i.e. they are comfortable with opposite ideologies and are open to new trade of thought. It is very important to understand the psychology of these people as they will substitute the major class of buyers in the next decade. The youth culture demands for more self-cantered approach, for e.g. creating a personal profile on Facebook, thinking about carriers, the ability to stay away from family and friends for education or employment. On the contrary the middle class of buyers is more opportunistic and pragmatist, and give their homes a first priority. They are mostly associated with ‘Homdulgence - Home + Indulgence’ a term that has surfaced over the last decade. The frivolous and materialistic buying habits of capitalist culture are being replaced by a new attitude. The definition of luxury has evolved to a premium decadent image which is visually sophisticated. ‘FUD’ - Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt always cloud the buyer’s minds, so companies try to develop long lasting iconic products that look safe and futuristic. However the life cycle of products has not increased over the years, with fierce competition in the market, companies have to come back with fresh ideas. Cars are also a subset of a gigantic product diagram and it is therefore necessary to look into factors such as age, income, occupation, personal needs, attitude, interests, values, activities of people that influence buying decisions. The diagram shows some of the factors classified into demographics, sociographics and psychographics which have to be studied in detail further more.13 51

DEMOGRAPHICS Age Income Occupation Education Residense

MOTIVATION AND MODALITY

GEOGRAPHIC

BUYER PERSONA (TARGET USER) SOCIOGRAPHICS

PSYCHOGRAPHICS

Personal needs Personal profile Personal attitudes Friends Religions Passions

Needs Attitude Intrests Values Activities

HOW CUSTOMERS USE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

CLASSIFICATION OF TARGET USER (Information from - Maggi, Stefano. Sociographics. October 26, 2010. September 20, 2011. http://www.theharteofmarketing.com/2010/10/ market-segmentation-with-social-media.html) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

WORK

WORK CULTURE All these factors including the three modes of transport affect work one way or another. Over the years work has also evolved from working in a factory to something more subtle and glued the desk. Physical effort has reduced substantially and this has affected the lifestyle of people. Advancements in technology have made working hours more productive and hectic, but this has it’s down side too. An average person spends about ten hours of his day in office, another two hours in commuting and a couple of hours at home before going to bed. Interviews have revealed that people do not often complain about work but instead dislike commuting. “Work is not tedious, we get paid for it. Commuting takes toll on our body and reduces our efficiency.” Companies now provide a weekend off to their employees and even provide facilities like private and charterd bus services for pick up and drop. Some companies Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

FAMILY

also organize free check-up camps to monitor the health of their employees to ensure productivity. People in India buy a personal transport keeping in mind the needs of the family. However statistics say that, the car is used by the family only once or twice a month and its major use is for commuting to work by the dominant individual in the house. Technological advancements such as cloud computing have allowed people to work from the most comfortable places, eliminating the need to travel to office on a daily a basis. Softwares such as Skype, Team Center allow easy sharing of data from across the world in meetings. In the near future by 2030 there could be so unique advancements in work culture that the home and office would probably amalgamate. However there are always a few professions which do not have the liberty to work from home. In this case I decided to construct three scenarios which will prevail in the year 2030. These are HOME = OFFICE

LIFE

done from their residence itself. This would mean spending quality time with family and friends. HOME = / OFFICE In this scenario people would have to commute to work. Today a individual commutes about five to fifteen kilometres on an average in India. Should we expect these distances to grow or shorten would be determined by detailed research. PARTIAL HOME + OFFICE This is a scenario where people will work for a part of the week by commuting to office and spend the rest at home. Companies today have already opted for either of these scenarios in India. New work cultures have already sprung up in the western world and it won’t be long enough to expect them in India.

A scenario in which people will not feel the need to commute to work as they will have the liberty to get work 52

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

THE 9H SYSTEM The 9H system has been introduced in Netherlands and Japan. It eliminates the need for people to travel home thus saving time and increasing productivity. People can hire a cubicle for nine hours and they will supplied with all the basic amenities including internet for a night. This means people can increase their working hours and can reside near their offices for a few days in a week. Companies allow their employees to take leave after satisfying their work hours as per the contract. So employees can spend a quality time with Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

their families. Whatever may be the scenario of the future it is important to know the role played by cars. If people would have to commute then what would be their expectation from cars be? If they will work from home, then how much usage will the car undergo, and will the nature of driving change? Will the car be used only for recreational purposes? It is clear that in order to cope up the automotive industry has to evolve with the evolving nature of work over the next couple of decades.14

(Image Courtesy - Kyoto, Teramachi. 9H Nine Hours. September 22, 2011. www.9hours.jp)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Almost 85%, the car is used for travelling for work perks. But with the evolving nature of work how will the car evolve in future.â&#x20AC;?

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

HOW TO START? The second surge in hunting the design brief had certainly proven successful. The thought was simple enough for people to not think over it, yet complicated enough to bear the responsibility of a thesis project. More importantly it proved to be hand in hand with the idea of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;simple and differentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The idea was more connected to people and more importantly close to me. It was futuristic and the project could revolve around the 2030 year mark, a good sign which provides liberty to fresh thinking. A proper method was needed to execute, and I wanted to experiment with this project. I wanted to work in a different style, something which I had not tried before. I had done a couple of projects prior to my thesis and they were more connected to people. This time however I expected something extra out of myself. So I decided to classify projects into three parts. A method of classification mostly used by the European school of thought. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

TYPE OF PROJECT 1. URBANFLOW - Understanding the needs of people and designing a product that connects.

2. INSIDEOUT - Developing a product based on technologies.

3. AUTOMARK - Designing a product after understanding the brands design philosophy.

PROJECT SELECTION The problem statement was fitting more with urban flow; but I had worked on a major project which was very similar to a people connected project. So I wanted to work on a project which would run along the lines of ‘Inside out’. A project like Inside out would provide me a lot of liberty to design without constraints. However a project just based on technologies might turn out to be futuristic but not really useful. A technology or innovation without a need, or not put to use is worthless. So the project also had to be centred around people. Therefore the final project would be a combination of ‘Urban fow’ and ‘Inside out’. 57

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

FACTORS AFFECTING TRANSPORT A brainstorm was done to understand the factors that affect transport. For a project to be based on ‘Urban flow’ and ‘Inside out’, it was very necessary to understand the role of technology amongst these. Technology is entangled with areas such as climate, lifestyle, culture, sustainability, safety, security and political, economic and social issues (PEST) etc. They are all ingredients of a complex mix that affects the car market.

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY

(Information from - WBCSD (World Buisness Council for Sustainable Development). Mobility 2030-Meeting the challenges of 2030. England: Seven. July 2004)

Furthermore it was necessary to understand the role of technology in the economic cycle, as turbulence in the economic cycle affects all the factors. The representation at the top is a generalized overview of the role played by technology in industrialization and economic growth. The diagram on the right is an exploded view of the above representation.

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

(Information from - WBCSD (World Buisness Council for Sustainable Development). Mobility 2030-Meeting the challenges of 2030. England: Seven. July 2004)

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

INITIAL DESIGN BRIEF After discussions with the mentors and designers at GM, an initial design brief was structured. It was along the lines of the problem statement and provided freedom to choose areas such as power train and the dimensions of the final output as at such a raw stage it was difficult to predict the final design would be any similar to car. This provided a wide spectrum to design from a transporting costume to a system level travel solution. But considering the fact that GM is a car manufacturer it had to be a road-based personal mobility solution and preferably not a system level solution. The major chunk of population that commutes to work is the urban population, hence it was decided that the personal mobility solution should look into the problems faced by commuters in the city. Furthermore it was important to frame a project architecture with well defined time frames for the project to be finished in a time span of six months.

BRIEF

PACKAGE -

Design personal mobility for urban centres of 2030 India. the personal mobility solution should look into the challenging usage of personal mobility in Indian cities and suggest scenario for future cities with design solution.

The project will be a personal mobility solution with no specific package to begin. This needs to be developed on the basis of research.

POWER TRAIN - It will be dependent on the outcome of research.

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PROJECT ARCHITECTURE

Sr. no.

Activity

Start

End

Deliverable

Destop research - Brief ideas, project architecture, about NID and GM

16-8-2011

19-9-2011

Trend report

Urban development case study - JNNURM1, JNNURM2, PPP and BOT models

20-9-2011

24-9-2011

Trend report

India urban development scan - City development model

25-9-2011

15-10-2011

Trend report

Field study + Public Interviews

16-10-2011

24-10-2011

Presentation

Documentation

25-10-2011

31-10-2011

Presentation

Scenario generation

1-11-2011

14-11-2011

Scenario boards

Theme development

15-11-2011

31-12-2011

Sketches

Concept short listing

1-1-2012

14-1-2012

Presentation

Concept finalization

15-1-2012

19-1-2012

Presentation

Concept development

20-1-2012

9-2-2012

Renders

Tape drawing

10-2-2012

14-2-2012

Side view

Clay model / digital model

15-2-2012

15-3-2012

Dinoced clay model

Model photo shoot

16-3-2012

19-3-2012

Photographs

Final presentation

20-3-2012

31-3-2012

Presentation 62

PRIMARYRESEARCH READY, SET, GO . . . It is believed that primary research is often undertaken after the researcher has gained some insight into the issue by reviewing secondary research or by analysing previously collected primary data. So after a considerable journey while deriving the problem statement, it was now time to study the lives of people in detail in order to understand the loopholes for designing a sustainable futuristic transport solution. So this is how I went about it . . . 63

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

INDIA OVERVIEW It is impossible not to be astonished by India. Nowhere on Earth does humanity present itself in such a dizzying, creative burst of cultures and religions, races and tongues. Every aspect of the country presents itself on a massive, exaggerated scale, worthy in comparison only to the superlative mountains that overshadow it. Perhaps the only thing more difficult than to be indifferent to India would be to describe or understand India completely. Set apart from the rest of Asia by the supreme continental wall of the Himalayas, lies the Indian sub-continent. It is the seventh largest country in the world with a total land area of 3,287,263 square kilometres. India occupies 2.4% of the world’s land area and supports over 17.5% of the world’s population. Needless to say it is the second most populous country in the world after the Peoples Republic of China, with over 1.21 billion people (2011 census), more than a sixth of the world’s population which is expected to four folds by the year 2030. Its population grew at 1.76% per annum during 2001–2011. Indian is divided into twenty eight states and seven union territories on linguistic basis. The number of Indians living in urban areas has grown by 31.2% between 1991 and 2001. Yet as per the 2001 census, 72.2% of the population lives in about 638,000 villages and the remaining 27.8% lives in more than 5100 towns and over 380 urban areas. But a majority of population is now being attracted towards the urbanised areas and this is due to rural push and not urban pull. With low disposable incomes and lack of facilities such as electricity, water supply etc. in rural areas, people are forced to shift and reside in urban areas clogging the city. But 70% of India is still evolving, for India to become urbanized would mean a colossal shift from rural to urban population. This will involve a drastic change in the mind set and lifestyle of the population. The Indian economy is the world’s eleventh-largest by nominal 65

2012

2030 POPULATION

GDP and third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the fastest-growing major economies; it is considered a newly industrialised country. Yet about 40% population income in India is about Rupees 1000 per month, with a lot of it going towards food. Whereas the disposable income of urban population is about 88% higher than the rural population. Transportation system is an important part of every nation’s economy. So in India Transport is both necessity as well as a convenience. Today India has many sources of transportation by land, water and air. But due to low GDP of India access to these sources of transport has not been uniform. Public transport still remains the primary mode

of transport for most of the population, and India’s public transport systems are among the most heavily utilized in the world. Motor vehicle penetration is low by international standards, with only 13 million cars on the nation’s roads. In addition, only around 10% of Indian households own a motorcycle. At the same time, the automobile industry in India is rapidly growing with an annual production of over 2.6 million vehicles, and vehicle volume is expected to rise greatly in the future. Despite ongoing improvements in the sector, several aspects of the transport sector are still riddled with problems due to outdated infrastructure and lack of investment in less economically active parts of the country. The demand for transport infrastructure and services has been rising by Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

2012

2030 CAR DENSITY

around 10% a year with the current infrastructure being unable to meet these growing demands. According to recent estimates by Goldman Sachs, India will need to spend US$1.7 trillion on infrastructure projects over the next decade to boost economic growth, of which US$500 billion is budgeted to be spent during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. Nevertheless there have been considerable developments in the field of transportation, such as improvements in the quality of service provided and the complex web of network catering people across the nation by BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System), Metro, Rail systems, flights, Monorail etc. The government has also planned reforms in the distribution of energy resources. There have been some bench mark projects that have really eased out the tension of commuting Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

in India. Figures predict that the road based traffic volume will increase from 3079 billion passenger kilometres in 2010 to 12546 billion in 2030 and there will be a seven fold increase in the vehicle fleet. There will increase in the usage of public transport to 60% in 2030 as against 51% in 2010 (As per business as usual scenario). Also the numbers are expected to fluctuate in almost all the transportation sectors. There are predictions such as, there will be a rise in disposable income but personal mobility spending will remain constant i.e. people would be commuting greater distances or utilizing more resources while spend less, resulting in a more soever constant mobility spending etc. It is important to know all the facts before we succumb to predictions like these and understand the future of car in India around two decades

from now. But it is not possible to study the whole of this pluralistic, multilingual, and multi-ethnic society. So it was essential to break it down using governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help. I decided to study some of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s short term and long term plans from its JNNURM, PPP and BOT models that would help me construct a better visual in my mind.15

JNNURM

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

JNNURM (Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission)

UIG (Urban Infrastructure and Governance)

BSUP (Basic Services to Urban Poor)

UIDSMT (Urban Infrastructure and Development for Small and Medium Towns)

Main sub-missions for major cities

Cities and towns make up for more than 60% of a country’s GDP. To exploit the true potential of these cities, there has to be a change in the infrastructure and facilities provided, so JNNURM (Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission) was launched on the third of December in 2005. By means of strategy and infrastructure development, attention to urban poor and municipal reforms with the financial assistance from the government of India, it is expected that JNNURM will renew and reinvigorate India. The missions are aimed to create economically productive, efficient and equitable cities. The duration of the mission is seven years and is divided into JNNURM1 and JNNURM2, the later to be started depending on the progress of the prior.16 JNNURM is the parent mission which is further sub divided into two primary missions and two secondary missions. UIG (Urban Infrastructure and governance) is handled by ‘The ministry of Urban Development’ whereas Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

IHSDP (Integrated Housing and Slum Development Program)

Other missions (Towns with more than 5000 population and 75% engaged in non-agricultural activities) missions of urban poverty alleviation and housing are planned under BSUP (Basic services to Urban Poor) and IHSDP (Integrated Housing and Slum Development Program) which are in turn managed by ‘Ministry of Housing’; these are the nodal ministries for the submissions. The objectives of these missions are as follows UIG 1. Urban Renewal. 2. Water supply including desalination and sewage. 3. Solid waste management. 4. Storm water drains. 5. Urban transport (including roads, highways, expressways, MRTS and metro projects). 6. Parking spaces on PPP basis. 7. Development of heritage areas. 8. Preservation of water bodies.

BSUP 1. Integrated slum development and infrastructure projects in slums. 2. Development, improvement and maintenance of basic services to the urban poor. 3. Slum improvement and rehabilitation. 4. Water supply, sewage, drainage, community toilets and baths etc. 5. Affordable housing for slum dwellers, urban poor, economically weaker sections (EWS) and lower income group (LIG). 6. Construction and improvement of storm water drains. 7. Street lighting. 8. Civic amenities like community halls, child care centres etc. 9. Operation and maintenance of assets. 10. Health, education and social security schemes of poor. 68

Class A

Class B

Class C

More than 4 million population

1-4 million population

Less than 1 million population

Delhi

Patna

Guwahati

Greater mumbai

Faridabad

Itanagar

Ahmedabad

Bhopal

Jammu

Bangalore

Ludhiana

Rajpur

Chennai

Jaipur

Panaji

Kolkata

Lucknow

Shimla

Hyderabad

Madurai

Ranchi

Nasik

Thiruvananthapuram

Pune

Imphal

Cochin

Shilong

Varanasi

Aizwal

Agra

Kohima

Amritsar

Bhubaneshwar

Vishakhapatnam

Gangtok

Vadodara

Agartala

Surat

Dehradun

Kanpur

Bodhgaya

Nagpur

Ujjain

Coimbatore

Puri

Meerut

Ajmer - Pushkar

Jabalpur

Nainatal

Jamshedpur

Mysore

Asansol

Pondicherry

Allahabad

Chandigarh

Vijaywada

Srinagar

Rajkot

Mathura

Dhanbad

Nanded

Indore

Haridwar

All together the missions also have to provide focussed attention to the urban poor by providing housing near the place of occupation for the urban poor, monitor asset creation and asset management to ensure efficiency, scaling up delivery of civic amenities and provision of utilities with emphasis to universal access to the urban poor. Assuring adequate investment of funds to fulfil deficiencies in basic services and keeping a watchful eye on the execution of these missions is the responsibility of the urban local bodies. The total budget allotted by the Ministry of Commerce to these missions was 50,000 crores which has already exceeded in the first phase of the missions itself. The budget allotted for the sub-missions is as follows UIG - 22,500 crores BSUP - 13,650 crores UIDSMT - 6400 crores IHSDP - 4450 crores All this funding is for the development of sixty three cities in India which are divided on the basis of population and area. Seven cities with more than four million population as of 2011, twenty-eight cities with population between one to four million and another twenty-eight cities with population less than one million, but with seventy five per cent of its population engaged in non-agricultural activities. Together these cities are of great religious, tourist and therefore economic importance to India (the diagram besides is a list of all the cities covered by the missions). Besides the government has also planned two missions which will prove to be major contributors for the new face of urban India, they are NCMP - National Common Minimum Program which gives highest priority to the development of physical infrastructure and NUTP - National Urban Transport Policy which suggests improvements in MRTS, BRTS, sky buses, underground metros, monorails etc. All these policies should not be over looked as the new face of urban India will be constructed on the basis of these pillars.16 Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

GUWAHATI

CONCLUSION PUNE

BANGALORE

CITIES SELECTED FOR STUDY

It is not feasible to go through all these reforms for all of sixty eight cities in India and then construct scenarios for 2030 India. So I decided to pick one city from each category that would then represent other sister cities in their respective category. The cities are considerably more developed as compared to their sister cities and blessed with unique geographical locations in different corners of India, making them explicit for study and diverse in all the terms such as the demographics, psychographics, sociographics, culture, language, lifestyles, activities, problems faced by people and reforms planned by the government. A generalised solution catering to all these cities can then be applied to the whole of India. The three cities selected were 1. BANGALORE (A class city) 2. PUNE (B class city) 3. GUWAHATI (C class city)

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

CITY I GUWAHATI

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

GUWAHATI

Untamed and unexplored they’re full of lush green valleys, lofty mountains and tumultuous rivers and lands where the rays of sun kiss before they enlighten any other place in India. They’re home to an extraordinary range of flora and fauna. They’re the states of North East India. And amongst these seven states is the state of Assam with her flourishing city ‘Guwahati’. Guwahati is said to be the biggest city of Assam after its capital city Dispur and is treated as The Gateway to the Northeast India and the most important destination in the Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

entire Northeast. Located on the bank of the Brahmaputra River, it is the largest commercial, industrial and educational centre of the region. The word Guwahati was derived from ‘Arcea Nut’ and ‘Market Place’ which mean ‘Guwa’ and ‘Hati’ respectively according to the place’s etymology. The city boasts a population of about 2.5 million which has incriminated from 1.1 million since 1990-91 and is expected to grow up to 8 million by the year 2030. This is spread over an expanding area of 340 square kilometres. Because of such numbers Guwahati ranks fiftieth in the list of most populated cities in India and is placed in the list of C-class cities of India; but is considered to be a leader in competition to her sister cities.17 72

A CLASS

B CLASS

C CLASS

( Bangalore )

( Pune )

( Guwahati )

Being geographically challenged, because of its location in an earthquake prone zone on the banks of river Brahmaputra and the foothills of the Shillong plateau, Guwahati has had a hard time crossing the hurdles laid in front of her. Also being located in the lap of the mountain ranges surrounding her, Guwahati and Dispur have resulted in a unique expansion pattern just like most of their sister cities. This pattern resembles a star fish if observed from a higher altitude and is expanding towards south, east and west while being bisected by the river in the north and is very different from the conventional pattern of concentric circles. Guwahati and Dispur were once considered neighbours who had their own unique identities, but today Dispur has become a guest residing in Guwahati for quite a while and will continue to do so from now on. Guwahati has earned a title of being a commercial capital of Assam while Dispur takes pride for being the administrative capital. Being engulfed by Guwahati completely, Dispur is now home to all the political leaders and their administrative offices. The city houses about 218 kilometres of roads and highways such as NH-31 and NH-37 encircles that run along southern parts of Guwahati and link the southern corridor 73

of ‘Nomile’ with the western corridor of ‘Jalukhbari’. NH 31 connects north and south Guwahati and provides access in the North of Guwahati. This has resulted in the growth of many fringe areas like Ganeshgauri, Beltola, Panjabari, Jatika, Kahilipara which have now taken the shape of the southern sub-centre surrounding the capital complex of Dispur. Being considered as a leader in the area of tea cultivation, the city is also known for her IOCL (Indian Oil Corporation LTD.) petroleum refineries, her most important manufacturing industry. With most of its revenue being generated by tea and some small scale manufacturing industries, the city had realised her true potential and has now decided to capitalize on tourism by promoting her national parks like Kaziranga and developing a new cable car system that she believes will attract tourists from overseas. The city is also planning to improve its transport services by incriminating the number of buses and making Guwahati as the hub for air connectivity in the north-east region. But being positioned in the lap of uncertainty due to its geographically challenged location, Guwahati is gifted with her own set of problems. The city does not boost an

underground sewage system and does not have an adequate water supply and depends majority on ground water reserves. To add to this the river Brahmaputra is considered to be one of the most unpredictable water bodies in India, and coupled with heavy rainfall, floods have become a frequent occurrence in this region forcing a stay on the idea of infrastructure development. The river Brahmaputra was always looked upon as a threat until recently the state has realised its true potential for inland water transport as the river connects a majority of areas from Kolkata to Assam and then some. Metro or monorail cannot be introduced in the region, due to the size and terrain of the region and this has levied a huge pressure on the ASTC (Assam State Transport Corporation) buses. All these factors have had a diverse effect on the lifestyle of people, in the way they commute, they reside and as a result their home-office relationship. The Indian government for a very long time has overlooked the development in the north-east; but the introduction of JNNURM has ignited a new ray of hope. For quite a while, people have been migrating for study and employment reasons to the western parts of India causing Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

brain drain. Due to lack of scope of development in the south Guwahati regions, the state now believes that north Guwahati holds the key to Guwahatiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future along with some of the new developments planned by the government of India in nexus with the Assam government through schemes like JNNURM which are expected to retain this talent. The next few pages highlight some of these developments along with an overview of the public lifestyle coupled with the hardships they are facing in this region. This study will help us gather valuable information about similar cities to Guwahati and help us build future scenarios which would then help us ideate possible solutions.17

Brahmaputra river Mountains Roads Guwahati STAR SHAPED EXPANSION PATTERN Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Dispur 74

Brahmaputra river

IIT Guwahati

Guwahati University

Guwahati Medical College

Military cantonment

Commercial areas Residential areas Political areas Roads Railway MAP HIGHLIGHTING THE CONCENTRATION OF DIFFERENT SPACES IN GUWAHATI 75

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

The core areas of Guwahati are mostly commercial areas, and as the etymology suggests, over the years they have still retained their name as marketplaces. ‘Pan Bazar, Paltan Bazar, Fansi Bazar, Uzan Bazar’ are some of the renowned commercial areas in the core region and are famous for their unique set of activities. Such as Pan Bazar is an educational, cultural and administrative hub, Paltan bazar is a hub for transportation and hotels. People mostly reside next in the neighbourhood or proximity of their workplaces and hence end up commuting less. One of the research surveys have indicated that there are about 1,032,54 residential, 1,50,28 commercial and about 332 commercial properties in Guwahati. This means that Guwahati’s residential settlements and commercial workplaces go hand in hand with their numbers at par. For a very long time the city had not seen new developments in the core region. As vertical expansion was banned, demolishing the current infrastructure to redeem it seemed like the only option. But recently, ‘VIP road linking zoo road, Hengerabari-Narengi road, A.T. Road, G.S. Road’ have been supporting massive residential developments. All these areas are in proximity with the core areas and are easily accessible by various modes of transportation. They are also strategically positioned to avoid threats from their native river Brahmaputra. Some of the new residential projects in these areas include18 –

Uzan bazar Pan bazar

Fancy bazar Paltan Bazar

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

MG Road

AT Road

GS Road

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Regent paradise (Idyllic site) Meghmallar Anubhav (Beltola) Meghmallar Hillview (Jatia) Meghmallar Kalpamati (Rehabari) Dona tower (Guwahati Shillong road) Purabi Kunti residential (Uzan bazar) Uday apartments (Narengi) Saroj Greens (Borbari) Beau Mansion (Dispur) Appat apartment (Bhetapara)

(Top – Map highlighting the Bazars in the core area of Guwahati Left – Map highlighting the major transport corridors supporting new residential developments.)

