Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

Vijay was already very satisfied with what he had seen, but to his pleasant surprise, it seemed that the presentation had not ended, as Heyram and Vedanth actually took him to another laboratory, where two large objects were laid down on the floor, covered with a red blanket.

Vijay looked at Heyram with his eyebrows raised. 'Well, would you look at that,' his lips curved up. Usually, Heyram does not keep him in suspense; he directly shows his new inventions just as they are without any fanfare, but now, looking at the situation, it looked like whatever was under those blankets was really extraordinary, extraordinary enough for even Heyram to learn how to give build up to his invention. It's either that, or someone might have suggested him to do so. Thinking of this, Vijay silently looked at his son with a doubtful look. 'Is it this guy?'

Heyram caught the inquiring look of the emperor, so he no longer kept him in suspense. Pulling the blanket off one of the engines, he said, "Your Majesty, you are aware of how the Balwan engines are being used by Gaur Agricultural Tools and Aakarsh Carriages, aren't you?"

Vijay's eyes lit up as he understood what Heyram was getting at. His thoughts solidified the moment his gaze fell on the miniature version of the Balwan engine. "Yes, I am aware of the carriages used to pull and power the harvesters manufactured by Gaur Agricultural Tools, and I am also aware of the carriage powered by the Balwan, manufactured by Aakarsh Carriages."

"It's a pity the steam-engine-powered carriage invented by Aakarsh Carriages couldn't get a road permit."

"Anyway, what do those inventions have to do with this?"

"Could it be that this engine is specifically manufactured to go into the carriage?" he asked, feigning surprise.

Heyram excitedly nodded, "You guessed it right, your majesty. After inspecting the steam engine-powered carriages for myself, I felt like the carriages could benefit from engines that are specifically made for them."

"Also, his highness Vedanth suggested that the market for these engines could be higher than that of the larger Balwan engine, so when I started to research the 4th gen Balwan engine, I also started to research the smaller version of the Balwan engine to be installed on carriages."

"And these two engines," noticing that the other engine was still covered by the blanket, he quickly pulled the cover off and spread his hands, "are the result of that research."

Vijay carefully looked at the two engines and immediately frowned, he didn't notice any physical changes in both the engines, are they the same engine or is there some change internally?

"Are these two the same engines?" he enquired.

Heyram waved his hand and shook his head, "No, your majesty, although they look the same, these two are essentially different engines."

"How so?"

"Your majesty, this one here," he pointed at the first engine he unveiled, "is the M series 4th gen compact engine, it is built for carriages that are meant to travel on the road."

"As for this one, it is the T series 4th gen compact engine, and this is meant for carriages working in the fields."

"The difference between them lies in their internal tuning. The M series reaches up to 70 rpm, sacrificing a little torque for higher speed, while the T series runs only up to 55 rpm but delivers a torque of 5400 Khanda metres. Carriages on the road value speed over torque, making the M series ideal for travel. In contrast, field carriages do not require speeds above 50 rpm, so their design reduces speed to maximise torque, ensuring they can move forward regardless of the weight they must pull."

"In other aspects, both these engines are almost identical, be it in the pressure, thermal efficiency, or weight."

The corner of Vijay's lips rose up in satisfaction. With these engines, the Bharatiya Empire can really set foot into the age of automobiles.

"It's an amazing idea. Who came up with it?"

"It's his highness, your majesty. Originally, I only wanted to do a single compact version of the Balwan engine, but it was he who convinced me to make two variants."

Vijay looked at his son, who was standing by the side, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Perfect, hand over the manufacturing technology to the Raya Power Company, I will handle its sales."

---

After getting such good news, Vijay did not hesitate any longer; he immediately summoned Bhaskaracharya and gave a series of orders.

"Build a large factory, at the very least occupying 500 acres."

"Place an order with Sriranga Industrial Tools for a complete set of production equipment for the entire factory."

