Made in India: Inventions that changed the world

India has always been a hub of inventions and innovations. From ancient times till now, this nation has given quite a few gifts to the world. Gifts of invention, innovation, gifts that changed the way the world worked.
So here we are with a list of few ‘Made in India’ inventions among dozens that changed the course of the world –

RADIO/WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

The first one to publicly demonstrate that radio waves could be used for communication was Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose. In 1895 Calcutta, Sir Bose transmitted signals to a distance of almost 1.60 km.
This laid the foundation of most of the technology we see and use today. Although Sir Bose wasn’t credited for his contribution until over a century later. On the contrary, Marconi, who did a similar demonstration two years after Sir Bose, was hailed as the inventor of wireless communication. He was also given the 1909 Nobel Prize for Physics for this ‘achievement’.

BINARY CODE

Binary codes made it possible for us to make computers and they were first described in 200 BC India. Pingala, the author of Chandahsastra, was the first person to mention it.

THE PENTIUM CHIP

If binary codes helped in kicking start the computer, it was the Pentium chip that took it over to the next level. This chip, a microprocessor that made modern smartphones and other devices possible, was invented by Vinod Dham in 1993.

BUTTONS

Yes, the tiny buttons we use to fasten out clothes were actually invented in India. More accurately, they originated some 5000 years ago in the Indus Valley Civilization and were used primarily for decorative purposes. They were made out of seashells.

FIBER OPTICS

Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany is recognized as the father of Fiber Optics. An Indian-American Physicist, Dr. Kapany came up with the term ‘fiber optics’ in 1956.