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

NEWDEVELOPMENTS With no promises from nature and no scope of developments in the core areas of the city, skyscrapers are a distant thought. The government therefore has decided to envisage the outskirts and the fringe areas near NH37. Information technology is the order of the day and an important driver for economic development across the world. It is touching the lives of common man in one way or another and has become a part of our everyday lives. So the Assam government has paved a red carpet to some of the IT giants to set up their enterprise in Guwahati. This open invitation will then extend to the lives of many north-east people who have migrated to far corners of India in search of jobs.19 77

Assam Electronics Development Corporation Limited plans to set up an IT park on a hundred acre land in Assam. The agreement for which has already been signed between Amarton and Srei. Infrastructure Finance LTD. of Kolkata on the 16th of September 2009. Infosys an industry torch bearer has also purchased land to set up their offices in south Guwahati and have already initiated talks for the same. With the introduction of so many commercial areas, the flow of residents and tourists will escalate and the government will have to promote basic necessities and other businesses. Taj Hotels and Resorts is setting up a five star hotel at Khanpara, in the south-west region of Guwahati and the program is said to be under implementation. A huge Infinity Mall is also planned in Guwahati centre, which means core zone of Guwahati will still remain a commercial hub. With all these developments, projections predict that there will be an obvious increase in the number of cars flooding the streets and that there will be a demand for parking spaces. The central jail land which was positioned in the heart of the city has been shifted to the outskirts and a multi-storied car park spread over an area of 24 acres has been planned at its original place. With all these promising developments, residential areas have started to creep up on the outskirts. It seems that, Guwahati, two decades from now will be a major commercial centre of the north-east but not a manufacturing hub; so commercial spaces will have permits to set up their offices near residential areas allowing the employees to commute less. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;But this does not imply that travel times would be reduced drastically and that the residents will commute with ease. The residents will still have to cope-up with a lot of tantrums rolled by the city.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

NH-31

Brahmaputra river Chandrapur Rd. Dadara

North Guwahati IIT Guwahati

Dolibari

Amingaon

Narengi Geetanagar Sahib Tila Sreenagar

Rehabari Adabari

Japorigog

Kamakhya Guwahati University

Maligaon

Guwahati Medical College

IT Park, Assam Electronics Development Corp. 100 acres

Pathar Quarry Krishnanagar

Chistian Basti

Lichubagan

Nayanpur

Kahilipara Jalukbari

Birkuchi

Dispur

Borbari VIP road

Swaraj Nagar

Khanpara Jayanagar Kundil Nagar

Sarusajan

Residential areas

Military cantonment

Hengerabari

Hatigaon

Lokhra

IT Park, Assam Electronics Development Corp. 100 acres

Bhetapara

NH-37 Pator Kuchi

Laimati Basishta Latakata

Commercial areas Important roads Other roads IT parks Five star hotel Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

MAP HIGHLIGHTING NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN GUWAHATI 78

NH-152

NH-31C NH-31

NH-31B

NH-31

Gauripur Provision of an integrated logistic hub

Proposed waterway

Adabari bus terminus 60 acres

Core Guwahati NH-37

NH-40 NH-51

NH-62

(Top â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A map showing the proposed waterway connecting Guwahati to Gauripur and highlighting the Logistic Park along with Adabari Bus Terminus. Across â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A map showing the national waterway number 2 and the Jute Park at Dhing.)

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

NH-52

NH-52B

Dibrugarh

NH-52A Sibsagar

NH-152

National waterway number 2- since 1998

Tezpur

Dhing Jute park

Core Guwahati NH-54

NH-37

NH-36

NH-61

NH-40

The government not only plans to exploit the waterways of Brahmaputra; but has also made bones about some bold plans along the river’s course. For a long time North Guwahati was a neglected piece of land; but recently the state has decided to nurture its true potential by promoting businesses. The Assam Government plans to set up a ‘Logistic Park’ in Gauripur, North Guwahati and has also made provisions to set up a wholesome infrastructure for a market. Provision for warehousing and storage facilities along with basic services and amenities is also well thought Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

of. An integrated freight complex is said to be under construction under full supervision in this region. Besides these, there are also plans to develop the ‘Adabari Bus Terminus’. The terminus will be spread over 200 bighas, i.e. 60 acres of land and is expected to serve as a commercial hub in the western part of the city. It is also foreseen that the terminus will serve as a primary candidate in solving congestion and parking related problems within the project’s influence area. Hotel and commercial areas will be permissible inside large depots through private participation

of investors. A few other projects include the ‘Jute Park Development Project’ which was planned on 300 bighas of land in Dhing, a place located at 130 kilometres east of the city is now kept on hold due to non-availability of land.19

TRANSPORT SCENARIO

WATERTRANSPORT At present Guwahati is divided into two distinct halves by the river Brahmaputra and the two halves are given their own role to manage. South Guwahati being the elder sister gets a majority stake of developments like shopping malls, commercial hubs and the love of her native residents. Although North Guwahati is perceived as an educational capital and a mushrooming hub for commercial businesses it is difficult to establish a connection between the two halves. The only connection as of date is established by the ‘Pandu Bridge’ built across the river. But to canalize the Northern counterpart’s true potential a concrete plan to exploit the Brahmaputra has to be devised. The present inland water transport is highly under-developed and is therefore not utilizing its full potential. So people who do not reside near the Pandu Bridge have to opt for the only possible alternative available, an extremely time consuming 20 kilometre detour along the Saraighat Bridge. Brahmaputra is the widest river in India, with her width reaching up to seven kilometres in certain areas and the river experiencing fierce currents in the narrowest of regions, the flow of water is certainly unpredictable. Ferris are a less favoured option by the working masses as they carry not more than 15-20 passengers at a time over a journey which takes about 2030 minutes and is totally dependent on the river currents of the dingy Brahmaputra. They can transport about 5-10 two wheelers depending on their size. A recent observation highlights that the Ferris carry about 700 passengers per day, a number far less than the actual requirement. 81

The government plans to rectify this problem through its much planned ‘Brahmaputra Riverfront Development project’. The project powered by ASEB (Assam State Electricity Board) plans to commercially exploit the river without hampering the natural habitat and ecology of the river and its bed. Some of the interventions planned in the project are – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Construct Bridges Provide flood lighting Create provision of Jetties Reclamation of the river’s bank Construct pedestrian walkways and parking facilities Construct a ropeway Set up a museums of modern art and textile as tourist attractions 8. Create markets and food courts along the river’s bank. In addition to these assignments, the government has also pledged to create an ‘International Cruze Liner’ on the river. The course of the river connecting DhurbiPandu-Tezpur-Neemati-Dibrugarh-Sidiya was declared as a national waterway number two in the year 1998. Also, India has a IWT (International Waterway Transit) and a trade protocol with Bangladesh. The project is expected to kick start connectivity and passenger flow between Guwahati and Kolkata through Bangladesh through a suitable PPP modality of two liners every day. It is believed that the project will also help cherish tourism in areas such as Kaziranga and Sibsagar.

hours i.e. from 8:30 to 10:00 am and 3:00 to 6:00 pm. It is observed that more than 80 percent of the trips that the passengers make are meant for work and business purposes. Now, there are about 1200 privately operated buses and ASTC (Assam State Transport Corporation) operates about 250 buses. But according to the current estimates, Guwahati needs about 5700 buses a number almost four times that of the current value to satisfy the needs of the residents. But, these buses mostly operate on A.T Road, M.G. Road, GNB Road and GS Road corridors causing a lot of congestion. The numbers show that private buses definitely dominate over government buses in terms of population with a ratio of about 5:1. So without a doubt the frequency of private buses is more than that of ASTC buses, forcing people to travel mostly by the prior ones. These activities have led in the deterioration of services of government run buses. Also there are only four bus terminals-Paltan Bazar, Muchkowa, Rupnagar and one on NH-37. To add to this tragedy, people mostly commute during rush hours in different corridors. Considering this the private buses get an added advantage as they can run along any routes at any time; so those agencies that have profit as their main motive, target routes of higher passenger ridership in peak times which adds to the traffic. This has resulted in added competition between private city buses, rhino buses, government buses and trekkers.19

LANDTRANSPORT Guwahati has about 65 percent population of Assam, which is over 2 million spread over a land mass which is not so humongous. There is a large population that does not own a personal transport and with the unavailability of metro, have to opt for buses as they are light on their wallets. About three lakh people use city buses to commute on everyday basis and about two lakh people travel by city buses in peak Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

80 60 40 20 0

Number of Passengers Work

Business

Education

Social

Tourism

Other

PURPOSE OF JOURNEY FOR PASSENGERS IN GUWAHATI

JNNURMGUWAHATI Launched on 3rd of December 2005, with the aid of the Indian Government, JNNURM has bold plans for the development of urban areas in Assam with Guwahati being on the top most priority. To supervise the mandatory reforms at the level of state government, 1 municipal corporation, 29 municipalities and 58 town committees have been appointed as the nodal agencies which are also responsible for making the detailed project reports (DPRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s). Accepted

Implemented

First Detailed Project Report

5 Recommendations

Second Detailed Project Report

64 Recommendations

As of date JNNURM is assisting in projects that have been stated till now; but is running late.20 Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

walk Bus stop

Parking

walk

Route 2

1. MULTI-MODALTY

Route 1

2. PERSONAL TRANSPORT

3. CHARTERED TRANSPORT

4. MULTI-MODALITY ACROSS RIVER

Bus Personal Transport Walk Boat Rickshaw and Trekker TRAVEL PATTERNS OF PEOPLE IN GUWAHATI 83

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

TRAVEL PATTERNS

TRAVELPATTERNS As of today a variety of travel patterns can be observed in Guwahati itself. For the ease of study they are divided into different scenarios under the present travel pattern scenario which are discussed henceforth. These along with the insights recorded will help us construct future travel patterns of 2030.

CASEI People from the neighbouring areas surrounding the Bazars travel to the core areas every day, to and fro for work perks. Those who are not privileged with a means of personal transport like cars and bikes opt for buses. They say good bye to their home early in the morning and mostly commute during peak hours on the busiest of city corridors such as A.T Road, G.S. Road etc. they commence their journey in the morning by waiting for a trekker or a bus to pick them up, which on an average takes about 10 minutes. They then end up spending a handsome amount of time while commuting to their workplace, even though their destinations are not that far away, because of heavy traffic and congestion. They then walk to their office from the nearest bus stop. In all the journey takes about an hour, a lot of time considering the distance being covered. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

CaseII

CaseIV

Let’s consider the case of a privileged traveller with a disposable income enough to afford a personal transport for himself. Although he owns a personal transport solution, he is very punctual with the clock and sets off at a fixed time trying to avoid the busy morning traffic. He has the freedom to choose his route and reaches his destination quite early as compared to the guy in the bus, as he avoids regular intervals and stops like the bus. Due to his usual tendency to cut travel time he prefers shorter routes; but forgets that most psychologies function the same way and finds himself in traffic again as a majority of commuters prefer the same route. While returning it’s altogether a different story. Most of the core areas are flooded with people buying shopping from road side hawker stalls and so he has to take a longer detour to reach home. An unnecessary diversion caused to lack of accessible corridors. So, although he owns a personal transport, he does end up spending an equivalent amount of time as the guy in the bus.

With noise in the background and clogged streets the residents now have started preferring to reside on the outskirts. And with new developments planned near their residences they have no regrets about their decisions. But the introduction of more commercial spaces means more people and more people with a rising disposable income means more cars. As much as the population is expected to creep up, so will the density of cars on the streets. It is expected the density of cars on the streets will soar to about 3600 in 2030 from just 1800 since 2010, simply put-double the increment in double the decade. So this implies that ‘traffic’ will still be a much familiarised word then. To avoid congestion on the streets the government has planned a few multi-storied parking lots. But these cannot be setup at regular intervals due to an ever increasing space crunch and hence people will have to walk down till their offices from their neighbouring parking lots; a not so pleasurable experience by a car which is supposed to help commute door-to-door.

CaseIII

“On the whole it does seem that space will be an ever increasing challenge and the need to create a personal transport solution substantially independent of the spatial infrastructure or highly effective does seem like a promising idea.”

Now, let’s talk about the plight of people who travel from South to North Guwahati for a living. As of today a majority of developments in North Guwahati are still under construction, and hence force the residents to live a dependable life on the Southern counterpart. As a result people end up commuting to and fro on a daily basis between the two halves. Now, for those who have a personal transport like a bike, think twice before taking it on to the streets as there are a lot of complications involved, for e.g. loading in the ferry, cost of transporting, etc. So they end up commuting by bus and share the same fate as their fellow bus travellers. While others who actually consider crossing the river by Ferris, have to opt for a secondary means of transport to reach their workplaces. The total time consumed for a not so pleasurable journey is quite high, about two hours one way.

PHOTO STUDY

The picture shows the geographical terrain of Guwahati and the absence of skyscrapers due to her location in an earthquake prone zone. The river Brahmaputra is visible at the back of the photo with two distinct land masses of South and North Guwahati. The photo also shows the absence of industrial areas, as majority of the properties are residential and commercial.

The core areas of Guwahati such as Pan Bazar, Paltan Bazar, Fansi Bazar, and Uzan Bazar are known for their marketplaces and unique activities. Such as pan bazar is an educational, cultural and administrative hub, Paltan Bazar is a hub for transportation and hotels. In the evening hours these streets are flooded with shoppers and hawkers who set up their stalls on the pavements. This restricts the flow of traffic hindering a majority of corridors useless for transportation.

(Image Courtesy - Barooah, Manas. October3, 2011. http://www.pbase.com/ mbarooah/guwahati&page=all) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Since Guwahati is located on the banks of river Brahmaputra which is one of the most unpredictable water bodies in India, floods are a recurring site. Coupled with a world renowned place that receives the highest rainfall in the world, and no sewage facilities, the state has taken no necessary measures to avoid these floods. These floods restrict accessibility in a few busy corridors restricting the flow of traffic and hence affecting the work culture of the city.

04 People who travel using their personal transport have to face hardships while travelling in the evening hours due to such clogging of streets. To add to this plight, since a majority of lanes are rendered useless, people have to take detours which eventually result in traffic and therefore increased travel times. 86

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PHOTO STUDY

rickshaws and trekkers in Assam are a common sight. They run on CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and can be hired on an individual or sharing basis from every nook and corner of the city. The rickshaws however do not follow the meter and hence are troublesome for strangers. Fare is predecided when the passenger hires the rickshaw and is nonnegotiable. However on an everyday basis they prove not so economical to the wallets of the average citizen.

07 There are about 1200 private buses, almost five times the number of ASTC (Assam State Transport Corporation) buses. They have the liberty to choose their routes and travel on the at peak times on the busiest corridors. A lot of private sector companies have hired such buses for the convenience of their employees. They are also better maintained than the ASTC buses and allow people to ride at an equivalent rate.

04 01 Brahmaputra is considered to be a lifeline by people who commute from the North to South of Guwahati and vice versa. The Ferris carry about 15-20 passengers at a time and can transport a few two-wheelers in one go. They are economical for every day travel; but consume a lot of travel time. Their journey is also quite unpredictable due to the river currents and turbulences in the river’s flow can disrupt transport. The Ferris are spread across the shore and pick up passengers from a variety of spots.

02 Due to irregular geographical terrain metros can run only in the minds of Guwahati residents. Across the world metros are considered to be the cheapest mode to travel with; but deprived of trains for local transport, buses have to take responsibility for transporting people within the city. The only rail service that runs through the city is the one which connects the neighbouring states of Assam to the rest of India.

03 Painted in iconic colours such as blue and white, Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

The Pandu Bridge is one of the most conducive options for hundreds of Guwahati residents who migrate across the river. It is a boon for people who reside close to it; but for those who don’t, the Saraighat bride is the only alternative. But crossing this bridge means taking a long diversion in the course of travel and thus expecting an exponential increase in the travel time. The government has bold plans however to construct more bridges over the river shortly.

05 The lanes within the city are very congested, and do not allow a passage for buses; so two wheelers such as bikes and cycles are a familiar sight. Easy to park,t easy to manoeuvre they serve as an economical option for a huge percent of the population and allow the commuters to travel door-to-door.

08 ASTC with aid from JNNURM has launched new buses. They provide a better level of comfort than the ASTC’s older fleet; but are very less in numbers. There fares are relatively high as compared to their older generation and operate from the four bus terminus- Paltan Bazar, Muchkowa, Rupnagar and one on NH-37.

09 ASTC’s older fleet has now become obsolete and cannot cope up with the private buses and trekkers in numbers. With only 250 buses roaming on selected streets, people prefer to travel by alternate means of transport. This coupled with long waiting times has resulted in the deterioration in the quality of buses.

06 The government of Assam with aids from urban development schemes like JNNURM are trying to revamp Guwahati’s image for tourism. With lush green mountain ranges, national parks, tea gardens and textile industries Assam is a hot spot for north-east travellers. To add to this, the government plans to construct a cable car system that will not only be a value addition to their tourism portfolio; but also will help transport across their native river.

(Image Courtesy - Barooah, Manas. October3, 2011. http://www.pbase.com/ mbarooah/guwahati&page=all)

CITY II PUNE

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PUNE

Pune is Maharashtra’s second city, which lies close to the Western Ghat Mountains, on the edge of the Deccan plains as they stretch away to the east. It was here that Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak introduced the principle of Swadeshi during the Freedom Movement. A contrast of history and modernism, Pune is considered to be the cultural capital of the Maratha people, and is also known as the ‘Queen of the Deccan’ all over the country. However, the journey of Pune till date to become the second largest metropolis in Maharashtra and eight largest in India has been quite interesting.21 The history of Pune dates back when it was one of the pivotal bases of the 17th century Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji, the first ruler of the Maratha Empire, which at its Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

its peak was spread over an area of 2.5 million square kilometres. The renowned ‘Peths’ in the core areas of the city came into existence during the regime of Shivaji. In the coming years, Pune became the seat of the enterprising Peshwas, under whom Maratha power rose into a major political force. The Peshwas were renowned patrons of the arts and in their time, enriched the city with temples, gardens and educational institutions that gave Pune a cultured touch. Baji Rao I, aqueduct to bring water from ‘Katraj Lake’ to the towns in the surrounding areas which is still operational today. Development followed after the supply of water which resulted in Pune’s all-out expansion to expedite. After the Battle of Koregaon in 1818, Pune fell into the hands of the East India Company. The British proposed 90

A CLASS

B CLASS

C CLASS

( Bangalore )

( Pune )

( Guwahati )

home. In July 2008 the city hosted Commonwealth Games; which paved a way to rapid developments in the northeast region. The development of Pune International Airport at Lohegaon also surged developments in the surrounding regions. A new airport has been planned between Rajurnagar and Chakan by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation about 40 kilometres from central Pune; the work on which will be commenced soon. Since then Pune has not only advanced in the areas of information technology but also manufacturing. It was recently that a lot of foreign and domestic automotive giants have taken refuge here in the fringe areas of Pune as land acquisition was still very cheap. Availability of cheap labour and fresh talent from some domestic universities has not only helped the companies surge victorious but has also supported the livelihoods of so many locals and the development of such fringe areas. In the last couple of decades pune has earned yet another badge to her name as ‘The Oxford of the East’, because of a lot of favouritism shown by schools and universities. As of date Pune has a literacy rate of 81 percent and houses over a hundred educational institutes and nine universities.