"Place an order with Raya Iron and Steel for a stable supply of high-quality steels and special steels at regular intervals."

"Since the war with the Ottoman Empire has come to an end, we will be demobilising on a large scale, so send out employment notices to all the soldiers who will be demobilising and employ at least 10,000 of them in the factory."

"Water is very important for the functioning of the factory, so dig up a reservoir connected to the large Nagpur Reservoir for a continuous water supply; don't forget to handle the drainage."

"The construction of the factory and the dormitories should be done a little faster, so it doesn't matter if a premium has to be paid to the construction firms."

Bhaskaracharya was a little taken aback by this series of orders, especially since he didn't even know what his majesty wanted to manufacture in this new factory, but he had spent so many years under his majesty working as the manager of the royal family's assets. The reason why he is still in his position is that he knew what to ask and what not to ask, so without a question, he noted down everything and left.

The very next day, notices were sent to all seven largest construction firms in the empire, who rushed to Nagpur to meet up with Bhaskaracharya and discuss the matter of cooperation.

The soldiers coming back from the Kingdom of Israel were pleasantly surprised as well. They thought that they would need to search for jobs when they got home, but they did not expect work to be waiting for them. Although the conditions of the job were a little demanding, for example, the need to pass the university and having some sort of experience in working with machines, the Bharatiya Army is massive, and the number of soldiers being demobilised is in hundreds of thousands, so it was not difficult for Vijay to absorb almost all of the unemployed from the military.

While all this was happening, Vijay summoned the owners or representatives of the five companies of the empire that had gotten the permit to manufacture locomotives.

Aakarsh from Aakarsh Mobility, Pranav Dikshit from Gaur Locomotives, Ghana Prabhu Berunda and Ghajendra Naidu from Hima and Berunda Industries, and other representatives from Surya Corporation and Mengal and Brothers all looked at Vijay with bated breath, waiting to hear why his majesty summoned them all.

"I have some good news for you all, a new generation of the Balwan engine has been invented. It is more powerful, more power efficient, more reliable, and has a longer range. In a few months, all four of you can place your orders."

The words were like someone had just poured a sweet nectar down their throats; it was so pleasant and comfortable, but the next moment, their happiness continued.

"Also, two new engines have been developed, the compact version of the Balwan engine. One is the M variant for carriages running on the road, and the T variant for carriages which would be put to work in the fields."

"The weight and the size of both these engines are cut by half when compared with the full-size Balwan engine, but what it lacks in size it makes up in flexibility and reliability."

"The fourth-generation Balwan engine and the smaller engines will be put into production at the same time, so all of you should be able to purchase this engine at the same time."

"Now, the main reason I have called you all is, one, to inform you about the developments we have made, and two, to ask you to be ready with products to bring them to the market."

Vijay looked at everyone.

"Currently, only five permits are given to manufacture locomotives throughout the empire."

"The manufacturing of carriages for road use and agricultural use will also require a permit, in order to keep the technology of the steam engine confidential. So, being the five companies that already have permits to manufacture locomotives, you are already eligible to claim the permit, but there are some requirements that, among all of you, only two have met."

"Aakarsh Carriages came up with a new carriage powered by the Balwan engine, capable of travelling on the road. Although it has not been accepted by the Ministry of Transportation because of its safety hazards and the absolute size it takes up on the road, it is a good initiative, and it shows your willingness to revolutionise the way people travel in the empire. The same goes for Gaur Locomotives, coming up with a new carriage that is already being used in the agricultural field."

"So, apart from these two companies, I've not seen any initiative from the rest of the companies."

"Take this as a notice, by the time the engines are ready, if I do not see three companies making any inroads into the steam carriage manufacturing industry, then during the auctions that will be held to sell the permit, your quota will be given to someone else."

"If you lose this opportunity, and in the future you want to manufacture steam engine-powered carriages, then you will have to wait until the technology of the steam engine is no longer required to be classified."