India was once part of the great Indus Valley Civilization, but over time it was invaded and ruled by many foreigners. It finally attained independence from the British in 1947 and today with a population of over a billion people it is the largest democracy in the world. India is a multi-cultural and secular country that is on the threshold of regaining its glorious past, but systemic problems like corruption and communalism are hindering its growth. Terrorism is one more systemic problem that could derail India’s success story in the 21st century.

These systemic problems lead to loss of revenue and lives. Speaking of lives, a lot of lives are lost to disasters that are either man-made (terrorism) or natural (floods, earthquakes, etc.). In such disaster situations, we expect the governments and official forces to help us out and save lives. But I feel that a common man not only has the desire to counter these situations, but also has the ability to design and build life saving solutions and systems.

Seeking inspiration from the common people, this project aims to save more lives during disaster situations and make recovery less painful for survivors and families. To that end, we are framing a design challenge to be solved. We are calling it #BHARAT – Design Challenge.

The following is a presentation that puts forth some thoughts and ideas. We hope that this challenge leads to design conversations that will ultimately translate into life saving solutions and systems.

We look forward to your feedback and participation in solving this design challenge. Thank You!