Since her birth as a mere agricultural settlement in 758 A.D; Pune has flourished in every department laid in front of her with flying colours. Today, this flamboyant city is spread over an ever expanding area of 1109.85 square kilometres and a population of more than 3.5 million to put her as a leader in the league of ‘B-Class’ cities in India. As trade flourishes a complex web of road network and a greater demand for transportation will be created; but a B-Class city like Pune has a lot to learn to put itself in a league of the A-Class cities. In the following pages we will be discussing some of the cities bold plans for the forthcoming future and provide design interventions after decoding the logic in patterns of colonization and transportation to help this city develop a sustainable personal transport solution.21

to transform the city into a ‘monsoon capital’ but instead developed it into a 19th century Indian army town and renamed it ‘Poona’. Since then Pune served as a cantonment capital for the British till independence. By 1950, land acquisition had become a costly affair in Mumbai and people realised the need to expand their business in adjacent cities. So, a majority of industrialists focussed their attention on this future commercial magnet, Pune. Situated on a plateau region, with a very inviting climate and a low lying fertile land, it was a rapidly emerging hots pot for trade to flourish. In 1950-60 industrial development started in Hadapsar, Bhosri, Pimpri and Parvati areas and by 1966 the city had expanded in all the directions. In the year 1998 work began on the Mumbai –Pune expressway and a project of such magnitude was ripped off in a short span of just three years. The completion of the expressway established a very important corridor for trade, and has offered a helping hand to both the leading cities of Maharashtra. In the year 1990 Pune began to attract foreign capital in the areas of information technology and engineering. Since then a majority of IT giants have started calling Hinjawadi, Aundh, Hadapsar and a few other areas 91

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

EXPANSION The image at the bottom shows the logic in Puneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expansion pattern. The city just like other mega cities of its league is not only expanding in concentric circles with its core areas being the birthplace; but is also getting attracted towards other cities like Mumbai. Developments in transport have allowed trade to flourish and have brought the two leading cities of Maharashtra closer to each other over the years. It wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a surprise to see them coalesce in the future about two decades from now. Other cities have started emerging surrounding these cities as the government extends help to industries, to set up their units in such fringe areas. This benefits the companies, as it saves huge up-front capital due to low land acquisition rates and also provides a means of livelihood for the people in these areas eventually helping the town to mature. These towns in the future will probably be eaten up by rapidly expanding parent cities like Pune but will maintain their identities as posh colonies or localities.21 Mumbai

Mumbai

Emerging cites

Emerging cites Pune

Pune Solapur

Solapur Emerging cites

Kholapur

1950-51

2000-01

2030-31

PUNE EXPANSION PATTERN Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

NH-48

NH-4

Gahunje

Ravet Kiwale

Borade Vastil

Nigdi Gothan Nigdi

Punawale Tathawade

Moshi

Durgamata Colony Geeta Society

Sundar Colony Rahatani

Hinjewadi Phase II

Swami Vivekanand Nagar Wakad

Hinjewadi

Hinjewadi Phase I

Pimple Saudagar Pimple Gurav

Balewadi

Aundh

Baner Sus

Pirangut

Symbiosis International University Lavale Lavale Hills

Khadki

Bhimjyot Nagar

Bhusari Colony Kothrud Chaitanya Nagar

Bombay Sappers Regiment

Dhanukar Colony Hingne Budruk

Shivaji Nagar

Lohegaon

Dhandori

Pune Madha International Tingre Colony Airport Nagar Viman Nagar Wdgaon Yerawada Sheri Kalyani Nagar

Sangamwadi

PUNE

Sadashiv Peth

Shivaji Nagar Chirke Colony

Punya Nagari

Vabdan

Khadakwasla

Kesnand

Vitthal Nagar Kharadi Awhalwadi

Mundhwa Manjri Budruk

Ghorpadi Goan

Camp Kashewadi Pune Cantonment

Jamadar Hills

Khandve Nagar

Hadapsar

Tukaram Tupe Nagar

Satavwadi Fakhri Gurudatta Praful Society Nagar Colony Kondhwa Warje Vadgaon Mohammed Wadi Khurd Malwadi Budruk Undri Dhankawadi Kondhwa Danny Mehata Nagar Uruli Nanded Budruk Industrial Area Dhayari Devachi Handewadi Phata Ambegaon Katrajnagar Nananagar Pisoli Budruk Warje

Ahire Village

Kalas Bopkhel

High Energy Material Pashan Research Laboratory Vetal Hill Forest Enclosure

Bavdhan

Lonikand

Dapodi

Pune University

Shindenagar

Koregaon

Dighi

Parande Nagar

Old Sangvi

Mahalunge

Maan

Phulgaon

Nirgudi Charholi Budruk Wagholi

Bhosari

Chinchwad Pimpri Chinchwad

Thergaon

Vadhu Budruk

Apati

Alandi

Tapkir Nagar

Vivek Nagar Akurdi

Markal

Bhim Nagar

Raj Nagar

Pune Cantonment Dehuroad

Manjari Khurd

Kolawadi

Nalegaon

Mathurai Nagar

Peth

Parvati Darshan

Kunjirwadi Phursungi

NH-65

Gurukul Well Loni

Wakadi Gaon

Kudje Girinagar Gorhe Kurd

Mula-Mutha River

Residential Areas

Road Network

Commercial Areas

Pune Periferi PUNE MAP 93

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

CATEGORIZATION

For the sake of easy administration, Pune id divided into four categories, they are â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Zones

Central Zone

Areas

The 17 Peths, old city

Famous for

Old City

New Developments (Inner)

Deccan gymkhana, Erandwane, Shivaji Nagar in the west, Camp, Koregaon park in the east, Parvati hill and Salisbury park in south

New Developments (Outer)

Khadki, Aundh, Ganeshkhind in northwest, Kothrud in west, Datta-wadi in southwest and Bivewadi in southeast

Educational Institutes are set up

Suburbs

Baner and Pashan in northwest, Hadapsar, Katraj and Kharadi

Kharadi and Hadapsar are home to large IT parks

Mula Mutha river in North

We would be discussing the developments in these particular areas in further detail in the following pages, which then will help us propose a theory for Puneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s further expansion.21 Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PAST DEVELOPMENTS

THEBEGINNING Shivaji, the first Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, set up ‘Peths’ in the core areas of Pune around 1700 A.D. and Baji Rao I, aqueduct to bring water from ‘Katraj Lake’ to the towns in the surrounding areas which led to the Peths to flourish. After such bold steps, over the years Pune had expanded a little and people had started clogging the fringe areas around the Peths. But, Peths were still considered to be a commercial hub, so people used to commute by animal driven carts or bicycles to this central zone; but preferred to reside nearby to save travel time. The majority of occupations of people residing in these Peths were glass, sugar and forging industries till around 1960. Peths seemed like a very compact city back then as a majority of people did setup their workplaces adjacent to their homes. 95

In 1960, land acquisition had become a costly affair in Mumbai and people realised the need for their businesses to migrate to other cities. Also, industrial development was banned in Mumbai in 60’s, and Pune being situated on a plateau region, with a very inviting climate and a low lying fertile land, seemed like a very conducive market for trade to flourish. Due to Pune’s proximity with Mumbai, Pune was considered an important trade centre for industrial activities. Land acquisition was relatively cheap and in 1950-60 industrial development started in Hadapsar, Bhosri, Pimpri and Kothrud regions. Kirlosker was the first to setup ‘Kirlosker oil engines ltd.’ at Kirkee in 1947. This invited a lot of developments in the north and north-west areas of Pune. Soon companies realized the importance of trade and 1990 Pune began to attract foreign capital in ‘Information Technology and Engineering’. By 1960, Pune had started expanding in all the directions. Soon industries and the government felt the need to establish better connectivity between these two cities and this led to the development of ‘Mumbai- Pune Express-way’ corridor in 1998. Since then, this National Highway number four has provided a helping hand to both these mega cities. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Bhosari Pimpri Chinchwad

Khadki

PUNE Kothrud Hadapsar

Commercial Areas MAP HIGHLIGHTING AREAS WITH EARLY DEVELOPMENTS Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Nigdi Kiwale

Chinchwad Pimpri Chinchwad

Hinjewadi Phase II

Hinjewadi

Pimple Saudagar

Wakad Hinjewadi Phase I

Balewadi Old Sangvi

Viman Nagar Wdgaon Sheri Kharadi

Aundh

Baner

Pashan

PUNE Lavale

Navi Peth

Commercial areas Residential areas MAP HIGHLIGHTING UPCOMING COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS 97

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS THEFUTURE Pune over the years has being attracting a lot of investors in the field of Information Technology, with a lot of IT giants taking shelter in some of the prime areas of Pune, the city has no intensions to slow down. Pune in nexus with the government of India has dished open a few very lucrative proposals for these companies in the forthcoming years. ‘Hinjewadi’ as of today is targeted as the future Silicon Valley of Maharashtra, by IT companies the world over. The city has planned an Information Technology Park that will spread over 2800 acres of land which is about 11 square kilometres and will be a means of livelihood for thousands. The project is worth over 700 crores and is set up at Hinjewadi, about 30 kilometres from the core areas of city. The project is divided into three phases-Hinjewadi Phase I, Phase II, Phase III. The first phase itself, is said to make Hinjewadi, Maharashtra’s largest IT capital. It will be based over an area of 238 square kilometres of exquisitely developed land will be home to companies like Wipro, Infosys, Cognizant, Geometric, TATA Technologies and Veritas. Equipped with 140 Mbps connectivity through VSNL (Videsh Sanchar Nigam LTD.) and an 80 Mbps earth-station set up on campus by STPI (Software Technology Parks of India) and a 220 KV power plant, the campus is designed to be completely self-sustainable in terms of its power appetite. Phase II is totally owned by Infosys and is said to occupy over 110 acres of land, while Phase III will be owned by IT and BPO units. Besides this Microsoft plans to set up an additional 700 acre IT park under its badge in Hinjewadi. Investors are planning to invest in another Information technology commercial hub at ‘Kharadi’, about ten minutes from Pune airport. The park is said to be spread over 75 acres of land, with 170000 square feet of work space.22 Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

With a lot of players in the field of bio-mechanics, bioinformatics and genomics, these parks will prove vital for the development of Pune and thereby India. Mahindra British Telecom (MBT) has also signed a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the state government to set up a 300 crore software development facility with an employment of 18,000 professionals with STPI in Pune. The state is also planning to set up a 1000 MW power plant to support what is so called as an ‘International Convention Centre (ICC)’ regarded as south Asia’s largest composite trade and convention centre which will be constructed on Senapati Bapat Road on over 1.2 million square feet structure, which will accommodate the ICC tower, the ICC Tech Park, SL Kirlosker convention centre, shopping malls and family entertainment activates. With a lot of industrial development plans all set to take off, and the government acting as a catalyst, Pune will surely attract a lot of population from far reaches of India. To support these masses residential projects have been planned surrounding these commercial clots. A recent survey shows that people have been investing heavily in real estate in areas such as Sahil Serene, Kiwale, Nigdi, Chinchwad, Pimpri, Thergaon, Hinjewadi, Wakad, Balewadi, Pimple Saudagar, Baner, Pashan, Aundh, Balewadi, Lavale and Old Sangvi areas. Areas such as Viman Nagar, Wadgaon Seri are favoured by the wealthy few. “Looking at the bigger picture it seems evident that people are investing in areas which are in proximity with Mumbai and that they have begun to realize that in the near future these two cites might coalesce with each other.”

ROADTRANSPORT

whole of India to experiment with a Bus rapid Transit System (BRTS). The project commenced on 6th of December 2008 and was spread over a complex web of roads spread over 16.5 kilometres. Despite providing over 500 buses, the project did not prove to be as successful even though it took off with flying colours. The reason being, the buses only circled the core areas of the city i.e. the Peths, which are flooded with traffic because of narrow lanes. These buses added to the problem of traffic, and rendered the roads one way which caused inconvenience and increased commuting time. Street parking became a night mare in the Peths and the buses could hardly figure out their way in this maze. Also, the introductory fares of these buses were considered high for the comfort they provided and people were not willing to shell out money. After understanding the plight of their employees, companies started providing private buses to help their staff reach on time. These buses proved economical and travelled on selected routes with a few halts and allowed people to travel with their colleagues. As a result the idea to circulate private buses gained momentum which in turn led to the deterioration of government run PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited) and PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) buses. Now the government plans to revamp her bus fleet through more funding from urban development schemes over a 112 kilometre dedicated bus corridor. These buses will now run on pilot routes all the way up to Katraj. Some of the new proposed corridors are- Kharadi corridor, Pune station – Vimanagar airport, Vimanagar airport – Lohegaon, Lohegaon – Vishrantwadi, Vishrantwadi - Yedoda, Baner road, Karve road, Senapati Bapat road, Sinhagad road.23 “With ample promises, it does seem that PMPML and PMC buses will relieve the stress of commuting in Pune.”

With aid from JNNURM, Pune was the first city in the 98

Pune International Airport

Khed

ESSAR Steel Chakan Shakti Enterprise L’Oreal India LTD.

TVS Hindustan Petroleum CORP. Talegaon

Bajaj Auto

Volkswagen India PVT. LTD.

Pune (Centre)

Residential Area

Pune has been expanding in all the directions and as of 2011 has engulfed over 38 fringes areas. As aforementioned the city is expanding in north and east towards other cities like Mumbai, Sholapur and is attracting major commercial and residential developments. The central part of the city is a mix of commercial and residential estates and is known for its narrow corridors, old constructions, underdeveloped infrastructure and juvenile mentality of residents. The north-western parts of the city are not only home to Information Technology related companies but also to automotive and other manufacturing industries. Companies such as Volkswagen, Bajaj, ESSAR Steel, L’Oreal, TVS, and Hindustan Petroleum etc. have taken refuge in Talegaon and Chakan areas on the outskirts of city and have welcomed 99

Commercial Area

Industrial Area

new residencies in this region. A majority of people who work in these places are employed with fixed wages and fall in the mediocre earning category. As the areas are manufacturing hubs, people do not prefer to reside in these localities due to pollution and other health related hazards and hence end up commuting long distances. Now, due to low earnings, they can’t afford to buy a car which involves huge upfront capital and the buses do not cater the fringes areas, which leaves them with only one option, ‘Two-Wheelers’. This has caused an exponential increase in the population of two wheelers like bikes over the years and has credited Pune with a new title, ‘The Bike City of India’. Car and rickshaw sharing culture has also creeped up as it

proves to be economical for the masses. The rickshaws are known as ‘Tam-Tams’ and commute mostly on the main roads. People ride on a sharing basis with much deduced fares in these Tam-Tams which can be hired from the junctions of almost all busy streets.

(Above- An image showing the location of various industries in Talegaon and Chakan areas on the outskirts of Pune) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PUNEMONORAIL

(Above – A map showing the monorail route on the inner ring road) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Pune is expanding in concentric rings, as a result of which rings roads have been planned for convenience to manage heavy traffic. Pune has excellent road connectivity with other cities through NH-4, NH-9 and NH-50 coupled with a few other roads and intracity highways such as Pune-Mumbai highway and Katraj-Dehu road bypass. To connect these highways to each other, so that people can choose to travel with different modes of transport such as the BRTS and the

upcoming metro a monorail has been planned on the first of the concentric rings. Two lines will be built from Warje to Wakad, over a length of 22 kilometres. The total system length is said to be 52 kilometres with 18 stations and twenty five, four coach units to locomote over it. The whole system is said to be electrified by a 750 volt cable system, with units travelling at 31km/hr.24 “The monorail has been planned to bridge the gap between the quadrants formed by the metro and is expected to connect the nearest bus corridors.” 100

Phase 1 - Metro line 1 - 16.6 Kms PCMC

Nigdi Akurdi

Hinjewadi

TATA Motors

Chinchwad

Ramwadi

Pimpri

Bhosari Bund Garden

Nashik Phata Dapodi Ramwadi

Phase 1 - Metro line 2 - 14.9 Kms Deccan Gymkhana Vanaz

Pataleshwar

Khadki University Circle PMC Vanaz

Pune Station

Kharadi

Karve Road Swargate

Shaniwarwada

Nal Stop Saras Baug Swargate

Phase 1 - Metro Line 2 Phase 2 - Metro Line

Warje Mula-Mutha River Metro

Katraj Katraj

Phase 1 - Elevated Metro Line Phase 1 - Underground Metro Line Phase 1, 2 and 3 - Roads (Thin Line - Phase 2 City Core Area)

Roads

PUNEMETRO The flat plateau region is conducive to construct a metro which will provide some leverage to the traffic problems and will also share the responsibility of overburdened buses in the city. The Pune metro just like many other projects is funded by JNNURM and is divided into two phases. Phase I – The first phase is spread over a length of 82 kilometres with four dedicated board gauge lines starting from Pimpri-Chinchwad-Swargate which is an elevated and underground track through the range hills. And a 14.9 kilometre stretch from Vanaz-Ramvadi via Deccan Gymkhana. 101

Phase II – The second phase will be an 18 kilometre stretch from ASI to Hinjewadi via Aundh.25 It would be justice to say that in the near future the metro might become the bloodline of Pune, and will ease a lot of pressure that is currently levied on land transportation. “However according to the plans, the city will be divided into four quadrants, which will be connected by monorail and buses; and that the people residing in the heart of these quadrants who would travel by metro will have to opt for multi-modality.”

(Top – Images highlighting the metro lines and the type of construction. Across – The list of stations and their end destinations on the four lines running through the city) (Top - Image Courtesy - Karandeekar, Ravi. October 2011. http://ravikarandeekarsblog. blogspot.in/2010/02/pmc-cant-run-buses-but-wants-metrorail.html Across - Image Courtesy - Pune Metro Rail-Phases. July 7, 2011. October 2011. http://www.sturdysource.com/2012/06/ pune-metroapproved-by-government/) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Line 1 - Pimpri-Chinchwad Swargate

Line 2 - Viman Nagar/Kharadi Vanaz Viman Nagar Kharadi

Pimpri - Chinchwad

Line 3 - ASI - Hinjewadi

Wadgaon Sheri

Line 4 - Deccan Gymkhana Vishrantwadi

Sant Tukaram Nagar Ramwadi

Bhosari To Pimpri Station Kasarwadi

Yerwada

Phugewadi

Mula Mutha River

Dapoli

To Pune Junction

Bund Garden To Hadapsar Station

Mula River

Ruby hall

Bapodi

To Shivajinagar Station Mangalwar Peth

Hira Baug Swargate Ghorpade Peth

Pune University

Poolgate

Aundh Mula River

Mutha River

Sangvi

ASI

Civil Court

Pimple Nilakh

PMC

ASI

Wakad

Mutha River

Deccan Gymkhana

Hinjewadi

Budhwar Peth

Garware College

Mandai

Nal Stop

Swargate

Ideal Colony

To Pune Junction

Sir Parshurambhau College

Agriculture College

Ganeshkhind

Pune Station

Shivajinagar

To Khadki Station

Khadki Range Hills

Deccan Gymkhana

ASI

Kalyani Nagar

Pune Race Course Empress Garden Ghorpadi Kavadewadi To Pune Junction Koregaon park Bund Garden Yerwada Vishrantwadi

Anand Nagar Vanaz

PUNE METRO LINES Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

102

Walk

Bus Stop

Rickshaw Stand Station Sharing Rickshaw Station

Car Sharing or Personal Car

Pick up point

Walk Station

1. CENTRAL ZONE TRAVEL PATTERN

2. NEW DEVELOPMENTS (INNER AND OUTER) TRAVEL PATTERN

3. SUBURB TRAVEL PATTERN

Trekker Metro Bus Cycle Rickshaw Monorail Bike TRAVEL PATTERN OF PEOPLE IN PUNE 103

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

TRAVEL - PATTERNS TRAVELPATTERNS

CASEII

As of today the transportation in Pune is still under development. So, the travel patterns represented besides are projections of how people would be travelling in the near future considering the current developments documented so far. Although a variety of patterns can be observed, they are divided into three major categories-Travel patterns in the central zone, travel pattern in inner and outer developments and the travel patterns in suburbs. Also, the travel pattern of men and women in a flamboyant city like Pune is quite distinct, and is discussed henceforth.

Refers to the travel pattern observed in the new inner and outer developments of the city. As of date, these areas are home to people from varied places and hence are very cosmopolitan. People commute by almost all modes of transport available ranging from buses to private vehicles. They have already shown enthusiasm towards monorail and metro projects and are anxiously waiting for the same. These areas house some of the cream residencies and are self-equipped for the daily needs and wants of its residents. As a result people from these areas do not often commute to the core areas of the city, but to specific destinations within the territory limits. A majority of people here also prefer to live in a nuclear family as opposed to the dominant joint family culture of the Peths and hence use small cars to avoid parking issues. IT and BPO units have permissions to set up their offices near residential areas, which have helped their employees to cut short their trips. With small distances to cover and a variety of transport options available at their fingertips, the residents of these areas do not have much reason to crib.

CASEI Refers to the travel pattern observed in the core areas of the city. People residing in the core areas (Peths) have their businesses setup just adjacent to their residence and as a result do not commute a lot. Most of their businesses which are carried forward are hereditary. The roads in the core area are very narrow and do not even allow a two way transport corridor. So people prefer to commute on two wheelers like cycles and bikes which can be parked anywhere and carried everywhere. More importantly they prove economical to the low wages of the residents. As of date, PMC and PMPML offer bus services in the centre of the city and will continue to do so hence forth. If there is one city adamant enough that won’t bend to the government’s norms, it would be Pune. So looking at the current scenario, it would be a bold statement to state that there will be drastic infrastructure change in the core areas. People have got used to the situation and have become tolerant enough to say no to changes, as a result the government has also become a mere spectator. The government according to the surveys conducted is planning to introduce mini buses which are expected to ease out traffic problems without creating the need for additional infrastructure. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

CASEIII Refers to the travel pattern observed in the suburbs. The suburbs are the fringe areas that are been sucked in Pune and house a lot of manufacturing units. People do not reside near manufacturing areas due to health issues and hence end up commuting more. Experts predict that the travel time in such areas will escalate from half hour-one way to about one hour after assuming infrastructure developments. This is because the areas are getting clogged with residencies with the blink of an eye. As of today the government has not spoken about any plans to replace the gasoline infrastructure with a more efficient one. So, petrol, diesel or CNG driven cars are proving to be a costly option. Moreover the

population residing in these areas is mostly employed in the manufacturing sector and consist of local people who still stay in a joint family structure. They work hard and are awarded minuscule packages as compared to their western counterparts. So, buying a car stays an ambition till the very end due to the huge up-front and maintenance costs. As a result, car sharing and bike culture has evolved in this region over the years. This proves economical and allows people to have a healthy time while covering large distances with them hardly noticing it.

GENDERBASED It’s observed that the travel patterns vary according to age groups, class and gender. Men make a lot of distant work trips, but their journeys are crisp, meaning, point to point with hardly any diversions. On the other hand, the house being the first priority for a majority of women, they prefer to work even with low salaries in proximity to their homes. But, their journeys have a lot of bifurcations as course deviations occur due to shopping trips, school trips etc. Students on the other hand commute on cycles or bikes as they provide freedom and are easy to maintain. Pune boasts more than hundred educational institutes and this large chunk of student population has also incriminated the density of two wheelers on the streets. Their trips are unpredictable, but on an average happen to different corners of the city and are majority recreational. “What Pune needs is a fun to drive, economical and a kind of transport solution that is modular enough to be used by an individual and family, yet agile enough to adapt and maneuver itself in the congested city traffic.” 104

JNNURM

Pune has more than hundred educational institutes and about nine universities and hence is considered to be the ‘Educational Hub’ of India and boasts a literacy rate of 81%. It is also credited with badges like the ‘Manufacturing City’ and the ‘Second Silicon-Valley’ of India. With a thick resume and a variety of industries operating in diverse disciplines, the city has earned fame to her name. But, there is one other tag that Pune does not like to speak of, which is-‘The slum city of India’. Even with a high literacy rate and ample employment opportunities, Pune hides her 38.9% of population under the blanket. This huge chunk of population is distributed all throughout the city and as of 2011 resides in over 564 slums. The slums are concentrated in areas like Jai Bhavani Nagar on Parvati Hill, Chandramanagar, and Kothrud etc. So what exactly went wrong on behalf of the government or the residents that led to the development of slums? Water is the backbone of life and that life cannot sustain without it. Pune has ample water supply and is blessed with a good rainfall every year. However, water is not available equally in all the areas. Water is available in plenty in the central regions where the water supply system architecture lies. Over the years, Pune has seen a lot in the area of infrastructure development, be it commercial or residential. People who work on such projects are not locals but are immigrants from the neighbouring states who serve as cheap manual labour. They do not have enough bank balances to even support their families and are mostly paid on a daily basis. So buying a residential property is an oasis for such people. During constructions water is easily available for such people in slums, but after the construction it becomes 105

the tail end of the system, forcing them to move near the banks of the river. As a result, slums have been creeping up quite frequently along the river’s bank, and lot of land is acquainted by the urban poor, which hinders the development in the core regions of the city. Therefore the first aim of the government is slum improvement and rehabilitation. To provide water equally and to clean up the mess created by the slums, the few projects on priority are – 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Water supply. Sewage treatment. Storm water drains. River and lake improvement. Solid waste management.

