Building an Innovation Factory

What does it take to make an innovation factory? The Indian word "jugaad" is actually a poignant reminder of an innovation factory existing at every nook and corner of the country. But does the juggad action lead a nation up the value chain? It might impact an individual and a few people around, but does it create a significant value for a large segment of the global economy?

I tried looking at some of the jugaads around me and sought answers to my questions. The first one is called JUGAAD! Can I have a better start? You can see the picture above. What makes this 'Jugaad' click so well. It is the economics and economics alone. Even after encountering numerous problems associated with home-made low technology product such as these, the end-user is happy to pay only a fractional cost compared to a commercially available product and yet achieve the end objective. Does it make the automotive industry in India or globally learn from such innovation? A few years back this question would not have gained any attention. Today, after the runaway success of Tata's Nano car, individuals, corporates and governments would realize the basic essence and importance of such innovation. After all, the most important and impactful innovation of human history, the wheel, was but just a wheel. Centuries later it gave birth to engines, cars, trains and enumerous other forms which assist us in our daily life.

The big question is, how do we spur such innovation at the bottom of the pyramid? Yours and my lifetime may not see such wheels doing anything impactful, but we will leave behind valuable discoveries for our grand-children and their grand-children to savour.

Trained experts to take technology from labs to factories

A new set of entrepreneur creators is on the way. Not one, but two hundred of them. It's like motivational experts who help pull-in innovation on one side and then create success on the other side. The creation of this bridge is definitely a welcome development.

Most of the public sector entities involved in basic research or even application research areas didn't know where to go with their innovations. Just clinging onto the IP didn't help anyone. It also didn't motivate the IP creators to continue to generate more. And obviously, successful entrepreneurs’ who do not have their own R&D setups aren't clued in to innovative ideas or products. With the unleashing of the labs into the public domain, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) has taken the first baby steps into the open world.

I am sure this will delight the research community and even more so, we will be able to see some interesting technologies, products and services getting built for the benefit of everyone.

Innovation in eAgriculture

I guess everyone will say yes. But still, nothing much happens for this sector if you look at the prosperity index of marginal farmers over the last few decades.

It was a delight to see some action at SINE Lab in Mumbai... http://www.polymericsensors.com/home

These kind of solutions will definitely help farmers who cannot reach the soil and water testing labs and can jointly own the testing kit to further reduce the cost of ownership.

Monetizing Innovation

My big question to innovators in India...

There are two lovely sets of people in the innovation cycle - the ones who love innovating continously and the other who love productionizing their innovation. The latter get termed as entrepreneurs. A good number of these entrepreneurs evolve out of large organizations which have a sound infrastructure to instill innovation. Yet, there remain some of them who are their own masters through the entire cycle. Who makes a more successful entrepreneur?

About 80 percent of entrepreneurs say the inability to find employment was "not at all a factor" in their decision to launch a company, according to the Kauffman Foundation. Was unemployment a reason you started your business? Did you launch your business after losing your job?

I would love to hear from you...