Arvind's Newsletter

1.Railways to ICF: Make two trains that can run at 250 km per hour

In a letter dated June 4, the Railway Board asked the ICF to develop these two trains as part of its production programme for 2024-25.

The trains will be built with a steel body and have a maximum speed of 250 kmph and a running speed of 220 kmph. It will be built on standard gauge.
 According to officials, the trains will be based on the Vande Bharat platform as part of the transporter’s plan to increase the speed of future Vande Bharat trains.

These will be eight-coach trains, according to the railways. Over the past year, it has been developing a test track for standard gauge trains in Rajasthan, primarily to test its abilities to develop high-speed trains and to export Vande Bharat trains, which have to be converted from broad gauge to standard gauge, which is the most accepted gauge globally.

Experts say the project will be a challenge. “The top speed of Vande Bharat trains is 180 kmph and to develop a 250 kmph standard gauge train by March 2025 is nothing short of impossible,” said Sudhanshu Mani, former general manager of the ICF who had spearheaded making the first Vande Bharat trains.

2.Scorching heat fuels India's gas-fired power use to multi-year highs in May

8.9 billion kWh is India's total gas-fired power generation for April and May, double that of last year in the same period, data from Grid India, a division of the Ministry of Power, showed.

Rising temperatures and policy initiatives led to a significant increase in the use of gas-fired power in India. Historically, gas-fired plants were not favoured for power generation due to the high cost of gas compared to coal. However, in May, coal's share of power generation fell to 74%  from 75.2% in the same month last year, while the share of gas nearly doubled to 3.1% from 1.6%.

3.Why the 5 core elements of “psychological safety” are essential for career and company

Without authenticity, curiosity, and risk-taking we get stuck in the mud —here’s how to make space for resilient progress.

Technology and social change mean that careers are now built in a fast-changing landscape that is digital, dispersed, diverse and dynamic. This is not necessarily negative. Steven Bartlett, in his book The Diary of a CEO, states that “businesses that experiment faster, fail faster and then continue to experiment, nearly always outpace the competition.” He adds that “failure gives you power.” 

While this may be true, constantly changing conditions can also lead to anxiety and avoidance of risk. No one wants to be the one to drop the ball. This can create inertia for both organisational and career development. There can be a fear that any kind of perceived failure will be punished by being passed over for future promotion.

The culture described by Bartlett, in which people feel able to try out ideas, make mistakes and learn, depends on “psychological safety.” Psychological safety creates the conditions in which businesses and organisations can experience increased productivity, resilience and innovation rooted in collaboration and creativity. 

Read on

4.Silicon Valley in uproar over Californian AI safety bill

Artificial intelligence heavyweights in California are protesting against a state bill that would force technology companies to adhere to a strict safety framework including creating a “kill switch” to turn off their powerful AI models, in a growing battle over regulatory control of the cutting-edge technology

The Californian legislature is considering proposals that would introduce new restrictions on tech companies operating in the state, including the three largest AI start-ups OpenAI, Anthropic and Cohere as well as large language models run by Big Tech companies such as Meta.

The bill, passed by the state’s Senate last month and set for a vote from its general assembly in August, requires AI groups in California to guarantee to a newly-created state body that they will not develop models with “a hazardous capability”, such as creating biological or nuclear weapons or aiding cyber security attacks.

Developers would be required to report on their safety testing and introduce a so-called kill switch to shut down their models, according to the proposed Safe and Secure Innovation for Frontier Artificial Intelligence Systems Act.

But the law has become the focus of a backlash from many in Silicon Valley because of claims it will force AI start-ups to leave the state and prevent platforms such as Meta from operating open-source models.

5.Canada will impose a tax on streaming companies to fund its public broadcasting system.

From September, video and music services making over $25 million annually will pay a 5% levy on their Canadian revenues, which will be directed to “areas of immediate need” including local news, French-language content, and indigenous and minority broadcasting.

Industry bodies called the tax “discriminatory” and a “protectionisut subsidy for radio,” arguing it would make it harder for global streamers to work with Canadian creatives. The tax is expected to raise around $150 million per year.

6.America’s solar energy industry is on a tear

The U.S. just had its largest quarterly growth of solar manufacturing in its history.

A new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie said the U.S. is benefiting from federal and state policies aimed at increasing the country’s production of clean energy, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and a freeze on imported panels believed to be made with forced labor in China.

Here are some highlights from the report, by the digits:

75%: Share of all new electricity-generating capacity added to the U.S. grid last quarter that came from solar

11 gigawatts: New solar panel manufacturing capacity that came online during the first three months of 2024, a record

200 gigawatts: Total U.S. solar capacity

Records aside, labor shortages, equipment constraints, and trade policies could put a damper on the solar party.

7.Novo Nordisk’s (NN’s) semaglutide patent expires in China in 2026, and Reuters reports that Chinese firms have been hard at work, developing at least 15 generic versions of NN’s diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss counterpart Wegovy. The frontrunner has already sought approval for selling China’s first Ozempic biosimilar . 

Analysts predict generics will lower semaglutide prices in China by 25%. Even though NN and American rival Elli Lilly have ramped up production, they're still unable to meet demand. Cheaper generics will ease supply constraints and ensure wider drug availability. 

Indian drugmakers Cipla, Lupin, and Dr Reddy's are also developing Wegovy versions. If semaglutide production increases in China, Indian firms may look to gain cost advantages and accelerate their own generic launches by tapping Chinese suppliers of bulk drugs, as they have done in the past.

8.As summer approaches, it is worth remembering Conde Nast Traveler’s Best Places to Go in 2024.