Easy said than done, paying attention to people’s livelihood and occupation during relocation and poor transport facilities in the city are making rehabilitation a costly affair. The old city is the core part of the city and is home to the some very old constructions which over the years have become buildings of cultural importance. The houses too date long back and were home to people living in joint families. So they are not owned by an individual, and hence it’s not possible to demolish such constructions. Therefore redevelopment in the Peths has become a complex process and nobody wants to get their hands dirty while resolving it. This old infrastructure cannot cope up and adapt itself with the complex web of transportation that has been planned, which has led to degradation of transportation services in the Peths. Buses are the only mode

of public transport that cater to the central parts and are extensively used on some of the busiest corridors everyday. These buses block the two way flow of traffic and have created havoc for street parking. Introducing more buses as per the government’s plan will just add more pressure on the system. So the government is just waiting as of now for the structures to become shackles and then intervene by introducing projects such as ‘Road Widening’. Therefore to enhance transportation, the government is looking forward to increase the road network and supervise its betterment. As discussed before, a majority of industry players are setting up their offices in the suburbs, which as of now are the fringe areas of the city. The population residing here works in the manufacturing sector and is paid far less to fulfil their ambitions. Besides this they do not reside near their workplaces and end up commuting about 20 kilometres to and fro everyday on and average. The public transportation as of date such as the buses shows favouritism to the Peths and oversees its need in the suburbs. People here cannot afford to buy a car due the high up-front costs and maintenance charges involved and hence have to opt for a much cheaper and not so comfortable options. They travel with their whole families on two-wheelers or Tam-Tams and even go for car-sharing or car-pooling. Car-pooling or sharing works on mutual understanding and proves economical, as people drive their vehicles on particular days and share a ride during the other. It reduces stress and people at the back of their mind know that it creates less of an impact on the environment. There is a huge chunk of population in the student category and working class of women who needs freedom of mobility. As economics plays Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

To Mumbai

Pavana River Bopkhel

Lohegaon

Kirkee Cantonment

Mula River

To Aurangabad Yerawada

Bopodi

Mutha River Pune University Pashan Railway Station

Shivajinagar

Erandawana From Mulshi

Sadashiv Peth Kothrud

Pune Cantonment

Right Bank Canal

To Solapur

Parvati

Bibvewadi

Kondhwa

To Belgaon

To NDA

Pre 1940 1945-1965 1966-1980

a dirty role in the earnings of this group, two-wheelers is the only option for these users. To solve mobility issues in the fringe areas of today, the government now through JNNURM plans to provide more buses and extend the metro lines in the next phases to these areas. To supervise the reforms, JNNURM has divided its tasks to two urban local bodies – ‘Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)’ and ‘National Urban Transport Policy (NTPU)’. Together they plan to provide better services and levy additional taxes on personal vehicles to reduce their usage and promote the usage of sky buses, metro and mono rail. Overcrowding and eve teasing are major problems that infringe the safety and security of women in public transport systems. So, the government plans to introduce special dedicated transport facilities for women in metros and monorail. The outlay for all these projects for the forthcoming years has been set up to 7550.84 crores by the government out of which over 70% will flow through JNNURM. As of 2011, 91% of the investment has already been utilized and of all the projects planned only one has been successful with two years to go for the rest of them i.e. the BRTS pilot route, and the proposition for metro. 35.5% is allotted for the city’s transport and road conditioning, but price escalation and availability of materials, plus acquisition of land, climate, traffic and monsoon are creating a nightmare for the work to proceed in the internal areas of Pune.26 Summing it up it is pretty evident that the government is extending its full help to public transport systems, not so cheering news for the automotive market. But, since car manufacturers have begun to treat their products as not mere boxes that help carry people from point A to B, but something more, it would be unjust to predict that we would be seeing the downfall of the Indian automotive industry in the forthcoming years. “With soaring fuel prices and increasing taxes, car manufacturers have to come up with new ideas to aspire an edge over public transportation.”

1981-2012 LOCATION OF SLUMS IN PUNE Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

(Image Courtesy - Location of Slums - Pune. October 25, 2011.http://www.archidev. org/article.php3?id_article=585)

106

107

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PHOTO STUDY

The core area of Pune consists of Peths and is also the oldest area of the city. Due to outdated infrastructure, the corridors opened for buses are very narrow, and buses navigate on the busiest of streets for the convenience of people. These result in a one way flow of traffic while personal mobility vehicles have to take a detour in their course and are also starved of street parking. To overcome these issues the government is now planning to introduce mini buses which will be easy to manoeuvre and will also increase the frequency.

Some of the buildings in the old city date back over a hundred years and are home to the local residents which are fourth and fifth generation of people in the family. They have their small businesses set up just adjacent to their homes and hence do not commute more. They usually travel on bicycles or bikes and do not own cars. The houses they reside in are not owned by a single individual as the properties were distributed between various members of the family several generations ago. This has hindered land acquisition due to legal issues and therefore has halted new developments in the Peths.

02 The central part of the city is a tourist hotspot and is considered to be the cultural heritage site of Pune; but it is not shy of its undisciplined traffic. Due to ample universities, educational institutes and offices, the city has turned cosmopolitan and is home to the largest population of bikes in India. Two wheelers are favoured by a large population of students and women as they are economical, easy to manoeuvre and not a frequent headache to park in such a busy city. As a result there is an ever growing competition between the two and four wheelers to figure a way out and cut short travel times. This has resulted in utter chaos on the streets and even though the destinations are not far off, people end up travelling more than what is needed. (Image Courtesy - Kristen. Pune Photos. August 23, 2012.http://www.holidayiq.com/ destinations/photos/Pune-Photos.html) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

04 Over the years, Pune has seen a lot in the area of infrastructure development, be it commercial or residential. People who work on such projects are not locals but are immigrants from the neighbouring states who serve as cheap manual labour. They do not have enough bank balances to even support their families and are mostly paid on a daily basis and hence canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford a shelter. During constructions water is easily available for such people in slums, but after the construction it becomes the tail end of the system, forcing them to move near the banks of the river. As a result, slums have been creeping up quite frequently along the riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bank, and lot of land is acquainted by the urban poor, which hinders the development in the core regions of the city. Therefore the first aim of the government is slum improvement and rehabilitation. 108

109

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PHOTO STUDY

seat against the law to save money. A majority of people commute on the same corridors in peak hours with their colleagues. This has given birth to an unusual bike culture which can only be observed in India. This very clearly states that, economical transport is the obvious choice over comfort of citizens in a city like Pune.

01 As bus transport does not cater to the outskirts, people residing here have to find alternate means of transport. Buying a car involves high up-front costs and maintenance charges. So people have resorted to vehicle sharing system, wherein a group of people share a car on specific days. This has paved way to another transport solution called ‘TamTam’, for those who cannot afford a car. A tam-tam is an extended rickshaw with a package that can fit up to six to seven people along with the driver. They commute on almost all the streets and charge passengers on individual basis unlike the conventional fare system which depends on distance travelled. The fare is a word of mouth and the tamtams can be hired from every nook and corner on the city outskirts.

02 Those who cannot afford a tam-tam have found an even more innovative solution. A complex mix of a rickshaw, bike and what looks like a truck is called as ‘Jugad’. Jugad’s are a common sight in the fringe areas and can carry a couple extra than a tam-tam. They too charge similar to a tam-tam, but are not as comfortable as their rivals. The ride quality is a little short of a horse cart and the vehicle can be beaten in a drag race by an entry segment, good for nothing car. In short it is a preferred option by people with holes in their pockets.

03 Not all opt for car sharing though. With a huge population of two-wheelers, people ride triple and quadruple Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Once companies realised that the bike culture was mushrooming at a very fast rate in the city, several manufactures decided to capitalize on this. Bikes are favoured by a lot of women and student population. As a result, companies are now introducing gender specific designs to promote the use of two wheelers. Easy to park, easy to manoeuvre, they are a very conducive solution for the city traffic.

04 Although Pune is considered to be an ‘Educational–Hub’ with a literacy rate of 81%, there still happens to be a lot of population that resides in slums and is still struggling to find an income source. A handful of this population is engaged in manual driven rickshaws. They are expensive and are not suitable to travel large distances for obvious reasons such as time involved. They are exposed to the environment and do not provide any privacy to the passengers.

05 Pune experienced a lot of developments in the commercial sector following the completion of MumbaiPune expressway. A research survey states that about eighty six thousand people migrated to this cultural capital during 2003-04. A majority of this population was a labour force that used to migrate from one place to another with in the city limits during constructions. They were paid on a daily basis and hence could not afford a permanent home. During constructions water was easily available for such people in slums, but after the construction it became the tail end of the system, forcing them to move near the banks of the river. As a result, slums have been creeping up quite frequently along the river’s bank, and lot of land is acquainted by the urban poor, which hinders the development in the core regions of the city. Therefore the first aim of the government is slum improvement and rehabilitation.

07 With aid from JNNURM, Pune was the first city in the whole of India to experiment with a Bus rapid Transit System (BRTS). The project commenced on 6th of December 2008 and was spread over a complex web of roads spread over 16.5 kilometres. The buses catered the busy corridors of the Peths and were overpriced in terms of fares for the convenience they provided. So, despite providing over five hundred buses, the project did not prove to be as successful as planned. The picture shows the deteriorated condition of PMC and PCMT buses.

08 Serious competition of PMC and PCMT buses with the private buses and trekkers has led to their deterioration in quality. The government run buses are falling short in numbers for the rising demand and hence are always overcrowded during rush hours. People spend a lot of time in traveling and are not provided comfort, which has led to the downfall of these buses.

09 The absence of pilot routes in a majority of areas has caused a lot of inconvenience to commuters. (Image Courtesy - Kristen. Pune Photos. August 23, 2012.http://www.holidayiq.com/ destinations/photos/Pune-Photos.html)

110

CITY III BANGALORE

111

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

BANGALORE The capital of Karnataka state is a thriving modern business centre and is dubbed as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of India, whose gracious garrison town features are being remodelled in the image of India’s mall-loving middle class. It likes to think it’s more in tune with Mumbai and Manhattan rather than the rest of Karnataka, and has been scathingly described as a city ‘in search of a soul’. The pace of life, like the intellectual and political climate, is brisk. Hardly a day goes by without some new controversy boiling over across the front pages of it’s also regarded as one of India’s most progressive and liberal cities, as far as social attitudes go. The city’s attractions are limited, but it does have a congenial climate and good transport connections, and it’s a useful Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

place to arrange trips to Karnataka’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. If you need a break from life on the road, its bars and restaurants can provide some muchneeded light relief. Also crowned with titles such as- ‘India’s Silicon Valley, The Neon City, Fashion Capital of India and The Pub City of India’, Bangalore is collecting accolades sooner than one could think. Situated at about thousand metres above the sea level and coupled with a very inviting climate, the city had earned the name of being a ‘Pensioner’s Paradise’; but has moved on to become a ‘Beta World City’. It is the economic hub of South and provides gateway for trade to other cities situated surrounding it. People on their way to Ooty, Kodaikanal, 112

A CLASS

B CLASS

C CLASS

( Bangalore )

( Pune )

( Guwahati )

as the ‘Stone City’, for its granite deposits. Bangalore was divided into two small divisions; each called a ‘Pette’ for administration purposes. The Doddapette Street ran North-South while the Chikkapette Street ran East-West forming the Doddapette square which today lies at the heart of Bangalore. Bangalore is the third most populous city in the country and boasts a population of 6.5 million residents. The city has witnessed a slow rise in population as observed -

A population density of 11,000/km2 over an extensive land mass of 741 square kilometres has reserved Bangalore’s place in the list of A-Class cities.

Mangalore etc., stop here as it acts as a centre point to all the other places and is well connected to other major cities. This hot and blooming city situated halfway between the coasts in southern India was formed in the 16th century. Since then the city has witnessed great southern dynasties like the Kadambas, the Hoysalas and Vijayanagar emperors. Legend has it that the name Bangalore comes from ‘boiled beans’ (Benda Kaluru), which was served by a humble old lady to a hungry ruler in the 10th century. Today it stands as a green city or The Garden City, thanks to the many local parks and well maintained gardens along with pink cassias, golden acacias, and jacarandas. Many international visitors come to Bangalore for its excellent schools and universities, such as the Indian Institute of Science. While enjoying the warm weather year-around, tourists also use the city as a central base for their day trips to other Karnataka attractions. Bangalore does not only produce fine silk and software; but is also renowned as ‘The Fruit Market of the South’ for grapes, mangoes and guavas. Last but not the least; Bangalore is even gaining the status of the ‘Floriculture Capital’ due to the present blossoming of flower exports. Because of its rich stone resources, Bangalore is also known 113

Year

Population

Percent Rise

1971

1,654,000

1981

2,922,000

76.7%

1991

4,130,000

41.3%

2001

5,101,000

23.5%

2011

6,500,000

27.4% Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Hesaraghatta Bilijaji Nelamangala

Bangaluru Maralakunte

Yelahanka

Dodda Byalakere

Yelahanka New Town Kannur

Chikbanavara Vidyaranyapura Jalahalli Nagaland Colony

Madanayakahalli

Hebbal

Peenya Industrial Area

Sondekoppa

Rajajinagar

Hosahalli

Maganhalli

Talaghattapura

Bidadi

Hulimavu

Begur

Gottigere

Byatarayana Doddi

Kaglipur

Bolare

Narayanakere

Varthur

Doctor Layout

Marangere

Sarjapur

Electronics City

C K Palya Uttari

Chansandra Whitefield

Dommasandra

Navaratan Gardens

Thathaguni

Hudi

Indira Nagar Domlur Koramangala Marathahalli Teachers Colony Jayanagar HSR Layout J P Nagar

Banashankari

Kumbalgodu

CV Raman Nagar

Hunupete

Nethaji Layout

Rajarajeshwari Nagar

Palace Grounds Seshadripuram

BANGALORE

Vijayanagar

Thavarekere

Kodihali

Krishnarajapura Krishnanagara

Malleshwaram Heganahalli

Kannamangala

Battarahalli

Banaswadi

Motaganahalli

Hoskote

Mandur Byappanahalli

Begalur

Narayanaghatta

Neotown Nisarga Layout

Bannerghatta Mahanthalingapura National Park

Suryansagar Phase I

Bidaraguppe Attibele

SIDCO Industrial Area

Water bodies

Residential Areas

Roads

Commercial Areas

Bangalore Periphery BANGALORE MAP Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

114

Texas Instruments, CV Raman Nagar Vijayanagar

BANGALORE

Indira Nagar HAL

Koramangala

Hindustan Airport NAL

Commercial Areas MAP HIGHLIGHTING AREAS WITH EARLY DEVELOPMENTS 115

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

PAST DEVELOPMENTS

Commercial developments soon followed after a few early residencies in the Pette in the 16th century. The Pette became the core area of the city and developments flourished around it. Soon there was a shortage of space and companies and investors were forced to move towards the suburbs. MG Road, Vijayanagar, Kormangala were the first to see commercial developments around the core areas. In 1961 Bangalore became the sixth largest city in India with a population of 1.2 million; but it was only in 1980-90 that the city started experiencing growth in the real estate sector. In 1985, Texas Instruments, a U.S. based multinational company set up their base in CV Raman Nagar, east of Doddapette square. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The presence of one multinational giant, made other investors think about extending their international operations in India.â&#x20AC;? Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

116

UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS

Soon after capital began to flow, investors started seeking refuge within the city, and developments started east and south of CV Raman Nagar. Inaugurated in 1998, International Tech Park, Bangalore became India’s first one of a kind work space to provide a ‘work and play’ environment. Opened to Information Technology giants from across the globe, the park is a mammoth playground for competing companies taking shelter in the same house. The park is flooded with facilities ranging from ITPB health club, extensive retail mall, photo studio, travel and insurance agencies, ATM’s, medical and dental clinic, book store, courier facility, mobile phone and computer accessories shops. Investors have realised the viability of businesses in the park and hence have dished open these options which have in turn restricted several trips of employees. Employees do not feel the need to go to places to get their work done, but can accomplish their tasks in the comfort of the park without spending a lot of time in commuting. To support the power requirements a back-up power plant is also established. The park is houses six buildings and is home to over 320,000 employees working in over 233 companies. Following the development and success of ITPL Park in Whitefield, the government initiated another Tech Park a few kilometres south. Electronics City was the new assignment undertaken and the park had the capacity to house 100000 employees in over 332 acres of workspace. Both these parks have attracted a lot of talent from various states across the country and have put an end to the brain drain experienced by the city a couple of decades ago. All the population that had migrated to these commercial clots had 117

to reside in nearby areas. These parks have resulted in an exponential rise in the residential properties in areas, such as marathalli, kundanhalli, hopefarm, etc. Offices which are not related to manufacturing businesses have the permission to set up their workspaces near residential areas. The increased disposable income of the citizens has allowed the population to rent or buy real estate despite its soaring prices. So a lot of people have started favouring these new developments which are far more economical as compared to their core city counterparts. The international airport is relocated to Devanahalli, a place about forty kilometres away from the Pette. The development of the airport has welcomed new developments along the way. Residencies and commercial spaces have started creeping up in the north of Bangalore near Devanahalli and Yelahanka. The stretch of the area from the Hebbal flyover up to Devanahalli is a buzz with plans for many new commercial projects. Many industries have evinced keen interest in the three industrial parks that are coming up on 3,000 acres of land in this region which are expected to be ready by the end of this year. The widening of the Bellary Road and future connectivity through the planned Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) has also made this area a sought-after one. The PPR is aimed to connect Tumkur Road, Hosur Road, Mysore Road, Magadi Road, Bellary Road, Old Madras Road, and improve accessibility to Devanahalli. This is also spurring interest in residential options around these areas. Over 3,000 acres of land, hardware, IT/BT and aerospace parks will be coming up near the international airport of

which 100 acres has been allotted to the Karnataka Housing Board and 25 acres to private developers. While 90 % of the space will be allocated for industrial and commercial activities, 10 % of the space is reserved for housing. Nelamangala and the Greater Peenya project which are coming up will also have a significant bearing on the development, due to connectivity. As of date commuting from Nelamangala has been drastically reduced via the Outer Ring Road and NH 207 that have speed up the commute to Devanahalli. A four kilometre highway has been planned between Hebbal flyover and Yelahanka bypass. Flyovers are also planned at Yelahanka bypass and Vidyanagar along with two pedestrian underpasses and one vehicular underpass. Better connectivity with twenty six bus bays on the way to airport is expected to serve residential catchment areas around Hebbal, Hennur - Banaswadi Road, and Yelahanka - Doddaballapur Road. Looking at the bigger picture it seems like Bangalore is expanding in a way similar to a stretched rubber band. Meaning, the city is expanding in concentric circles but is alternating its limits in different directions. The city experienced massive developments in the East which were followed in the South. As of today, when the East and South developments have attained stagnancy; investors have turned their heads to North and West. “Because of the airport and the connectivity that the government has promised, North Bangalore will be the future commercial hub.” - Shrinivas Rao, CEO, Vestian Workplace Services. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Devanahalli

Yelahanka Yelahanka New Town

Hebbal

Hennur

MG Road Whitefield

BANGALORE

Indira Nagar Marathahalli

Doctor Layout Electronics City

Narayanaghatta

Neotown Suryansagar Phase I

Commercial Areas Residential Areas MAP HIGHLIGHTING UPCOMING COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

118

TRANSPORT SCENARIO

The monorail network which has been conceived as a complementary feeder route to Namma Metro, would cost an estimated rupees 140 crore/km.

HOWITEVOLVED BANGALOREMONORAIL The ball is now in ABIDe’s (Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure and Development Task Force) court-to fuel the monorail forward or junk it. The sixty kilometre network of monorail project which did not move beyond the conception stage may chug along the city’s landscape. After putting Metro Rail and High Speed Rail Link on track, the government has turned its attention to monorail project, which has been gathering dust. The infrastructure development department (IDD) which included Monorail in its list of PPP initiatives has placed the project before ABIDe for clearance. ABIDe has been empowered by the chief minister to give the necessary opinion and approval for infrastructure projects being mooted for Bangalore. “The project technically belongs to the urban development department. Since it has been designed on a PPP model, IDD will be doing the facilitation role.” – Officials dealing with the giant project. 119

The government appointed RITES (an engineering consultancy company, specialising in the field of transport infrastructure. Established in 1974 by the Government of India, the company’s initial charter was to provide consultancy services in rail transport management to operators in India and abroad) in August 2005 to conduct a comprehensive traffic and transportation study and propose a plan of action for undertaking various projects to ease traffic congestion. A transportation plan included Metro Rail on 137 kilometres of route, including HSRL, Monorail on 60 kilometres, Commuter Rail on 204 kilometres; BRT System on 291.5 kilometres, development of 204 kilometres of narrow new roads and improvements to 645 kilometres of existing roads was conceived. The government directed BMRC (Bangalore Municipal Rail Corporation) to appoint a consultant for the project. Accordingly, a global tender was issued and a proposal for appointing the consultant was submitted by BMRC in August 2007. “Though two firms have evinced interest in the Monorail project, the project has been kept on hold.” Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

60 km MONORAIL CORRIDORS Corridor I - Kanakapara Road to Mysore Road along Ring Road with a T-connection from Katriguppe to National College. Corridor II - Bannerghatta National Park to Adugodi along Bannerghatta Road. Corridor III - Tumkur Road to Bellary Road. Corridor IV - Mysore Road to Tumkur Road along Ring Road with a T-connection from Toll Gate to Magadi Road.

FEATURES • • •

3 - 12 coaches per train Carrying capacity - 1,200 passengers Cost - Rupees 84 crore/Km to 140 crore/Km

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

120

BANGALOREMETRO The Namma Metro also known as the Bangalore Metro is a rapid transit rail system for the city implemented under BMRC. A detailed project report prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and RITES envisaged a 33 km elevated and underground rail network with 32 stations for Phase I of the project. The proposed gauge was standard gauge unlike the broad gauge on the Delhi Metro network. As of today the first stretch between Baiyyappanahalli and M.G. Road was inaugurated on October 20, 2011 and is now operational.

Peenya Industrial area Peenya Terminal P CMTI Peenya Platinum City

FEATURES • • • • • • • •

Number of lines - 2 (Phase I), 4 (Phaase II) Number of stations - 41 (Phase I), 61 (Phase II) Daily ridership - 24,968 Train length - 3 coaches System Length - 42.3 kilometres (Phase I), 114.39 kilometres (Phase II) Number of tracks - 2 Average speed - 32 kmph Top speed - 80 kmph

Looking at the proposed outlay of the Namma Metro, it is clear that parking is provided at a handful of stations. People who travel long distances do not prefer to drive all the way though. So a switch in the mode of travel is beneficial although undesired. This will give rise to a much observed multi-modality culture similar to cities like Mumbai. But people who reside in the four quadrants highlighted by the blue arrows have to opt for a bus, rickshaw or a personal vehicle prior to traveling by the metro. Also the parking fares at the stations are considerably high and are only expected to soar upwards. “If auto manufacturers have to promote the use of cars, they will have to provide a very lucrative product which is even more economical and can carry people quickly to their destinations.” 121

Yeshwanthpur

Rajajinagar

Yelahanka

Mahalakshmi Layout Kuvempu Road

Malleshwaram

Magadi Road Majestic Hosahalli

Toll Gate Vijaya Nagar

Chickpet

B Hall Terminal P

Swastik City Railway Station

Cricket Stadium

CMH Road

Trinity Circle

Ulsoor

Vidhana Soudha Centeral P MG Road College

Whhitefield Old Madras Road Indira Nagar

City Market

K R Road P Deepanjali Nagar Lal Bagh Mysore Road Terminal P South End Circle

BSK

Underground Metro P

Jaynagar

Elevated Metro

RV Road Terminal

Konankunte Anjanapura

Metro Rail - Phase 2 and 3

Bomman Hall Electronic City

Arakere

Public Parking Provided

BANGALORE METRO RAIL ASSIGNMENT PHASES

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Tirumanahalli Yelahanka Kannur Venkateshpura Madanayakahalli

Dasarahalli

Peenya Guttahalli Yeshwantpur

Nagavara

Hebbal

Swastik Central College

Sondekoppa

Bangalore City St. National College

Battarahalli

Krishnanagara

MG Road

Toll Gate

Mysore Road

Banaswadi

Indira Nagar

Whitefield

Krishnarajapura

Ulsoor

Koramangala

City Market Attiguppi RV Terminal Kengeri

Banashankari JP Nagar

Padmanabha Nagar

Maruti Nagar Sarjapur Electronic City

Anjanapura Suryansagar Phase I

Kaglipur

Commuter Rail Mono Rail/LRT System Metro Phase I BRTS Metro Phase II and III Inter-Modal Transit Centre cum Inter-City Bus Terminal Interchange Point

MASS TRANSPORT CORRIDORS Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

The map highlights the major transport corridors that are planned and those which are already implemented. “Of the 224 projects planned at the cost of Rupees 1.38 lakh crore, the highest number are transport related – 176, worth Rupees 69,939 crore. Those under active consideration and implementation are High Speed Rail Link, Monorail, Devanahalli Business park, 10,000 Km of roads, food parks, tourism projects and road projects in Bellary” – BS Yeddyurappa, Chief Minister of Karnataka, 2011 122

BANGALOREBRTS The city has a thick portfolio of buses to cater to different likes, comfort and wallets of its citizens. The Government operates about 5400 buses and scraps over 400 buses to revamp its fleet every year. There are majorly three types of buses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Pushpak buses (139 buses), Suvarna (334 buses) and Vajra (280 buses) that operate between three bus terminus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Kempegowda bus station (Majestic), Shanti Nagar Bus Depot and Shivaji Nagar Bus Depot. Besides these there are about 4820 private buses that operate within the city limits on specific corridors. The government started off with a comprehensive report in 2007 and since has proposed several corridors such as Hebbal to Bannerghatta Road along eastern crescent of outer ring road (33.0 km), Benniganahalli (ORR) to PRR along old Madras Road (7.0 km), from ORR to Hosur Rd along Hitech Corridor (8.0 km), Hosur Road to Tumkur Road along PRR (western part) (41.0 km), Tumkur Road-PRR Junction to Hosur Road along PRR via Tirumanahalli, Old Madras Road, Whitefield (76.0 km), along Core Ring Road (30.0 km), Vidyaranyapura to Nagavarapalya via Hebbal,

123

Jayamahal Road, Queens Road, M.G. Road, Ulsoor, Indranagar, CV Raman Nagar (29.0 km), Kengeri Satellite Town to J.P. Nagar along Uttarahalli Road, Kodipur (13.0 km), Banashankari III stage to Banashankari VI stage Ext. along Ittumadu Road, Turahalli, Thalaghattapura (6.0 km), Domlur Ext. to Koramangala along inner ring road (5.0 km), PRR (Mulur) to Maruti Nagar (up to Hitech corridor) along Sarjapur Road (7.0 km), Peenya to PRR along Tumkur Road (6.0 km), Old Madras Road near Indiranagar to ORR near Banaswadi along Baiyyappanahalli Road -Banaswadi Road (5.5 km), Hebbal to Devanahalli Airport along Bellary Road (25.0 km). The proposal is based over a system length of 282 kilometres, but has not been executed due to several financial complications. To work over the perceptions against BRTS, Praja Bangalore, a citizen advocacy group is pushing for Bus Priority System, wherein there would be dedicated lanes, specialized signals, and underpasses for the buses only at the critical choke points on critical radial corridors. Bangalore could move towards full-fledged BRTS once the benefits of

Bus Priority help work over the negative perceptions. To promote the usage of buses the government has decided to slosh the fares of its Suvarna and Vajra fleet by rupees 0.20 and 0.17 respectively. The fare of Suvarna and Pushpak buses will be toe to toe and the change will come into effect from February 5, 2013. The minimum Vajra Volvo bus fare is also reduced from 10 rupees to 5 rupees. The average reduction in bus fare is about 3.5% while the overall fare reduction in the premium category s about 18%. The bus culture in Bangalore has really adapted itself with the lifestyle of people and is a lot more successful even with the high fare card.

