Photo credit: Michael Henninger/Post-Gazette
Field note # 2 for Pulitzer Center
At Philips Lighting in India, Priya Mishra is an engineer pushing for efficiency in a country rapidly consuming resources. Philips markets light emitting diode, or LED, lighting for homes, businesses and city streets. LED technology uses far less energy to produce the same amount of light, extending the life of the bulb, saving money on power bills and lessening dependence on the electric grid.
Philips recently split its health care and lighting into two independent research and development endeavors because, Mishra said, lighting requires a separate focus. Dozens of Philips researchers labor in Bengaluru's Manyata Embassy Business Park, home to the software development operations of multinational corporations, like IBM and Target.