WiredInUSA-December2015

INDEX

Champagne corks will be popping at US-based Alcoa after it landed a $1 billion contract to supply aerospace fastening systems to Airbus. The deal, the largest fastener contract with the aircraft manufacturer, will continue the use of Alcoa’s fasteners on every Airbus platform. For the full story, see page 9. US-born entrepreneur Nikhil Jaisinghania is to be applauded for harnessing the sun and using solar power in villages in Uttar Pradesh for the last five years. Many villages, which use currently kerosene to provide power, are benefitting from the idea where his Mera Gao Power company provides solar panels in the village, runs wires into the houses and charges the household a weekly fee that is little more than the price paid for the kerosene. There is plenty of work for the company to do with an estimated 300 million people in the country without direct access to basic electricity. You can find the full story on page 13. Prisoners and the government in India are cashing in after a private-public partnership between Spark Minda, Ashok Minda Group, Yerwada central prison and Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, where an assembly plant has been set up in the Yerwada jail for prisoners to manufacture wiring harnesses. The deal, which sees 80 units built a day at RS200 each, provides RS55 for the worker, ten percent to the Prisoners’ Welfare Fund and the rest to the government. Details are on page 35. I’d also like to take this opportunity, on behalf of all the wiredInUSA team, to wish you season’s greetings for the festive period and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year. #54 EDITOR

David Bell Editor

wiredInUSA - December 2015

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