(Below - The fare chart of the Vajra buses)

From

Distance (km)

Number of Stops

Frequency in Minute

Travel Time

Fare (Rs)

Hebbal

BIAL

0.45

189

324

MCTC

BIAL

1.50

135

308

528

Jeevan Bimanagar

BIAL

2.00

135

308

528

HAL (Airport)

BIAL

2.00

135

315

540

JP Nagar

BIAL

2.00

140

329

564

Whitefield

BIAL

2.00

150

350

600

Electronic City

BIAL

2.45

200

462

792

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

JNNURM

Bangalore’s story of reforms is not much different to that of Pune. The city has seen a lot of developments in the past two decades which has also attracted a lot of population. The city is a leading silicon valley of India, and is not proud when called as an upcoming slum city. Sadly ten percent of the city’s population lives in slums. The people staying in slums are construction workers who migrate from one place to another in search of work and hence reside in shady areas. Unlike Pune, the city does not have much water bodies like lakes and rivers, so the slums remain distributed throughout the city. However, with a consumption rate of over 800 million litres daily, this city is the highest consumer of water in the country. The city imports 80 percent of her water from river Kaveri while river Vrishabhavati takes care of Bangalore’s sewage system. The sewage system was constructed in 1992 and covers 215 sq.km of area while connecting five sewage centres. Rehabilitating slums to pave

Government of India Share

a way for new developments is the first priority of the government through BSUP. BSUP funding is for major slums at - Kalyani slum, Kodihalli slum (airport ward), Nethaji slum, Bhakshigarden slum. Despite being the first electrified city in the whole of India with a hydro-electric power plant, Bangalore is not able to satisfy its energy needs. Today, the city experiences minor power cut-offs. To make the city independent of power to satisfy the appetite of upcoming developments, the government is planning to construct more energy plants. To fulfil the city’s ambitions of constructing an intricate transport network, a huge capital of Rupees 308.47 crore has been raised by UIG through its 12 DPR’s. Out of the 224 projects planned at a cost of Rs.1.38 lakh crore, the highest number are transport related -176, worth Rs. 69,939 crore. However, 53 out of 66 projects in Bangalore are running late and in past 5 years only 9 have been completed. The state

Government of Karnataka Share

has two years remaining and a balance of less than Rupees 100 crore. For Bangalore to rip off all her projects successfully, the city needs an additional Rupees 1,500 crore investment.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

Beneficiaries share

UIG

35%

15%

50%

Nil

BSUP

50%

40%

Nil

10%

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

124

125

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

TRAVEL PATTERNS

TRAVELPATTERNS Bangalore is mega city and exhibits diversity in the way people commute. As of date several projects are under implementation and are expected to become operational in the near future. The travel patterns discussed in this chapter are deduced on the observations done from the study so far. The research also helped in projecting a few travel patterns that might be observed once the project starts rolling.

CaseII Case 2 refers to the travel patterns observed in the new developments surging up in the North, West and South of Bangalore. These areas are home to a variety of software related companies. Housing societies have come up surrounding these companies which has led to cut off in travel times. People who work in these firms have a high disposable income and therefore demand for comfier transport facilities. The city has already received an overwhelming response to the Vajra buses despite their high fares. The government has now dished open the Namma metro to ease the pressure on road transport; but it will be a while for the city to evaluate the train’s success. People in these developing areas spend around forty five minutes on an average while commuting one way. The new developments now provide a great standard of living and this coupled with the city’s pleasing climate has attracted a huge percent of high income group professionals. This class of population travels using cars and bikes. The city is also experiencing a change in the mind-set of her citizens. People have now developed a modernist attitude and have started caring for health and environment. They ride long distance on cycles and are willing to spend money on products that will help them maintain fitness.

another, this is the main reason for which multi-modality is and will be observed in an A-Class city like Bangalore. New housing societies are designed to be well equipped with all the basic amenities for everyday living, whereas the commercial spaces are simply expanding to accommodate more and more facilities necessary for the efficient workflow of offices. “Travel has beome point to point and there seems to be a steep growth in demand for indoor mobility in these giant spaces.”

CASEI Case 1 refers to the travel patterns observed in the central part of Bangalore. The heart of Bangalore is a mixture of commercial and residential estates. The narrow lanes that connect the points have already caused a few traffic problems. People residing in areas such as Vijayanagar, M.G. Road and Indira Nagar usually travel short distances on personal transport. People who stay in these localities have high disposable income and hence can afford homes admits the incredibly high real estate rates. But there is also a huge population of people which commutes to and fro using public transport facilities like buses. These people have to walk to the nearest bus stop to their homes and then walk again after boarding off the bus till they reach office. Quite often then also opt for rickshaws depending on the distance they need to cover. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

CaseIII Case 3 refers to the predicted travel patterns of people which might be observed in the near future. The government has introduced monorail which will encircle the city along the ring road. It will prove to be a very promising solution for people who travel to distant areas. However, those who do not reside near the monorail have to reach the station using an alternate mode of transport such as a bus or a rickshaw. To provide support to the monorail, the Namma metro is designed to help people migrate long distance while saving time. The transport scenario in Bangalore does seem promising with all these new developments creeping up. However at the macro level the transport system seems isolated from one 126

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PHOTO STUDY

(Image Courtesy – Dangi Rajesh, Bangalore Daily Photo. September 19, 2011. November 3, 2011. http://bangalore-city blogspot.in/) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

The Namma Metro known as the Bangalore Metro is a rapid transit rail system for the city implemented under BMRC. A detailed project report submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and RITES envisaged a 33 kilometre elevated and underground rail network with 32 stations for Phase I of the project. The photo shows the first stretch between Baiyyappanahalli and M.G.Road which was inaugurated on October 20, 2011 and is now operational. The metro is underground and elevated depending on the infrastructure through which it passes. Parking facility is provided at a few stations for people to opt for multimodality.

M.G. Road, Indira Nagar areas are situated at the heart of Bangalore and are important tourist attractions. They are home to a variety of restaurants, pubs, malls and are famous for roadside shopping. The streets are flooded with shoppers and their vehicles in late evenings causing a lot of turbulence in the flow of traffic. Many busy lanes are rendered useless and the one way traffic flow causes an unexpected increase in travel times. The road network in these areas cannot be complicated further as it is intricate enough. Street parking is commonly observed which is now chargeable on hourly basis. To avoid inconvenience, people use hired transport such as rickshaws in these dense areas.

The international airport is located to Devanahalli, a place about forty kilometres away from the Pette. The development of the airport has welcomed new developments along the way. Residencies and commercial spaces have also started creeping up in the North of Devanahalli and Yelahanka. The stretch of the area from Hebbal flyover up to Devanahalli is a buzz for plans of many new commercial projects. Many industries have evicted keen interest in the three industrial parks that are coming up on a 3,000 acres of land in this region which are expected to be ready by the end of this year. With North Bangalore planning to become the next commercial hub, the construction of the Hebbal flyover proves to be an important milestone in connectivity.

Bangalore’s first “magic box” underpass is built under the new cost effective technology in just 35 days. The new underpass evoked a fairly good response among the vehicle users with a majority of them expressing satisfaction over Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s attempt to ease traffic congestion on Bellary road. The design of underpass reduced the speed of vehicles to as low as 10 kmph (some time dead slow) before taking a U-turn over the underpass surface. But it has reduced the travelling time by at least 60 percent between Mehkri Circle and BDA junction. Earlier vehicle users were required to wait for nearly 3 to 5 minutes at Cauvery junction signal. However, absence of pedestrian crossings has become a worrying factor for those who work in the nearby business embellishments as they have to risk their life for crossing the streets. 128

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PHOTO STUDY

planning to revise the fares by February 201, the Suvarna’s and ordinary buses are expected to cost the same. Many Suvarna buses are now being repainted in white and blue colour and are being used for Big circle/Small Circle buses/ Metro feeder services.

04 01 The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is a government agency that operates the public transport bus service in Bangalore, India. The BMTC has a variety of bus fleet uder its command with the blue and white buses of the lowest rank. The old buses have ordinary fares and were introduced in 2001 and are more commonly known as Parisara Vahini. They operate on almost all the routes and are the first choice of the low income group.

02 Big 10 services deploy (Suvarna class of) buses branded in green and bottle green on 12 major corridors coming in from surrounding suburbs in the city – Hosur Road, Bannerghatta Road, Sarjapur Road, Kanakpura Road, Mysore Road etc. these buses run on a direction based concept where the commuter takes the next (high frequency, every fifteen minutes) bus in his/her direction of travel, and if needed makes a changeover to another bus to reach another destination. The service terminates at different points on the radius of the city core to avoid congestion in the city centre. These buses are numbered with the G prefix.

03 Easy to spot with after being painted silver with a red lining, the Suvarna buses had an introductory fare of Rupee one higher than the ordinary buses; with the government Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

The Vajaras are Hi-Tech buses from Volvo running on routes serving the IT companies locations and residential routes as well. Their fares are 1.5 to 3 times higher than that of ordinary buses depending on the route.

05 BMTC has six bus stations in Bangalore – Kempegowda bus station, K.R. Market, Shivajinagar, MCTC, Banashankari, Bommasandra, apart from these it also has a number of minor terminuses. It has 34 depots spread all over Bangalore (Depot 1 closed for Shantinagar, 2 others closed because of BMTC construction) out of which 31 are operational. BMTC claims to build six more depots on the city outskirts. BMTC is also constructing modern bus stations at ten places in the first phase. These will have places to park vehicles and a separate waiting room for airport bound passengers with the timings displayed. As of April 2011, stations at Jayanagar forth block, Kengeri, Vijayanagar and Whitefield have been opened.

07 With low floor, elevated rear deck and pneumatic suspension and air condition, the Vajra buses are the most expensive for public transport in the city. Fares of these buses are considered to be the highest in the country with respect to the starting stages. However they are not very costly in the later stages. They range from Rs. 4 a kilometre in the first stages to Rs. 1 per kilometre as the distance increases. The highlight of the Vajra is the daily pass provided at Rs. 90 per day which is valid up to midnight on the day of purchase and is available with all the conductors.

08 BMTC plans to introduce catering services on their airport bound Volvo buses for commuters traveling for more than forty five minutes. The breakfast includes a light snack comprised of a few south Indian delicacies. The AC buses bound for airport from various corridors in the city are also fitted with interactive screens for amusement. The transport minister has given his word stating – If the service is popular, it would be extended to other routes where it takes about an hour or more to travel like on Majestic-Electronic City and Whitefiled routes.

Rickshaws are the most expensive mode of transport within the city. They do not follow any fixed fare chart but run on a deal based on word of mouth. The charges are exorbitant and vary in evenings and night depending on the route.

Launched in the late 90’s Pushpaks are single door buses with/without conductors. The driver acts as conductor when there is no conductor (Janapriya Vahini). These are coffee coloured buses with fares similar to Suvarna. These are generally provided on contract to IT companies and schools and have proved economical in the long run.

(Image Courtesy – Dangi Rajesh, Bangalore Daily Photo. September 19, 2011. November 3, 2011. http://bangalore-city blogspot.in/)

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RESEARCH COLLAGE

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(Photo of the research collage done at GM design studio, Bangalore) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

All the city research was then dumped onto huge boards in the studio and to form a research collage. Filled with scribbles and doodles it was open for people to read, comment and provide ideas. Till now, I had been looking at the problems from a zoomed in level; but never observed them from a macro perspective. After creating the research collage, connecting the dots became quite easy and the loopholes that were deduced were jotted down. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The problem areas are discussed in the individual scenarios hereafter.â&#x20AC;? 132

NRG

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NRGSCENARIO Defined as the ability of a body to perform work, energy has become a term of daily usage for the government, environmentalists, companies etc. and a major issue to contemplate about. Today the world energy is usually associated with energy policies, meaning the pattern of distribution of power. In the following pages we shall look at the attempts of transforming this energy efficiently and the pros and cons associated with it, to deduce to a conducive and commercially viable powertrain for the personal mobility solution of 2030.

fastest growing energy markets and is expected to be the second largest contributor to the increase in global energy demand by 2030, accounting for the rise in global energy consumption. About 70% of India’s energy generation capacity is from fossil fuels, with coal accounting for 40% of India’s total energy consumption followed by crude oil and natural gas at 24% and 6% respectively. India is largely dependent on fossil fuel imports to meet her demands.

INDIAENERGYSTORY

In 2009-10, the country has imported 156.26 million tonnes of crude oil which amounts to 80% of its domestic crude oil consumption and 31% of country’s total imports are oil imports. The growth of electricity generation in India has also been hindered by domestic coal shortages, and as a consequence, India’s coal imports for electricity generation increased by 18% in 2010. The country’s current coal 134

The energy policy of India is largely defined by the country’s burgeoning energy deficit. After digging deep in India’s energy policy some interesting facts surfaced. Due to rapid economic expansion, India has one of the world’s Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

“By 2030 India’s dependence on energy imports is expected to exceed 53% of the country’s total energy consumption.”

(Picture showing a heap of coal) (Information Courtesy - Carlson, Ann. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly about Coal. June 19, 2012. http://legalplanet.wordpress. com/2012/06/19/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-about-coal/)

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production is 1.5 billion tonnes annually, which will go up by 60% by 2030 like clockwork. Experts predict that the demand for power will escalate from 700TW hours in 2005 to 3870TW hours by 2030. The drawback is in the power losses which occur in the generation of coal based power, about 2924PJ representing 25% of the total energy supply, followed by the transmission and distribution losses of about 590PJ (about 5% of the total energy supply). To reduce the usage of coal the government has drafted long term plans in bringing about technological up gradation of mining technologies, by opening up a coal sector to private investors.

ENERGYUSAGE Where is all these energy generated catered to? The department of energy uses three categories to classify energy users – 1. Residential and Commercial 2. Industrial 3. Transportation, which are called sectors of the economy.

RESIDENTIALANDCOMMERCIAL Residences are people’s homes. Commercial buildings include office buildings, hospitals, stores, restaurants, and schools. Residential and commercial energy use are grouped together because homes and businesses use energy in the same ways—for heating, air conditioning, water heating and lighting which is a major end-use in the residential sector. With global warming and the system stuck in the clutches of a vicious circle, it is expected that 80% of spaces in 2030 would be air-conditioned. The residential/commercial sector of the economy consumed 41.6 percent of the total energy supply in 2009, more energy than either of the other sectors, with a total of 39.3 quads. The residential sector consumed 21.2 quads and the commercial sector consumed 18.1 quads in the same year. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

Yet with over 400 million people deprived of electricity, which is about 35.5% of the population, and with over 56% of households not electrified as of 2011 although they are ready to pay for it, there is clearly a lot greater demand than supply. And the government plans to cater this first before serving the industrial and transport sector. INDUSTRIAL The industrial sector includes manufacturing, construction, mining, farming, fishing, and forestry etc. This sector consumed 28.2 quads of energy in 2009, which accounted for 29.8 percent of total consumption. TRANSPORTATION The transportation sector refers to energy consumption by cars, buses, trucks, trains, ships, and aeroplanes. In 2009, India consumed 27.0 quads of energy for transportation. More than 96 percent of this energy was from petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The government has listed the following reforms to use energy sources more efficiently -

which can hardly be suppressed by current reforms. This has brought to light renewable sources of energy, and drastic improvements in harnessing these resources. RENEWABLEENERGY Given India’s growing energy demands, limited domestic fossil fuel reserves and heavy debts due to imports, the country has ambitious plans to expand its renewable and nuclear power industries. Renewable energy in India is a sector that is still under developed. India was the first country in the world to set up a ministry of nonconventional energy resources in the early eighties. However its success has been very spotty. In recent years India has been lagging behind other nations in the use of renewable energy, with a share of just 10.63% in the renewable sector as of 2011. However, the ministry of new and renewable energy has bigger plans to exploit its resources. Here’s how they plan to do it –

- Enhancing the share of public transportation, promoting MRTS systems and developing better connectivity by trains and buses. - Electrifying railway tracks. - Introducing Bharat III norms. - Increasing the share of rail in freight movement, by enhancing container movement. - Providing cleaner fuels like sulphur diesel, ethanol blending and bio-deisel. Yet emissions are expected to increase from roughly 1.6 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2030 (assumptions are based on key sectors such as power, transportation and industry at a GDP growth rate of 6-9% in the business as usual scenario). It is high time and India has realised that she cannot bank on fossil fuels which would run out shortly and their ever incrementing rate along with the problems of pollution 136

SOLAR India has a ‘huge potential consumer base density’ and has a ‘high solar insolation’, an ideal combination for using solar power in India. However most of the country does not have an electrical grid. India’s solar potential is about 600TW which is far more than its current total consumption can be unparalleled if India successfully executes its drafted plans. Some large projects have been proposed, and a 35,000sq.km area of the Thar Desert has been set aside for solar powered projects, sufficient to generate 700 to 2,100GW. The three year Indian Solar Loan Programme launched in 2003, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme has won the prestigious Energy Globe World award for Sustainability for helping to establish a consumer financing program for solar home power systems. Over the span of three years more than 16,000 solar home systems have been financed through 2,000 bank branches, particularly in rural areas of South India where the electricity grid does not yet extend. Announced in November 2009, the Government of India proposed to launch its Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission under the National Action Plan on Climate Change with plans to generate 1,000 MW of power by 2013 and up to 20,000 MW grid-based solar power, 2,000 MW of off-grid solar power and cover 20 million sq. metres with collectors by the end of the final phase of the mission in 2020. 137

WIND The development of wind power in India began in the 1990s, and has significantly increased in the last few years. Although a relative newcomer to the wind industry compared with Denmark or the US, domestic policy support for wind power has led India to become the country with the fifth largest installed wind power capacity in the world. As of December 2010 the installed capacity of wind power in India was 13,065.37 MW, mainly spread across Tamil Nadu (4132.72 MW), Maharashtra (1837.85 MW), Karnataka (1184.45 MW), Rajasthan (670.97 MW), Gujarat (1432.71 MW), Andhra Pradesh (122.45 MW), Madhya Pradesh (187.69 MW), Kerala (23.00 MW), West Bengal (1.10 MW), other states (3.20 MW), it is estimated that 6,000 MW of additional wind power capacity will be installed in India by 2012. Wind power accounts for 6% of India’s total installed power capacity, and it generates 1.6% of the country’s power. With more and more investors like SUZLON, Minnesota West, Re-power Systems India has a very bold scope of going up the order in the list of unparalleled wind power production.

NUCLEAR India boasts a quickly advancing and active nuclear power program. She is expected to have 20 GW of nuclear capacity by 2020, though she currently stands at ninth in the world in terms of nuclear capacity. Nuclear power is the fourth largest source of energy in India, after thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources of energy. India has about twenty nuclear reactors and six power plants generating about 4780MW; but India aims to escalate its production up to 64,000MW by 2032 by constructing eighteen new nuclear reactors. As of today India uses 478 tonnes of uranium every year, but she also has one more element in reserve that is equally capable of power generation and stands toe to toe with uranium. India is a global leader in terms of Thorium deposits which are estimated at 44,000 tonnes and boosts ‘Thorium and fluoride based fast bred reactor technology’. So no wonder, India envisages increasing the contribution of nuclear power to the overall electricity generation capacity from 4.2% to 9% in the next twenty years even after facing opposition by the people of India to this deadly energy resource.

Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

VIABLE TECHNOLOGIES THE FILL UP

COMPACT ELECTRIC CHARGING STATION

AIR ENGINE

MOTOR ACCELERATES AIR INTAKE

MOTOR ACCELERATES AIR THROW FOR ENGINE

FUTURE COMPACT ENGINE

AIR POD NEW CAR DESIGNS FUTURE SCENARIO

PRESENT SCENARIO

AIRENGINE A compressed air engine is a pneumatic actuator that creates work by expanding compressed air. As of today, the ‘Air Pod’ is the only concept housing an air engine which is field tested. The advantages of which are - It is a zero emission vehicle, the refuelling is quick and cheap, the Air Pod can run with speeds of about 110km/hr. for up to four hours while maintaining the gas pressure up to 30-40 psi. and can carry three passengers in comfort. On the down Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

side, the vehicle has to be light, the gas cylinder occupies ample space and there is no supporting infrastructure for this technology. However in the future scenario with a few changes, cars like the Air Pod can become independent through a cocktail of technologies. Twenty seven litres of air can be sucked in through narrow vents by a forty watt motor, a mechanism similar to the Dyson multiplier (Dyson fan). The air can

then be propelled through 3mm slits at 55 mph to a very compact engine. The air passes over an aero foiled shaped ramp which channels its direction. As it is pushed out, surrounding air is drawn in making the volume of air fifteen times more. It does seem that the air engine has the potential to replace combustion engines; at least for cars which would run in concrete jungles of tomorrow. 138

THEAUTONOMYCONCEPT

(Picture showing the GM Autonomy Concept) (Information Courtesy - GM Autonomy Concept. Conceptcarz. 2002. October 28, 2011. http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/ photo/535776,4661/2002-GMC-Autonomy-Concept.aspx)

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The GM Autonomy shown at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show was the first vehicle to be designed and built exclusively with fuel cell power in mind. The Autonomy runs on a reverse electrolysis technology and also incorporates a drive-by-wire technology, this means the major controls of the car such as steering, braking and acceleration are controlled electronically rather than mechanically. The Autonomy is built on a common chassis onto which

any number of different bodies can be attached, the chassis also holds the bulk of the essential running components meaning the bodies themselves are rather light and can be changed easily. In theory Autonomy owners could purchase several different bodies which can then be attached to the skateboard like chassis to suit the needs of the owner at that time. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

GOING ELECTRIC DEATHOFELECTRICCARS (1900-1990) In 1900, electric vehicles outsold all other forms of cars. They were cleaner and easier to operate than their competitors. Yet in the next two decades, gasoline-powered vehicles surpassed the electric car. As road systems developed, “electric cars could not provide the range that gasoline-powered cars could” – a problem that continues to plague electric cars to this day. Furthermore, in the 1910s “electric cars became increasingly expensive compared to their competitors”. Henry Ford’s creation of mass-produced vehicles, powered by internal combustion engines, resulted in prices that were impossible for less efficiently made electric cars to match. As a result throughout the middle of the century electric vehicles were virtually non-existent. During the 1970s and 1980s, electric vehicles enjoyed a small increase in attention due to energy crises and fears about the availability of oil. However, these vehicles could never match traditional cars in terms of speed or convenience as they would kiss the speedometer at 50 mph and had a maximum range of 40 miles. The failure mirrored other limited investment during this time period, as electric vehicles could not compete in the market.

