Manikandan: The Vast World of Mobility and Manufacturing in India

The South of Mumbai podcast series rambled into the busy and bustling city of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, where we were immediately emersed in the topic of mobility. On one particular afternoon we went to visit Manikandan at his office where he told us about the history of Coimbatore, the impact of growth and the strong tradition of manufacturing. The centerpiece of our conversation, a project close to his heart – the Spero E-Bike. Listen in as we talk history, mobility, awareness, sustainability, industrial hemp and yes.. bicycles!

A Passion For Building Bikes in India

What do you get when you combine a group a friends who studied engineering, a passion for bicycles, and a city known for manufacturing? My answer: a sweet bike, a unique approach to working, and a really good time. Today on the podcast, as part of the South of Mumbai series on the road in India, we hear from the talented team at Scolarian bikes in Coimbatore about what they do and why they do it. And how it all ties back into life and changes in India.

Electronic Ecosystems

Indonesia
Photo by David Kousemaker

As a designer, at some point David Kousemaker became interested in finding where our old phones and electronics in general end up once we in the western world throw them away.  His interest took him to parts of Indonesia, China, Brazil and Thailand, among other places. There he observed not only how things like mobile phones are broken down, recycled, rebuilt etc, he also saw how entire industries and ecosystems form around these practices.

Through his photos and blog entries you can follow his travels and see some of the highlights.  David Kousemaker met up with me here in Amsterdam to talk about how he got into this subject and what he learned from the journey about just how big an impact our love of gadgets is having on this world.

ctrp326 The Future of Making Things

Bre Pettis envisions a future where people don’t just go out and buy things when something is needed or breaks. He envisions a future where people will once again make things themselves, at home. During one of our legendary breakfast sessions during the 26C3 in Berlin on the last day of 2009, we talked about his vision and his company – Makerbot Industries.