RENEWEDINTEREST (1990-2000) In the 1990s development of electric vehicles increased in large part because of increasing environmental regulation. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, along with the 1992 Energy Policy Act and regulations, stimulated interest in electric cars once again. Unfortunately, the targets were frequently changed throughout the 1990s, as electric cars and battery technology could not meet required cost measures and performance standards. Investment in alternate sources of vehicular power continued across the globe, despite setbacks with technological developments and mass production in sustainable transportation. RESURGENTACTIVITY (2000-2008) The fear of “global warming” emerged as an important topic for governments and citizens. Increased investment in hybrid and electric car technologies reflected a more general trend toward clean technology. Rising oil prices and the desire for energy security served as key motivators for government investment, and a source of concern for consumers. Nearly 96% of survey respondents indicated that dependence on oil was a serious problem, in large part due to the volatility and general increase in price. From 20002008 the price of crude oil increased over 500%. During

this time period, carbon emissions also grew significantly; from 2000-2005 carbon dioxide emissions rose 12.7% and emissions from automobiles comprised approximately 25% of these numbers. ANEWHOPE (2008-????) In 2008, the future of hybrid and electric vehicles appeared promising, yet not convincing. A severe global recession reduced demand for hybrid vehicles, as consumers were less willing to pay the price premium for hybrid or electric vehicles. Nevertheless, market research demonstrated that consumer interest in hybrid and electric vehicles was growing. Another study indicated that three quarters of respondents would consider paying a premium for a vehicle that achieved better fuel economy. Furthermore, the survey also revealed that consumers were willing to pay up to $2,000 more for a car that provided significant benefits to the environment. With incredible amounts of press, investment, and excitement, it does seem that the electric vehicle market only lacks mass production and commercialization. But by the end of 2011, the future of hybrid vehicles still faces a daunting challenge in a fight against its monopoly, oil; to make this world a better place.

Hundreds of parts, more maintenance needed Gasoline is expensive Pollution from tail pipe

Less expensive Can travel farther in a single trip

Takes several hours to recharge Increased demand for electricity Lack of infrastructure for long distance rides

Less parts, Low maintenance costs Can be charged at home No pollution from tailpipe Silence due to battery

GASOLINE VS. ELECTRIC Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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BETTERPLACE In the fall of 2009, Shai Agassi was hoping that his success would continue, with a promising carrier at SAP. But having questioned by someone as how he would make this world a better place, Agassi had bet the family farm on widespread adoption of electric vehicle technology. Agassi and his team had poured all their efforts into creating a market-based transportation infrastructure that supported electric vehicles. Founded in 2007, ‘Better Place’ was Shai Agassi’s response to how he would make the world a better place by 2020. Since its establishment in 2007, Better Place has attracted venture funding (An illustration of better capital place charging station)from over seven nations 141

across the world which include The United States, Israel, Denmark, Australia, Canada and Japan. Agassi having eliminated Ethanol and hydrogen technologies as viable alternatives to delivering the world from its independence on oil ultimately decided that the conversation of entire geographical areas to electric cars powered by renewable sources was the best solution. Better place address three major challenges that have plagued the electric vehicle industry – 1. High vehicle costs 2. Inconvenience 3. Limited travelling distances.

Agassi realised that these challenges were intertwined and a holistic solution was needed. Thus Better Place’s solution focused on two critical pieces – ‘Battery ownership and Infrastructure development’. Better Place’s game-changing idea was to separate car ownership from battery ownership. Electric batteries for vehicles were expensive, and were the primary reason for the price premium of electric vehicles. By excluding the battery cost from the initial car purchase, the cost of an Electric vehicle would be similar to the cost of an Internal Combustion Engine vehicle. Under this model, Better Place would own the vehicle batteries and rent them to car owners, Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

similar to a cell-phone contract. Batteries limited the distance electric vehicles could travel and required frequent recharging. Consequently, recharging needed to be both convenient (at the place of parking) and available if people needed to travel long distances. Better Place’s infrastructure solution addressed both challenges through a network of ‘charging stations’ and ‘swapping stations’. CHARGINGSTATIONS Charging stations would be the electrical outlets where owners could recharge their vehicles while parked. A full 1

charge would take three to seven hours and EV owners would likely be charged in a usage basis such as a fee per mile. the charging stations would be a network on a smart grid and software would allow Better Place to manage the charging and billing at an individual level. BATTERYSWAPPING Better Place envisioned that the battery swapping stations would be like gasoline stations for long distance trips and allow drivers to switch a depleted battery for a fully-charged one. The swapping station would be completely automated and would not require the driver to

step out of the vehicle. After removal, the depleted battery would be placed in a storage room and recharged for use in another vehicle. The whole process would be completed in less than two minutes, providing a refuelling solution for long trips. This service would likely be priced on a per use basis. Better Place’s ownership of the battery was the critical element, as it allowed for the development of the switch station. To complement the charging infrastructure, Better Place also developed an in-car software platform that would allow drivers to locate nearby charging spots, navigate with real-time traffic information and connect with customer service. After its dedication, Better Place does seem poised to succeed in the burgeoning electric vehicle market.

1. Countries who have invested in better place. 2. Charging station provided by Better Place. 3. Swapping the battery at a Better Place station. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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TAKING A STAND Electrifying the transport in India would be a bold step considering the level of imports and the growing energy demand. With over 400 million deprived of electricity introduction of renewable energy is also a dicey game. What we pay as our electric bill is actually far less than what we actually pay for the subsidized electricity through taxes. Renewable energy is a distributed form of energy and involves high up-front costs. Therefore generating power through renewable sources will cost about 5 to 8 times as that of conventional energy resources. So, if this new renewable energy infrastructure has to be incorporated, huge taxes will be levied on the masses, a not so justifying act as a majority of population in India earns about thousand rupees per month. Plus renewable energy is a distributed form of energy, to have an increase in the output, the necessary infrastructure has to be upgraded periodically, as it is also dependent of something totally unpredictable like weather. Although renewable energy works best in a distributed system the government is planning to set up a grid to electrify India in the near future. If this does happen, it would be wise to consider the use of renewable energy for transport systems. SOLARENERGY Being a distributed form of energy, if it has to support transport infrastructure, so it has to be incorporated in every commutation solution independently, for e.g. cars can be fitted with solar panels, gas stations should be equipped with charging trees etc. Imagine how the whole environment would be like, if it was fitted with solar panels, it would be functional but monotonous. Similarly, fitting solar panels on cars restrict designers to create objects of lust by toying with their surfaces, an act that would hide the true beauty of Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

form hidden under the skin of solar panels. Plus it would also raise a question about the safety of the vehicle and the high up-front costs and maintenance charges. It is also difficult to harness solar energy in shady areas, so a backup system has to be incorporated, making the entire infrastructure hybrid. If solar energy farms are setup in desert and arid areas from where a grid pattern can be designed which in turn would be coupled to systems like Better Place, it would prove to be a better solution. So solar does seem like a very convincing solution for the future of transport if channalized appropriately.

WINDENERGY The system for harnessing wind energy works in a very similar way to that of solar energy. If cars have to be independently fitted with small compact windmills, it would increase drag thereby decreasing its efficiency according to laws of aerodynamics. So wind energy is a conducive and viable option if utilized through an effective grid system.

NUCLEARENERGY Although being ruled out by many countries like Germany for being risky and dangerous, nuclear power has a lot of potential. Obtaining energy from the nucleus is a very unadulterated idea, and considering India’s uranium and thorium deposits her potential for nuclear energy can be unparalleled. For all those people who once thought nuclear energy cannot be deployed to run cars, and that such a scenario would only exist in Sci-Fi movies, in 2009 American auto maker Cadillac teased them with something out of the box. Scientists at research-and-development firm ‘Laser Power Systems’ developed a new turbine electric generator system powered by a thorium-based laser. The principle is fairly simple. The thorium would be lased to generate heat, which would then produce steam in a closed-loop system. That steam would then power a generator to produce electricity. Since it only takes a thin sheet of aluminum foil to shield the

world from the weak thorium radiation and the element can’t be weaponized, it’s thought to be perfect for mobile power generation. Scientists say that just eight grams of thorium could be enough to power a vehicle for somewhere around 300,000 miles of driving. That’s all said and done, if you think there is a possibility of such a car hitting the streets in the future, you are wrong. There is one dirty player in the game, called economics who changes the whole game according to his will. In India 22% of population thrives on transport related sectors, which include fuelling stations, manufacturing, distribution etc. If such an efficient system as the one proposed by Cadillac has to be incorporated the whole infrastructure would collapse like dominos. So the proposed system has to be efficient but not uber efficient as the one which would take a toll on the livelihood of people. So it would be fair to say that nuclear cars might not be a reality in the future.

POWERTRAIN Electricity being considered the food of future transportation and the one which can be harnessed in several ways, “it would be safe to place our bets on electricity as the powertrain for our cars in the near future”. Already having experimented with the autonomy concept, Chevrolet Volt and the ENV’s, General Motors is shaping itself to become an established player in the territory of electric vehicles, and coupled with infrastructure by Better Place we can be quite ambitious about our electric future.

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SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT

ADAYINLIFE The research paved a way to help understand the new developments and the changing lifestyle of the residents in the short listed cities. Now, it was time to take a peek into their 2030 lifestyle to understand their problems and needs. ‘The day in life scenarios’ were created using hypothetical characters while experimenting in the territory of practicality to create scenarios that can be perceived as achievable. The scenarios had to be distinct from each other in order to extract a wide spectrum for conclusions and had to present the city’s DNA which would then help create a restructured design brief on the basis of which a wholesome conceptual universal design solution could be proposed. But the challenge was to construct the scenarios which would provide hints ‘for the solution’ and not ‘of the solution’. 145

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SCENARIO I GUWAHATI SCENARIO

(THEPLOT)

Guwahati is a mushrooming city located at the heart of Assam in the north-east of India. The major occupation of people is medicine and retail. Considering the developments discussed in the research pages and the evolving lifestyle of people three characters were created which are a part of one family, making their problems unique but yet connected. The following story is a peek into the lives of these characters in the year 2030. Dr. Arnab resides with wife Shabana and son Pallav in Kahilipara, one of the most rapidly developing areas of Guwahati. Arnab is fifty two years old and is associated with three hospitals and is an orthopaedic surgeon by profession. While Shabana is an enthusiastic housewife and their son Pallav is eighteen years old and studies at a nearby junior college. Mornings are mostly hectic for a doctor and Arnab engages in a lot of multi-tasking such as resetting his schedule on his tablet and having breakfast while sipping fruit juice. He then sets off to work at about ten in the morning and visits the ‘Advance orthopaedic Hospital’ on Kahilipara Road which is a couple of blocks away from his residence. Altough the family owns a bigger car, Arnab commutes to work in a small hatch without flaunting his ego. In Guwahati destinations are not far across however due to underdeveloped infrastructure and heavy traffic commuting times go up exponentially. While driving Arnab books a Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

parking spot at the hospital over his phone. Advance parking has become a necessity and is also chargeable. Arnab then swipes his card everyday to pay the daily parking charges and sets off to work. By noon he has to visit a second hospital. Upon reaching he visits the help desk to know more about the new patients who are admitted and then locates them using the displays fitted on every floor which are synchronised with the RFID chips attached to the beds of every patient. Online consultancy has become a huge business due to lack of disposal time. Its noon and so its lunch time. Arnab quickly has a light lunch that his wife gave him and does some online counselling simultaneously. He avoids eating junk food and being a doctor himself believes in home cooked food. He hardly spends about fifteen minutes savouring his food and gets a call from a nearby hospital located on GNRC Road to attend a medical conference. He rushes to the GNRC hospital but, being adjacent to the street it does not house a parking facility. Arnab has to park his car in a very narrow space. Driving a small car proves to be a boon in such cases. After the conference he returns to ‘International Hospital’ on G.S. Road to perform a couple of surgeries and then decides to head back home. The green and white colour of the hospital interior, the sobbing of patients, all the pollution and the hectic travel often cause Arnab severe headaches. He then leaves a little early and decides to opt for a shorter route. But due to the door to door travel convenience provided by cars, street parking has become a nuisance and the narrow lane roads of Guwahati have been rendered useless for two way transport. Arnab then decides to take a detour, eventually spending about an hour in returning home. Meanwhile since morning Shabana has watered the plants, visited the mall to pick some vegetables and fruits and has decided to cook a new delicacy from her cook book. The whole family dines together and spends time narrating stories about experiences and watching their favourite serials on television. Arnab is very much interested in stock exchange and spends his time reading about it before going to bed. The family then goes to bed early in order to cope up with the hectic schedule of tomorrow but contemplates of all those things that they could not allot time for as the day felt very short. 146

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CON-CLUE-SIONS For a city that is geographically challenged and located in a remote corner of the country, surfacing to change its territory from a C-class to a more mature city will require drastic intelligent renovation. Transportation will play a vital role in shaping it. The government has not planned for drastic developments in infrastructure, so it would be advisable to design a form of personal transport that would not capitalize on physical infrastructure but would also function efficiently in a standalone manner. The people of Guwahati though our scenario observations do end up spending a lot of time in traffic even though their destinations are not so distant.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;And people need to travel at earliest, so a personal transport that is less dependent on physical infrastructure is the need of the hour as it would also suppress the issues of traffic and parking.â&#x20AC;? 151

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SCENARIO II

PUNE SCENARIO

(THE PLOT)

Being the cultural capital of Maharashtra and a torch bearer in education and manufacturing sectors; it would have been right to project Pune as a leader in these two disciplines. The characters in this scenario are fluxed to these professions and reside in one of the aggressively expanding areas of Pune. Here’s a peek into their lifestyle two decades down the line. Ninad, Snehal and their son Aditya live in Talegaon, once a fringe area on the outskirts of Pune with their parents. Ninad works at a car manufacturing plant in Chakan, a pure commercial area about fifteen kilometres away from his residence. Snehal on the contrary is a professor at one of the universities nearby. When off for work the young couple leave their son Aditya with their parents who baby-sit for them. Ninad knows he has to work double shifts today, a not so surprising news for people working in the manufacturing sector. So even when the family owns a car, Ninad call one of his friend, Harish to pick him up. A form of vehicle sharing activity like zip car, commonly practiced in Pune. He sends a text to his friend and walks till the main road and waits for a ride. Harish has no difficulty what so ever in tracing his friend due to a chip Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

embedded in his phone that helps in tracking. It takes about an hour for the duo to reach their office. Meanwhile, on the go, Ninad rips off some of his pending work from the previous day while his friend sips coffee while driving. Harish drops him near his office and Ninad just jolts as he is already late to report for duty. During the work hours, Ninad’s job mostly demands for inspection which implies that he has to keep an eagle’s eye over the production line. It also means that he is subjected to all the noise generated by the production line because of various processes. During the lunch break Ninad fiddles with his gadget, has lunch with his colleagues and in a matter of no time gets back to work. It’s almost five in the evening and Ninad is a cricket freak, but unfortunately it’s one of his favourite teams playing in the IPL cup and Ninad as a die-hard fan just cannot miss it. He checks the bus timings on his PDA and leaves accordingly for home. The bus stop also has a digital map projecting the location of different buses in the surrounding areas, eventually helping to reduce the travel time. On the go, the next generation buses are fitted with interactive side glass which functions like a projector screen when Ninad buffers the cricket match on his cell phone. Technology helps him enjoy the live action from the oddest of places. After the match he spends time with Aditya and family, while post dinner he is glued to the newspaper, an activity that once people used to enjoy early in the morning has taken a dramatic shift due the hectic lifestyle of people. Meanwhile Snehal chats with a few close friends of hers but does not go to bed as Ninad has to leave for work again. Ninad is damm sleepy but has to leave for office as he has to attend a few calls from the company’s western counterparts. Snehal on the other hand also had a tiring day. Although Ninad’s mother offers a helping hand in the daily chores Snehal had to cook for the family early in the morning and left for work. She travels mostly by new improved PMTC bus service. On the go she revises all the stuff on her e-book that she has to teach that day and then transfers all the notes and presentations on the university’s cloud server. After the work hours she also spends time in tutoring kids from her home itself, a source of second income without too much of stress. Her students learn over the internet and she monitors them through a webcam. On weekends the whole family sets off to different destinations to take a break from their mundane lives. 152

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CON-CLUE-SIONS If there is a city that would not succumb to the rapid western ideologies and adapt to the society by evolving at its own pace, it would be Pune. With a rich cultural heritage to back up and a little adamant mind-set of people it will surely take a long time for Pune to get in the league with its sister cities. As aforementioned people use their cars for personal needs on an everyday basis; however they buy their cars thinking about their families. And the people of Pune will reside in a not so nuclear family even two decades down the line. The outskirts of Pune is now being viewed as a manufacturing backyard of many companies. Due to increased pollution and noisy living people have started residing at a distance from their workplaces; as a result of which they end up commuting long distances. To make their travels economical and effective they opt for vehicle sharing, eventually indulging themselves in some sort of activity while commuting.

“So a personal transport solution that will help modulate its use for personal and family travel according to the need will be highly viable, in turn eliminating the need of second car culture.” and “A personal transport solution that will make distant trips interesting by creating an environment for work, play or socializing and will bridge the gap created while travelling from home to office and vice versa will be highly appreciated.” 157

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SCENARIO III

BANGALORE SCENARIO (THE PLOT)

The fourth largest city in India and considered to be the Silicon Valley as of 2012; without a doubt she is attracting investors from across the globe. Bangalore is feared and foreseen by leaders from all over the world as a touch bearer in the field of Information Technology (referred also as IT). So it would be safe to quote that Bangalore would only nurture and bloom while maintaining its unique identity. So the characters in this scenario are a part of the IT industry. Here’s a peek into an average day in their life. Anand and Anya live in a nuclear family with their daughter Avani who is almost a year old. They live in an apartment in Bangalore and set off to work at opposite ends. Both are software engineers and are in the same profession but in different IT firms. Anand’s office is about ten kilometres away from his residence while Anya commutes about six kilometres for work. Due to enough disposable income the family does own a car which is almost used daily by the couple. Anand travels to work using ‘Zip Car Service’, Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

a new system that allows vehicle sharing by hiring it with friends or anonymous people. People who commute at a particular location or in the adjacent areas often use this system, as a result of which anonymous people now have a friend circle that commutes together to offices. Unlike Ninad and Shabana from Pune, Anya does not stay with her parents or in-laws, so she has no one to baby sit for Avani, her daughter. So she carries Avani along with her and leaves her at day care, a facility that has recently come into existence in corporate office of India that permits employees to pay equal attention to work as their family. She drives daily to work and her office being not so far away, she can pitch-in time for home chores which top her priority list. At work Anand is glued to his chair and married to his screen. He takes short breaks every now and then which act like stress buster and logs on over the internet to check his existence in ‘Second Life’, a second job culture that has been translated into virtual reality where people can earn money through an online existence, which has sunk his roots deep

in the lifestyles of people like Facebook and e-mails. But Anand’s addiction to the screen is not favoured by his body, and he suffers from frequent headaches and watery eyes. During lunch hours he often orders food or visits the food court, as the couple does not get time to cook and carry their lunch boxes due to hectic mornings. Inside the park walking escalators are a common sight, eliminating the need to walk. People have started to work in the same posture for hours and with machine doing all the tedious labour work, obesity has become has surged supreme. So people have now started attending health centres, spas and fitness centres like gyms on a daily basis. This paved way to a new business idea, and health centres have now a part of corporate offices. Companies also have started providing health insurance and have extended help in maintaining their employee fitness for increased productivity, this has proved economical and profitable for the business plans of many health consulates. In the evening Anand hunts for a zip car over the internet before heading home. Today is a beautiful Friday evening and Anand and Avani have decided to have a get together with a few close friends of theirs at their place. People have grown tired of online gatherings like group chats and physical existence has now surfaced again. Anand on his way back home decides to take a detour to pick up one of his close friends who works in a nearby firm. The detour proves expensive for Anand as he has to shell out a lot of time in the noisy traffic waiting for the signal to change colours. He sends Anya a text asking her to parcel a few edibles for dinner. Anya picks up Avani and visits a nearby restaurant, an activity that has turned almost mundane to the working professionals in such A class cities, who cannot spare time for cooking. The friends believe in the idea of ‘work hard and party harder’, and have a great time during dinner, after which their set off for their living spaces and our couple spends some time with their families online. On weekends the whole family wakes up late and stays in the cosiness of the four walls. They enjoy cooking, reading, online shopping, and often go for a long drive but avoid frequent weekend getaways. They also indulge in activities like swimming which they cannot afford to enjoy daily because of lack of time. In the end the couple always wishes the day was a little longer. 158

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CON-CLUE-SIONS Being the fourth largest city in India and with no intentions of slowing down, Bangalore will definitely surge as one of the most dominating Silicon Valleys of the twenty first century. With masses able to endure the rising prices with high disposable incomes and corporate office inviting more and more facilities to house in their huge campuses, the need for indoor mobility is on the rise. Travel has become very linear and point to point thanks to housing societies and commercial parks equipped with all the major basic amenities, thus eliminating side trips. The nonmanufacturing sectors such as the Information Technology and software industry have permission to set up their office near residential areas allowing people to commute less and therefore reduce stress. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So a car that rejuvenates the mundane experience of a daily commute with a small footprint and one which will also assist in indoor mobility would be a good serving to the people of A-Class cities like Bangalore.â&#x20AC;? 163

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PROBLEM RE-STATEMENT After all the nerve twitching research and the creation of scenarios, certain clues were deduced based on a series of events observed till date. These were then discussed with the designers and mentors at General Motors before receiving a green signal to proceed further. The observations were not surprising, but were very people centric and generalised allowing me to explore a wide spectrum of themes pertaining to these clues and come up with innovative solutions. The restructured design brief is as follows -

BRIEF

Design personal mobility for urban centres of 2030 India with the around the following clues.

- “Design a personal mobility solution that solves the problem of traffic and eases out parking; as

people like to travel door to door, and regret multi-modality experience, so the car should have a small physical footprint for easy parking.”

- “Design a personal mobility solution that will help modulate its use for personal and family travel, according to the need.” - “Design a personal mobility solution that will make distant trips interesting by creating a conducive environment that would cater to the situation, thereby bridging the gap created between two nodes of journey.” - “Design a personal mobility solution that rejuvenates the mundane experience of a daily commute with a small footprint and one which will also assist in indoor mobility.” - “People like to travel door to door, and regret multi-modality experience, so the car should have a small physical footprint for easy parking.” PACKAGE -

Should have a physical footprint of not more than three and half metres.

POWER TRAIN - Electric powertrain.

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CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

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THETWELVETHEMES

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Based on these inferences I had to come up with sets of unseen solutions. The exercise lasted a little over a month and by the end of which I had about â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;twelve themesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; asserting our problems, which then had to be filtered down to one in order to resolve the design in further detail in the stipulated time frame. For a long, long time the car has been viewed as a box on four wheels, and it is only because it generates profit without the need of heavy up-front capital investment for changing the structure. Hence, cosmetic changes by car companies have been proving efficient. But over the years car manufacturers have realized that the car is not a religious deity which cannot be fiddled with and that there has to be a necessary change in the way cars are perceived. Being a 2030 futuristic product I had the liberty to go wild in terms of conceptualization and base the concepts on technologies that are not even field tested. The motive was to come up with a new radical string of thoughts that will provoke designs of future to evolve dramatically. 166

THEINFLATABLECAR The cars body is composed of inflatable solar panels that help the car charge itself while parked and on the go. Being covered in an inflated skin the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body can absorb more impact in a crash incident. This experience can be enriched even further as people can play dashing cars, probably in future malls or in open areas. The side doors and the roof can be deflated for a different experience as opposed to the everyday mundane ride. 167

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THEME 1

The body is divided into two parts by a foldable polymeric membrane, strong enough to withstand enough weight of four people. The seats are attached to both halves and the seating capacity increases as the chassy unfolds itself, when there is a need for more than two people to sit. The result is a probable idea that could be channelized to design a car whose size is adaptable according to the need.

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INFLATABLEWORKSPACE For Anya to carry Avani along with her, she just has to inflate the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat. By inflating and adjusting the air pressure she can adjust the stiffness and comfort level also. The seat gets inflated through a ventricular mechanism incorporated in its design. In the future private buses hired by companies can be empty boxes. People will carry a small suitcase with their customized inflatable working environments, which will allow them to set up their work space anywhere, even while travelling. As a result they can finish some undue work before reaching home, preserving the continuity in thoughts and work. People while car sharing I cities like Pune, can inflate those parts of the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior which are needed and deflate the rest.

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JUSTLEAN We always use the main roads for commuting. But, the shortest path is through the narrowest lanes that run in between the infrastructure. If we can exploit these effectively we can ease the burden on traffic and save time. People claim they stand in public transport while commuting; these ideas inspired the concept â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;LEANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Using gyroscope people can lean in the direction they want to go and navigate like being on a skateboard. When in the narrowest of lanes, the seat position becomes upright, thereby compressing the vehicle width. Is this omnidirectional self-balancing vehicle a replacement for the next Segway? 171

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When more and more cars flood the street; will the cars expand vertically just like buildings? Using analogy of simple and stable atomic structures, a multi-deck car transport system can be designed, where cars travel with a much smaller footprint. People can detach themselves at their respective stations where the structure would unwrap itself. As a result multiple cars can commute with a much smaller footprint. 173

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THEME 6 STREETCABLETRANSPORT Street lights run through the narrowest of lanes. If we can run a passenger cable system between these, people can commute from any given point to their destinations within the city itself. Equipped with a small luggage space the street cable transport will have stations at cross roads, where people can change the course of their journey. 177

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Traffic is not created by the size of cars occupying the streets; but by the bottleneck created by the varying speeds at which cars travel. To solve this can we make multiple cars travel with much reduced footprint? The simple difference between different polygonal shapes is the angle which they create with their corresponding sides. If side was treated like a unit carrying people the end result would look similar to a giant wheel. If a car is able to change its front and rear rake and is able to attach itself to other cars, a giant wheel of cars could be formed. Power can be transferred wirelessly and multiple cars can travel with a footprint of one. The cars body can be made of strong and light materials such as Fibre Reinforced Plastic and the whole structure can disassemble itself at different stations. 179

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Anand works mostly from one place. Glued to his chair he quite often gets up from his seat to stretch his back. It is observed that we switch tasks after every five minutes in our offices. If this activity can be utilised to produce energy that could be produce mobility, the product would certainly gel with our lifestyle. Using a modified office chair fitted with a uni-wheel and a gyroscope we can roam around anywhere in the office promises without feeling the need to walk. This chair can then be a part of your car, like the one in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Social Carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; concept. The mechanism is fairly simple, take the analogy of a manual pump and fit it . . . 181

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THEME 9

as the stem of your office chair, and every time you sit it pumps in air which is stored in a chamber. This compressed air can then be converted into electricity using a dynamo, to run the our concept. We can also charge our seat through our electrical sockets while working, like our phone. The triangular legs are magnetized and allow other chairs to attach to yours when you desire to. So people can now travel together in food courts and other areas inside our huge corporate complexes.

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CONCEPTTREADMILL Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say when we walk, we cover a distance X; but if we walk without pet we cover a distance more than our pet. If our pet was a machine we would cover even greater distances. For example when we cycle, our one complete rotation of the paddle helps us cover a much greater distance than our leap. And as aforementioned, people claim they stand while travelling to offices anyway. So a transport system like a treadmill in which people will walk at one place, keeping them fit from obesity; and this linear motion can be amplified would be an innovative solution.

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The way a common man reads a car unknowingly is by registering the shape of the silhouette created by the car. The genuine the silhouette the more unique the car appears; then comes the flamboyant surfacing and the intricate jewels like the headlights and other graphics. But the car as we all know is an expensive commodity, so people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t end up buying one quite often. But if we can control the shape of the same car, we can provide a very different user experience every now and then. the shape change concept does exactly that. 185

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SHAPECHANGE Working on the idea of a shape changing car, the above sketches are expressions of some of the different silhouettes the car can attend. Using aerogel, a translucent material very light in nature and an excellent air purifier, the exterior shell can be created with mechanism similar to a robotic arm. Each strip will be divided into multiple members, which can be controlled electronically like the fingers in a robotic arm through the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior. The structure is assembled on a collapsible chassy, so the smaller form of the car would help solve parking issues while the greater one would serve as a vehicle for the family. 187

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THEDUETSTORY When we ran out of liberty to expand horizontally, we started expanding vertically. In the near future, the density of cars on the streets will probably force us to adapt a similar path. The car is always constrained in proportions in terms of length and breadth, but not height and it has always been viewed as a single layer object. It would be a totally new experience to experiment with a double decker car, as cars in Indian cities do not clock speeds of more than eighty kilometre per hour, it would exciting to play in this dark area. 189

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THEME ANALYSIS

demanded more. Both the ideas in this theme had the potential to become a subset of a bigger theme, but not as standalone projects.

ANALYSIS 03THEME THENARROWESCAPE -

ANALYSIS 01THEME THEINFLATABLECAR -

The idea sounded a little impractical after a long session of intense research. If this had to be taken further and resolved in detail in the next couple of months, the idea would not have been very exciting as the conclusions were clear in the beginning. The intention was to pick up an idea and then work on it to reach a considerable outcome that is believable. So theme one was dropped.

Sounding like a real need and the next generation of Segway, General Motors was keen on taking this theme forward. The technology being resolved at their Tech-Centre and only the new casing of the new proposed design to be designed, the idea really seemed like the one which can be incubated. A little bit of a system level research had to be intertwined with the product to help people visualize the future. This was one of the shortlisted ideas that could be taken further.

INFLATABLEWORKSPACE -

The idea about creating an empty bus for companies does sound good, however people have different expectations, some like to work from home and derive pleasure when their family is around while a few others like to work while traveling. More so ever the final design would be more of product based catering in the field of transportation, something not really desired by General Motors. The second idea in this theme about the inflatable workspace did sound good, but again it was too small for a thesis project, as a six month design intervention demanded 191

THESOCIALCAR -

This theme had the possibility to create a very unique and genuine form. It very well revolved around the observations, but demanded something more. Driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interaction with other passengers or his indulgence in activities is not desired in any manual driven transport as distractions can be deadly. And an autonomous car would demand a great deal of infrastructure dedicated to help it function efficiently. However, India has shown no signs of creating such an infrastructure, so it made us rethink about this concept although it seemed exciting.

ANALYSIS 06THEME STREETCABLECAR -

ANALYSIS 04THEME THEATOMICCAR -

THEME ANALYSIS

Playing almost entirely in the grey area, and seeming like a superficial concept, it did pave a way for a new string of thoughts which then inspired other themes. The theme not only needed a new transport design solution but also a system design approach to help understand its function, when the structure would unwrap and get together again. This would involve a lot of time to make it look fool proof which was not available at our disposal. The design also indicated that the per person physical footprint exceeded than what was needed and this did contradict the other clue derived through the scenario and research observations of a small physical footprint which would then assist in parking and easy manuvering in major cities. So this theme was discarded.

Again a system level solution, unique and unheard of but not as exciting as its other rivals. Designing a chair probably would not be as exciting as designing an entire car with the chair in it. Also there are other complications; if people happen to use this system then they would have to get off at each crossroad every now and then. So the whole experience would have a lot of short intervals, and people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like intervals. So this solution did not top our list.

THEME ANALYSIS

THETANGRAMCAR -

The analogy of the collapsible tripod mechanism was somehow matching the design of a squash cup, something Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

that I had derived inspiration from in one of my previous design projects. I desired to create a new design that would be radical but this idea contradicted there and then. Also it had a similar problem, like the one with ‘The Atomic Car’, the physical footprint granted to an individual was a lot more than desired, and so we decided to scrap this one too.

ANALYSIS 08THEME THEGIANTWHEEL -

Working on the lines of how to reduce the footprint, this seems like another experiment. But, this also demanded the additional infrastructure as it was unclear at this stage where the cars will split up and join together, how will they join, who will decide to drive and why, there were moral questions asked which made the idea quite uncertain to the likes of people. With the whole intention at this stage to minimalize the effort in designing a system and concentrating more on delivering the design of the physical transport only, selecting this idea would be a gamble.

ANALYSIS 09THEME

will only find time during the lunch breaks to walk around, which is a small healthy activity. However, this concept takes away the idea of walking completely, as the act of walking is also automated. The concept might gel and blend in the lives of people but it won’t assist them, sooner or later people will realise the cons and a resort to walking again. So this theme also landed in the heap in our discarded bin.

ANALYSIS 10THEME CONCEPTTREADMILL -

People do not get space to rest themselves while travelling to work and end up standing for an hour or so on average. But this does not mean they prefer to commute this way. People also complain that work in office is not tedious, travel is, and this is precisely the reason for that. Auto manufacturers try to make the ride increasingly joyful and try to serve an experience as comfortable as possible. If we provide them a ride that will drench them with sweat before reaching office it really won’t be one heck of a product. On the other hand it people would disagree by saying ‘’we can fit it with an air-conditioner”, but this itself destroys the purpose by walking. Also there will be a majority of users who are not able to walk long distances. So this theme is more for a specific target user rather being a universal design.

INDOORMOBILITY -

In the future anything that is not conducive to the health of people won’t be accepted by the masses, unless they have a choice. People will become increasingly health conscious and will indulge in activities that keep them fit, like gym, not eating junk food etc. This theme is the binary opposite of this ideology. People in large corporate offices of tomorrow Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

THEME ANALYSIS

SHAPECHANGE -

more complicated as compared to the simplicity of the thought. Take example of transformers that convert into robots from cars or vice versa. The transition is so complex that we lose track of things when they are in the process of morphing but the idea is so simple. This is precisely what I desired when I started sketching this theme. That people should not notice the transition but should enjoy the new forms that are built up. This theme did sound quite interesting, and was catering to the likes of many people. However the problem being a simple design would not have sufficed. Since the concept was very dynamic, for it to be given justice, I would have to design three states in the transition phase. Making a car look good, is quite a challenge, but making the same car look good in three states is quite a palaver. To rip off this challenge in two months is something to contemplate about so although this being a strong contender it was placed second behind our final theme.

ANALYSIS 12THEME THEDUPLEXCAR -

A direction that this theme was headed for was quite promising. People around the world have experimented with double decker buses, planes and trains but not cars. The idea is not to deliberately design a double deck car that will carry more people with a small footprint just because no one has designed it but it is the need of the hour or will soon be. Cars in cities hardly kiss the speedo at sixty miles an hour and with so many traffic jams and signals, people press the brakes more than the accelerator. So, an experiment in this area would give us a new form experiment as we will navigate away from the conventional dimensions of a car to make something tall and with a small length and breadth. As all of us agreed unanimously this was the shortlisted theme that I would be working on for the next two months.

The process to achieve what we aim for, does sound a lot 192

HOWTOSTART AGAIN? INSIDE OUT APPROACH The inspiration from the static structure of the spiral staircase which supports multiple structures on a single axis was impressive, but this had to be now translated into a dynamic structure of the car. They key idea here was a new approach in carrying people with the smallest possible footprint. So the ingenuity of the concept lied in the layout in which people would sit, so an inside out approach was opted, meaning, starting off with the interior design and the moving on to design the casing, which is the exterior. 193

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01EXPERIMENT

The first experiment consisted of a six seat layout. The driver would sit in his conventional position, with a passenger besides him and another passenger sitting behind bisecting the front seating position. Another three seats would be flushed in this three seat mode and on necessity will surface from their normal position to accommodate three more people. The problem was the whole space had started looking claustrophobic and the designed seemed very forced. Also the mechanism to support the weight of three people at a higher level demanded hydraulic or pneumatic system which would eat up a lot of space and power. So this was not a very convincing design direction for the interior. 195

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02EXPERIMENT

This was an attempt to make a four seat car for the nuclear family. In this the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat is elevated and the passengers sit at a lower level. One of the passenger seats is oriented sideways to save space, as a result of which the whole layout now fits in a package of just two and half metres. But this package would create problems while designing the exterior as the whole design would look more of a square than a cuboid, making it look very static. 197

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03EXPERIMENT

The idea was to create a playful experience for both family and individual needs while focussing on the idea of small footprint. Here in the everyday office mode the car boasts a seating capacity of three people, with one driver and two passengers. In the family scenario, the passenger deck next to the driver gets elevated to expose a bench seat under it, which can accommodate two people sitting in a sociopetal manner. The passenger next to the driver goes into a reclined mode to make room for the passengers below and the car can now house five people.

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04EXPERIMENT After contemplating on what the perfect double deck package should be, a six seat package was finalized. Four passengers sit at a lower level facing each other in a sociopetal manner, while the driver and another passenger sit in tandem on an elevated platform at the centre of the vehicle. The driver can easily interact with the passengers without defocussing on this driving and so can the four passengers. The package proved to be impressive as the whole layout could now be fit in a footprint of three and half metres, as small as a Chevrolet Beat, but boosting the seating capacity of a Toyota Innova. Also the elevated deck is not exactly at a double height, but is positioned at the knee level of the passengers seated below, which helps to lower down the cars height. The whole layout is so designed that all the passengers have excellent visibility and possess individual seating, as compared to the bench seat in conventional cars that deal with the problem of shoulder conflict. 201

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04EXPERIMENT

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The final selected theme had the driver seat in tandem with the passenger seat. The two seats are elevated and are positioned in the middle which helps balance the car while cornering. The rest of the four passenger seats are positioned on the floor facing each other in a sociopetal fashion preserving the idea of easy interaction. The four seats are fitted on the doors and create room on the inside after opening. 204

CONCEPT GROWTH

Since the car will be used for individual purpose on a daily basis, the interior had to be made modular. The front passenger seats are soft like bean bags and can be used as child seats or for pets. The driver seat is positioned at a height providing better visibility, which descends when the chassis collapse. The passenger seat which is tandem with the driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat stacks up. Six people can sit in different orientations in a car which has a footprint of three metres. For family trips the vehicle would grow to accommodate six people in comfort in a footprint of three and half metres. 205

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The interior had started looking like the one from a boxy people carrier and had to be made more playful so I started off with the layer theme itself. Taking inspiration from Zaha Hadid’s architecture, I was attempting to make the seats more organic and more human in a way. The seats had to be sleek to create space in the interior, so the layer theme would have helped to create a depth, to give the seats a perceived thickness and strength that everyone desires. Also the driver’s seat and the passenger’s seat had to be different from each other, as the driver’s seat had to stacked up with the passenger’s seat positioned in tandem. 209

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The seats were still not coping up with the level of expectation, so I started taking inspiration from organic patterns and textures. Patterns embossed on the seats along with its curvaceous design were coming to life. Then to make it even more visually playful, I decided to add some Houdiniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s touch to it. All the passenger seats were physically attached to the doors, but each seat would seem like it is visually attached elsewhere. Every seat would be unique making the whole experience visually dynamic. 211

FLUIDIC FEELING

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INTERIOR ANALYSIS

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INTERIORSEAL-OFF Working on the interior was every bit as exciting as it had been at the start of the concept. The seating isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly double deck, but can be more defined as one and half deck seating. The elevated seats are positioned in the centre of the car, which then help maintain the car its balance while cornering. The luggage space is provided below the tandem seating arrangement of the driver and passenger; and the elevated seating has a few advantages too. The driver now has better visibility because of where he sits and the drive by wire systems allow him to enjoy his throne. The driver boards the car from the front as his seat slides down for him, and the passenger in tandem boards from the back as his seat slides back. The four passenger seats positioned on the platform altogether create space for the elevated seats as the door open. However this wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the end of the story. Designing a stand alone interior is not that difficult, but when you couple it to the exterior you have unexpected challenges. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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THECOVERSTORY

(EXTERIOR DESIGN)

The introduction of the double deck seating pattern meant that the car had become tall and now had to be visually balanced on the exterior. Cars have always looked sexier in the more conventional proportions like wide, long wheel bases and short bodies resembling super cars. But the movement we try and create something that is tall and navigate from the more appealing proportions we end up in a soup. It is also observed that the car is stationary for about ninety percent of the time, so it is also personified as a sculpture. So form and aesthetics play a very important role while designing the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exterior. In our case the exterior could have been the derivative of the interior, like just a casing. But the car is a journey from the exterior to the interior, and so they should go hand in hand to create that mood. Here lies the challenge and my attempt to resolve it. 215

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INITIAL DOODLES A designer’s perspective towards reading the grammar of a car and that of a common man are like the two distinct poles of earth. The common man looks at the detail on the car, such as the finishing and the jewels in the headlights etc. while a designer starts his journey from the very bottom of the pyramid by noticing the silhouette. We believe that the car should look good and recognizable even in the dark by just looking at its contour. When one car’s silhouette tends to encroach another’s, there is a conflict in the identity and we notice people saying “this car looks like that one, remember?” So it is the designer’s duty to make the shape intriguing and unique for it be noticeable. 217

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So I first started off by sketching the profile of our car. Now, since the car would be used for traveling to work and not for family trips on a daily basis, the car would mostly be in a personal mode, meaning, it can be compressed to an even more compact state by reducing its footprint. As the car would roam on the streets in this compact state quite often, it would make a lot of sense to focus on this â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;compact stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, rather than the family one. So much of my explorations revolved around this idea and the focus was solely on designing the car with a footprint sufficient to carry three people. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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PACKAGE STUDY The first exercise did lead to a few very interesting shapes, but now it was time to clear out the shabby, multiple lines and boil down to a more clear picture. The uniqueness of the concept was the elevated seating pattern, and the exterior was a casing for the prior. So, the intention was not just to come up with a beautiful form by challenging the constraints; but to nurture this unique seating pattern. So templates of mannequins were created with different package layouts, like the three seat mode, with the elevated seats collapsed and without, and of course the six seat matured state of the car. Sketching was then done as overlay on these templates to leave no doubts about the ergonomics of the concept. 219

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Now, for all of us who thought that ‘why can’t we travel on a single piece of a motorized chair and reduce footprint?’ the answer is ‘we already do’ but we wanted a more and more powerful motor, which then took the form of an engine. We needed something to steer, and we added the steering wheel; then we needed protection, so we made a metal box around our chair that would seal and isolate it from the surroundings. In theory we still travel on a chair with all these added embellishments around it. My intention was to remove most of these add-ons using new technologies but create a car that believes in the idea of isolating the environment for practical reasons and comfort while travelling. So although being a 2030 futuristic car I decided not to mimic the western design sensibilities but follow a more conventional yet modified car design grammar. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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THE GLASS BOX Ruminating on the idea of isolating the passengers from the environment, the very first thought was similar to a glass box. This box would allow the people outside to admire the beauty of the interiors and create a very light feeling for such a heavy volume. However, it would raise questions pertaining about the vehicles safety and privacy. In a short clinic conducted people often responded by saying that â&#x20AC;&#x153;the car would resemble a giant tub on wheelsâ&#x20AC;?, something that I did not perceive as a very soothing complement, and it was enough to make me press delete for this idea. 221

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After a few initial experiments I decided to take a detour, this time one of my doodles revealed a unique behaviour of a couple of lines. One of the lines was horizontal while the other a reverse C-shaped line. The interplay of these lines seemed as if the horizontal line was passing under the C-shaped surface and resulted in a much unseen surfacing. But designing a car based on two lines would be like reverse engineering and not a very sustainable approach, as any changes in the lines during sculpting would mean injustice to the exterior design. It also did contradict the very fundamentals of car design as the rest of the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volume would be dependent around these lines instead of the surfacing being dependent on the volume. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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After a number of sketches, I had started to get a rough idea of the form. The initial sketches (top left hand corner) are not convincing in terms of aesthetics but look ‘very iconic’, as they do not resemble the stance of any concept or production car out there. The car stands tall and the character line cut on the side slabs combined with the DLO of the green house was indulging in an interesting foreplay. A few more random explorations gave a much clear view of the front facial along with the car’s volume. 223

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THE VISUAL JOURNEY Like the journey from inside-out or outside-in, a car’s exterior is also a visual journey from the front to back or likewise. To put it simply, a ‘car is a cuboid’, meaning, our eyes can read a maximum of three planes at a time depending on our position. Now since the car is already divided into so many planes, designers try to set visual continuity in these planes by ‘extending the features’ or using ‘Gestalt’s laws’. So a new form of a car is supposed to evoke new emotions. Therefore the rear of our car had to be as charismatic as the front and had to leave a lasting impression when the car would pass by. 225

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So, then I started exhibiting the carâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rear surface language. The car had a front dropping roof line which made the rear look even taller and there was no scope of protruding the wheels outside the volume because of stringent package constraints. So horizontal lines had to be introduced which would make the rear look broader along with a thick C-Pillar. Fluidic, playful, organic are not attributes commonly associated with Chevrolet, so the design language comprised of tight lines and dynamic surfacing. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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Now, it was time to work on the details; to install Chevrolet Identity and to think about the surface behaviour. The A-Pillar in the initial sketches would run across the body and separate the cabin from the doors. It would be of some neutral colour for e.g. white. But this proved to be an over used treatment which has been observed before on cars. So now the intention was not to divide the volume into vertical sections like the loaf of bread but â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;to make it look homogenousâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. In the finalized treatment the pillar runs around the car, so if you follow the pillar you go around the car unlike the prior one in which the connected A and the C-pillar could be observed in the same plane itself. 227

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FRONT DETAILING

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ALL WHEELS EXPOSED The concept till now had the wheels exposed. But the car being tall, the wheels had to be huge in order to make them look proportionate. Otherwise it would resemble the TATA Nano, ‘like a huge tall volume that is fitted on small caster wheels’. This would make the viewer’s perceive that the wheels are barely able to take the weight of the car and that they are just on the verge of crumpling if another fifty sixty kilos sits on it. The car had to look strong enough to bear the weight of six passengers and then some; so a few experiments with the wheels had to be conducted.

ONE WHEEL CONCEALED

The wheel could not be made big for obvious reasons, as it would reduce efficiency of the car, so the obvious thought was to ‘conceal it’. Concealing the wheel is like building a mystery around it, the wheel inside is of the same diameter but people don’t perceive it that way. The external casing can be designed bigger to suit the overall proportions however with the wheel being unaffected by it. 229

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ONE WHEEL CONCEALED

Cars usually have a haunch at the back which is also termed as a broad shoulder and is this that defines the stance of the car. In the very beginning I decided to conceal one of the wheels and it was the rear one. The car did not have a shoulder line, it was only after the introduction of the rear wheel casing that some highlight could now be captured on this relief surface. This treatment made the car look strange as the front looked mobile while the rear looked adhered to the ground. And as a dynamic sculpture it did seem like the front wheels are dragging the paralysed rear of the car. Also the whole setup looked more like ‘apples and oranges’, as the front and rear demanded equal attention the priority in characters was lost.

ALL WHEELS CONCEALED In an attempt to balance the form and make it look homogenous, I decided to conceal both the wheels. This made the form look like a ‘giant monolith’. The casings were however made translucent, to give an indication of what is underneath. It would also make the base look a little lighter. The hood also had an elevation on the sides, a distinct Chevrolet identity, and something that would make the boring flat surfacing of the bonnet a little interesting as it is the first surface that catches the eye. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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TOP

In another experiment I decided to conceal the front wheels and partially expose the rear ones. This felt a little like lifting the skirt out of curiosity to see what’s underneath. The idea sounded good, but the application resembled the design features of the ‘old Indian scooter’.

LEFT

As time was running out and I had to boil down to a neutralized design, the more suited option was that of all the wheels concealed. There was a problem however, when we decided to make polygonal shapes, no matter of how many sides ‘they all tend to look from the same family’. Then if one polygonal shape with one of its sides tapering is placed next to its twin the prior tends to dominate in size. This is an ‘optical illusion’ which is very tough to handle. As a result the rear wheel arch had to be made considerably bigger while the front had a far greater acceleration rate. 231

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The optical illusion explained by exchainging position

FINAL DETAILS

The inclination of the front casing was aligned at the same angle as that of the character line. Although the lines were an offset of one another it did create a feeling of one continuous line. This gave us a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;blood lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that ran across the car diagonally and was also the longest line on the car. By emphasizing this line, we could make the car look more in length without actually changing the proportions. No one had experimented with the character line on the wind shield before, so the lump which was no more of a functional element had to be given a character for it to persist on the car. The curves were tightened for the light to accelerate and make the huge roof slabs more dynamic. (Right - Sketch showing the offset in the blood line) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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THE GROWN - UP STATE Although designed keeping in mind the compact state, the car had to suffice the six seat capacity also. So the drive by wire chassy is made collapsible, where in the rear deck slides to and fro to increase the interior space by half a metre. While doing so it reveals a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;secondary character lineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the side transparent DLO which is hidden in the compact state. The sketch on top shows the wide opening created for the passengers to board, when the seats open along with the doors. 233

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INGRESS - EGRESS

When the passenger seats positioned at a lower level open along with the doors they create room for the passenger to board who sits in tandem with the driver. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The driver on the other hand boards the car from the frontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for which the hood and the grill separate from one another. This mechanism is automated and the solves the complicated issue for ingress and egress for the driver.

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FINAL RENDERS 235

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THE FINAL DESIGN The final design was as clear to me as it was to others. But I knew that there were a lot many hidden challenges when the whole concept had to be translated on to a three dimensional platform. Sketches are deceptive but one canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cheat in a 3D model as the true idea of volume can only be perceived in a physical prototype. Things become very complicated, as a designer has to balance the design from every angle. I had already worked on a few math models (digital models) before, so I along with the designers at General Motors unanimously agreed to work on a clay prototype which was a deficit in my portfolio. I was waiting for this unique experience as I could now experiment with the form and see the results instantly because of the unique ability of clay to allow the user to add and remove material with ease. This was my first experience with automotive clay, and I had to follow a few procedures, and I like procedures. Starting off with setting up a tape drawing and a tape rendering as templates for the model a brief timeline for the model was jotted down. Unfortunately due to some important tasks at GM, I had to expedite on my model creation within a period of three weeks. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how we did it . . . 237

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Tape drawing is the art of creating sketches on large scale upright surfaces using black photographic tape. Typically used in the automotive industry, it is an important part of the automotive design process that is currently not computerized. This style of sketching with photographic tape, called “tape drawing”, is achieved by using everyday skills of unrolling the tape with one hand and sliding the other hand along the tape while fastening it on the surface. Designers in the automobile industry have traditionally created concept sketches of cars on large scale upright surfaces (walls) that preserve a ‘scale factor’ between the sketch and the ﬁnal physical car. The main reason for these full-size or scaled upright sketches is that designers and managers want to determine and evaluate the principle curves of a design as early in the design process as possible. Tape drawing has several fundamental advantages over free form sketching with a pencil, given the large scale size of the sketches. Firstly, it is difficult to draw, freehand, straight lines and smooth continuous curves at this scale. Physical aids such as rulers and French curves would assist the process; however, they would have to be of similar large scale which unfortunately makes them unwieldy for upright use. Drawing with tape, on the other hand, easily facilitates the generation of perfectly straight lines and, due to the slight elasticity of the tape which allows it to be deformed, smooth continuous curves as well. The freehand nature of the interaction is maintained, and yet the tape’s affordances help regulate the user’s actions to allow for creation of smooth continuous lines. In addition, tape drawing has the beneﬁt of easily undoing actions and editing compared to drawing with pencils or markers. The images alongside are digitally re-created tape drawings which also represent the package and the battery layout. They were created to a 1:3 scale before the start of clay model. 239

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(These images are digitally recreated as the originals were unavailable due to confidentiality issues) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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Tape rendering is another crucial task before starting a clay model. This was my first-hand experience to understand and visualize the behaviour of light on surfaces before it being translated into a three dimensional sculpture. The tape rendering provides a very close reference to how the car would look like in a real life environment. The highlights are clearly defined and sometimes exaggerated. The black tapes on the sides are used to stretch the printed image as the highlights and light-lines should be presented in their full tension. 241

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(These images are digitally recreated as the originals were unavailable due to confidentiality issues) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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MODEL JOURNEY

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(The entire model journey could not be covered through photographs due to strict confidential polices) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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MODEL PHOTO SHOOT

A photo shoot of the Di-Noced model was done in natural light at different timings to understand the real interaction of the car with the environment. One photo shoot was done at ‘dusk’ around seven in the evening while the other was done at ‘dawn’ at six thirty in the morning. The photo shoot done in the evening revealed a bluish shade on the model while the one in the morning casted warm tints on the Di-Noced surfaces. The shoot was done using professional equipment such as a Canon D-90 SLR camera and a tripod; however no artificial lights were used. 245

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(Photo of the model shot at dusk, at about seven in the evening) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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MODEL PHOTO SHOOT These photographs are results of the photo shoot done at dawn and are later on edited to remove the glassy reflections off the mirror. The results do not demonstrate how the actual car would look in a real time environment as there are no flanges or details in the headlights or any graphics of that sort. But it does serve as an excellent volume study exercise which helps understand the interaction between light and surfaces. 247

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(Photo of the model shot at dawn, at about six thirty in the morning) Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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MATH MODEL

The clay model was the first step in understanding the volume. The material had its own limitations and so details could not be incorporated due to time constraints. But my journey however did not stop there. I was always motivated by the works of design students from across the globe and admired the detailing and finishes their models showcased, the time they invested and the benchmark they set. I decided to construct a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Math Modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the exterior in a tight time span of one month, which would help me represent a clearer picture of my design. The image that I had projected in my mind was quite bold according to my modelling skills; but with core concepts clear enough, I just hurled for it. To avoid turmoil I decided to parent a mentor. The next few pages showcase a few major challenges that I faced with the math model and the final result. 249

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MATH CHANGES

The roof and the hood were the areas which one would observe first from the front and are defined as A-Surfaces. The challenge in modelling the hood was that the outer rail had two steps while the inner possessed only one. However the two were on the same plane and the latter would be the first curve of the windshield. So, it was very important to have a perfect continuity in the surface patches of the hood and the start of the windshield. The hood also had a feature that diminished a little ahead than 70%; the reason being that the line had to speed up the viewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision at the A-Pillar and then read it across all the way up to the C-Pillar. The top had a character line that had to be perceived negative from the side when light would fall on it. But, the convex surfacing of the roof was negating the crown of the line; hence a much tightened curve had to be created.

I must admit, the rear screen corner which housed the tail light was the toughest to resolve. The lip ran across one C-Pillar to the other and had to appear straight from the side. To add to the complexity, the area was a three axis meeting point with surface transitions from positive to negative and vice-versa. The area which was the convergence point of the C-Pillar line ran along the door parting line and the side character changed its plane after convergence and this resulted in a minuscule surface pinch. To avoid this pinch, it was necessary to provide more surface crown at the tail light but this would have tweaked the design. So, a fragment had to be left at the meeting point whose attention would be then grasped by the tail lamp.

04 02 The rear three-axis corner is considered to be one of the trickiest areas to define in a car. It was an even greater challenge as I was not satisfied with the surface play at this particular corner in the clay model itself and hence was unsure about the design direction in the math. The wheel conceal had to just kiss the surface accelerating towards the top and had to look easy, even though it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. The elbow at the rear wheel was planned so as to create interest and urge the viewer to go around the car to understand the surface. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

The rear haunch was another trouble area as it featured yet another three axis highlight. The horizontal line had to run a little further on the rear conceal but not divide it and then had to fade out. The profile line too had to diminish just before reaching this horizontal line. But the definition created by the fillet with the highlight created an intersecting feature that was undesired. The crawl had to be increased to almost infinity to resolve this issue and it took over three days to achieve a perfect surface.

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FRONT CHANGES

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The front of the car was very charismatic and maintained a line of vision even with several surface plays. The bumper was a complex mix of variable fillets and fading surfaces. The front three-axis corner was an equal match for the rear. With problems standing toe-to-toe against each another, the front corner had a pinched character above the front wheel conceal. This merged into a strip that ran till the bumper and diminished thereafter. To avoid a pinch, the highlight had to spread out at this check and a variable fillet had to be introduced.

The front was distinct Chevy with a double lip grill. The grill was a negative version unlike the positive one usually observed on Chevrolet cars. From the front the division line of the grill is continued as the eyebrow line of the headlight. The grill is divided into six parts and if observed from the front forms a truncated cone, which adds to the stance of the car. It was difficult to maintain a uniform frame across the six surfaces and pinches were a common sight. A small fillet had to be introduced which would run across the perimeter to give a feeling of thick, sturdy sheet metal.

The surface which connected the hood and the head lamps also housed the side indicator. The indicator had to be a separate assembly just adjacent to the headlamp. If a single parting line would have been introduced, then it would have killed the highlight around the headlamp’s perimeter. So spacing had to be maintained between the surfaces. The front wheel conceal had a crease line that had to diminish at three fourths the length. This helped create a feeling that a virtual convergence point lay beyond the car’s front. If this line would have been extended across the length of the wheel, it would have divided the slab into two distinct parts, thereby killing the single surface feel projected.

When the viewer walks around the car, his vision is tilted. The photo shows how the front DRG (Down Road Graphics) would be observed by a person while standing in front of the car. At this height and angle the pinched surface character should not project itself out more than the car’s silhouette. If it does it would create a broad smiling face which changes the facial expression of the car. Chevrolet cars are perceived friendly but not over friendly by people, they carry a certain amount of attitude and ego with them and thus have a distinct road presence.

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SIDE/REAR CHANGES

As aforementioned the area comprising the tail lamp and the side character was the toughest to crack. The lip of the tail lamp changed three planes and yet had to look dead straight from the side while creating a taper. It is only when the car would turn the viewer would notice the surface gimmick. The side slabs are the biggest planes on the car and had to project a very mature volume while connecting the front and the rear. The side math shows the minimum use of surface patches and the size of surfaces used to achieve the perfect highlights.

The rear wheel conceal appears much more resolved and matured in the math as compared to clay. When the haunch line kisses the division line of the back and side it creates a beautiful triangular surface at the back. This then flows all the way across the other end; creating surface division yet maintaining continuity. The rear quarter panel is a huge surface facing the ground and therefore is dark. It is a C-Surface and hence cannot deserve greater attention. So a small horizontal C-Shaped highlight has been introduced which will force the viewer to rear this surface in the very end.

02 Once the side slabs were in their rightful place, it was time to work on the details. I introduced a design change in the math which cannot be seen in clay. The start of the character line was positioned a little above the middle and the end would dive deep to create an alert stance for the car. Moreover the side line virtually connects the front wheel conceal to form the longest blood line of the car. An additional highlight has been introduced at the bottom to highlight the dark bottom and create interest. This however is a secondary highlight and needed to have a second priority. So the area where the skirt highlight takes off is in transverse with the character line to maintain continuity. If these highlights were to begin at the end of each other it would have seemed very literal, so to add a bit of a melodrama to the surface play this design direction was incorporated. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

04 Once the surfaces were in their perfect places and now it was time to work on the highlights even further. The edge that divided the rear screen had also offset the highlight. This had to be resolved, so a surface fade had to be introduced in the line before it reached the tail lamp. The light lines at the haunch were forming a Z-Shape which was contradicting the design intent but to resolve the highlight meant shifting all the slabs. Also, I was uncertain about the resolved math that would result in a highlight which would flow straight, so I left it untouched.

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READY TO RENDER

The final model was checked for surface continuities and breakages. We tried to establish ‘G3 Continuity’ as much as possible and a ‘Zebra Analysis’ was done; but a few fillets and small surfaces could not be resolved further. Parting lines and shut lines were added later on. Once the model was ready, a few details such as the chrome strip on the side DLO (Day Light Opening) and the car was ready to receive the Chevrolet badge of honour. The model was then ready for render.

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The alias model was then rendered in Keyshot 3.0 with studio lighting and environments for a much more realistic vision of the concept. The renders were later edited in Photoshop CS5. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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I will be very honest in this section, and will share some insights and experiences with you before wrapping it up. The project did start with a surge of excitement and suspense as the expectations were every bit as high, as I had received a front door pass to work with one of the world’s automotive giants, General Motors, a name synonymous with innovation and an epitome in design. I was a small fish in this huge ocean and to be quite frank wanted to make my presence admirable by the time I left. I had to try and match the quality of work that I had seen in the past, done by some of my seniors and this kept me on an overdrive to try and get the maximum out of myself. I was coupled with another intern from DSK which swept me off my feet completely. But as everyone knows, success does not come easy and when you are labelled ‘producty’ for your style of work, it is not a compliment that you can carry along with pride in a car design studio. Yes of course being a product designer there are a few pros and cons, as I used to perceive a car as a complex product to deal with and not as a beautiful entity in itself, I had to run a long hurdle before I could break away from my mental block. The first few months were a nightmare, with reviews held every week and no ground breaking conclusions or insights and my lack of flexibility to gel with the corporate environment the design team had started losing faith in me. Three months down the line and I had not documented a single thing, of course I had done a hell lot of research but I was so into it that I never realised where the tip of the iceberg lied as I was always under water. But these moments of frustration and stagnancy did not last long as the people at both NID and GM were always willing to offer a helping hand. When the sketch phase started, I knew it was my moment to mammoth the designers at GM. I knew that this was the discipline that I was most comfortable at, and three months of starvation from sketching had increased my appetite for concepts. I was so into it that once I was asked by my mentors to take a leave, as I never realised the clock ticking besides me day and night. This was a rewarding moment as a guy who was asked to send a document which would decide his fate in continuing the project was now hearing a word of praise by the people around him. This had to be the best moment in all of those six months at GM, as it was one heck of a comeback. I would like to thank my seniors at GM who provided me the opportunity to interact and present my work to people like Bryan Nesbitt, the Vice President of GMIO and Borroni Bird, GM’s innovation head. Looking at the bigger picture I realised the role of a designer in a car design studio, I had experienced a very unique work culture and taken intermittent dosage of professionalism and scolding to shape myself into a better part of the organization. I realised that there are so many students around the world who work with companies on several internships, and that many others will come and go; but I had to set a benchmark which would make GM miss me and I hope I succeeded. This project did not just strengthen my portfolio but also helped me realise my true potential. It made me realize of an ability that sets me apart from the rest, which is-I could capture ideas from unexpected disciplines and then blend them into the sectors of car design to create an amalgamated solution that did not strike me for years. I think I will definitely cherish and capitalize on some of the learning’s and will always keep my doors open waiting for another opportunity to work with GM in future. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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[6]Page 30, 31. General Motors Reports. Wednesday, July 18, 2012. September 4, 2011. http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2012/07/ chevrolet-sells-record-13-million.html) [7]Page 32. August 2011. Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) [8]Page 33. August 2011. Parhi, Mamta. S&T and Industry. 2008. http:// www.nistads.res.in/indiasnt2008/t4industry/t4ind12.html [9]Page 34, 35. July 2008. August 22, 2011. www. http://info.shine.com/ ListofCompany/Automobiles/783.aspx [10]Page 36, Mr. Kumar, Bijo. ANALYSIS OF INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY. December 20, 2009. September 7, 2011. http:// www.scribd.com/doc/24333238/Indian-Automobile-IndustryAnalysis [11]Page 37. Gallina, Eric. GM India Operations. December 10, 2007. September 8, 2011. http://www.cardesignnews.com/site/home/ new_cars/display/store4/item97322/ Page 43, 44. Image Courtesy - http://www.picstopin.com/1920/ monochrome-water-drops-wallpaperjpg/http:%7C%7Ciiwallpa pers*com%7Cimages%7Cbig%7Cmonochrome-water-dropswallpaper*jpg/ Page 45. Image Courtesy - August 2011. http://www.xoopsaddons.org/ Article-Feed/ways-to-use-bean-bag-chairs-beanbag-chair-uses-bean-bag-chairs-purpose-usesof-bean-bag-chair-hello-kitty.html

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Page 60. Image Courtesy - Candy, Sarah, (Head of External Marketing Relations, Airline IT, Amadeus). Influence of mobile. July 1, 2011. September 20, 2011. http://www.amadeus.com/blog/01/07/howmobile-will-influence-the-future-of-air-travelinfographic/ [13]Page 62 Information and Image Courtesy - Maggi, Stefano. Sociographics. October 26, 2010. September 20, 2011. http://www.theharteofmarketing. com/2010/10/market-segmentation-with-socialmedia.html [14]Page 64, 65 Information and Image Courtesy - Kyoto, Teramachi. 9H Nine Hours. September 22, 2011. www.9hours.jp Page 70, 71. Image Courtesy - WBCSD (World Buisness Council for Sustainable Development). Mobility 2030-Meeting the challenges of 2030. England: Seven. July 2004 [15]Page 76, 77 - Kalam, Abdul. India 2020. New Delhi, India: Penguin Books India PVT. LTD. 1998. ISBN 0-670-88271-2, Top ten Challenges for India. Economic Times, India. June 16, 2008. [16]Page 79, 80, 81 - Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. JNNURM. December 2005. August 2011. http:// jnnurm.nic.in/

[17]Page 83, 84. GMDA. September 2007. http://gmda.co.in/about.htm, NRI Reality News. September 11, 2012. http://www. nrirealtynews.com/guwahati/real-estate-guwahati.php [18]Page 87. NRI Reality News. September 11, 2012. http://www. nrirealtynews.com/guwahati/real-estate-guwahati.php, JNNURM. Government of Assam. June 2006. http://jnnurm. nic.in/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/CDP_Guwahati.pdf [19]Page 88, 91, 92. JNNURM. Government of Assam. June 2006. http:// jnnurm. nic.in/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/CDP_ Guwahati.pdf [20]Page 93. Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. JNNURM. December 2005. August 2011. http://jnnurm.nic.in/ Page 96, 98. Image Courtesy - Barooah, Manas. October3, 2011. http://www. pbase.com/mbarooah/guwahati&page=all [21]Page 101, 102, 103. Cities and Towns. 2000. http://www.webindia123. com/city/maharashtra/pune/intro.htm, India Travelite. 2008-09. http://www.indiatravelite. com/pune/punetransport.htm [22]Page 109. MOA of Pune-Part 1 to 5. JNNURM. Ministry of Urban Development. Governmnet of India. December 2007. http:// jnnurm.nic.in/moa-of-pune.html [23]Page 109. Pimpri-Chinchwad Bus Rapid Transit System. National Institute of Urban Affairs. http://www.niua.org/projects/tpt/ pimpri-chinchwad.pdf [24]Page 111. Thite Dinesh. Pune Municipal Corporationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s panel bats for monorail project, DNA (Daily News and Analysis). http:// www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_pune-municipalcorporation-s-panel-bats-for-monorail-project_1479264 [25]Page 112. Pune Metro Project - Times of India. July 5, 2011. October 22., 2011. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/201207-05/pune/32550411_1_vanaz-pune-metro-ramwadi Page 112. Image Courtesy - Karandeekar, Ravi. October 2011. http:// ravikarandeekarsblog.blogspot.in/2010/02/pmccant-run-buses-but-wants-metro-rail.html Page 113. Image Courtesy - Pune Metro Rail-Phases. July 7, 2011. October 2011. http://www.sturdysource.com/2012/06/ Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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Books -

[26]Page 116, 117. Kulkarni, Tanvi. Works, Achievements and problems in Pune. 2008. http://ccs.in/ccsindia/downloads/internpapers-08/JNNURM-199.pdf

Kalam, Abdul. India 2020. New Delhi, India: Penguin Books India PVT. LTD. 1998. ISBN 0-670-88271-2

Page 117. Image Courtesy - Location of Slums - Pune. October 25, 2011. http://www.archidev.org/article.php3?id_ article=585 Page 118, 120. Image Courtesy - Kristen. Pune Photos. August 23, 2012. http://www.holidayiq.com/destinations/ photos/Pune-Photos.html

Edwards, Paul and Edwards Sarah. Working from Home. United States, June 7, 1999. ISBN 0-874-77736-4 Mitchell, William and Borroni-Bird, Christopher and Burns, Lawrence. Reinventing the Automobile – Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century. London-England: MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2010. ISBN 0- 9 8 7- 6 5 4 3 2- 1

Reports Singh, Kumar Sanjay. The demand for road based passenger mobility in India 1950-1930 and relevance for developing and developed countries. Kanpur: IIT. 2011. James, Boomis and Ann, Racek and Justin, Turner and Brian Van Abel under the supervision of Professor Andrew Hoffman and Arie, Jongejan. Better place. Michigan: GlobaLens, a division of The William Davidson Institute at The University of Michigan. 2010. Becker, Thomas. Electric vehicles in United States. University of California, Berkeley. November 21, 2008. Sidhu, K.S, Director/Research, Punjab electricity board. Non-conventional energy resources. PEC Campus, Chandigarh. 2005. WBCSD (World Buisness Council for Sustainable Development). Mobility 2030-Meeting the challenges of 2030. England: Seven. July 2004.

Mazda Rustom. Renault for the Indian Youth 2040. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. 2010. Alwin, Peter. Chevrolet, Car for Indian Youth. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. 2010. Tomar, Amole. Back to the roots – Transforming car interiors with Indian cultural indicators. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. 2012. Sanghvi, Malav. Vaccine Storage Solution for Sub-Centres. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. 2012.

Websites Environmental and energy sustainability – An approach for India. August 1, 2009. Sepetember 2011. http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/ reports-documents/environmental-and-energy-sustainability-approachindia BBC World Energy Debate. Vienna, Hofburg palace. July 22. 2011. September 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIqW15yOZAw> Government of India. National Energy map for India – Technology vision 2030. March 2006. September 2011 < www.teriin.org/div/psa-fullreport. pdf> Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. JNNURM. December 2005. August 2011. http://jnnurm.nic.in/ Kyoto, Teramachi. 9H Nine Hours. September 22, 2011. www.9hours.jp.

Top ten Challenges for India. Economic Times, India. June 16, 2008.

Documents Chitroda, Moneet. My First Renault. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. 2009. Soni, Nirmit. My First Renault. National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. 2007. Gaurang Nagre, Diploma Project 2012

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Name - Gaurang Nagre Date of Birth - February 6, 1989 e-mail - gaurang.nagre@yahoo.com gaurangnagre@gmail.com

Contact Number - +91 9619995221 +91 9619997227

Address - C-502, Silver Sands, Piramal Nagar, Goregaon (West). Mumbai - 400 062

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