Someone once told me that Innovation isn’t thinking about bright new
ideas but using ideas from one section and applying it to another.
Several innovations that I came across in India truly fits the
description. Let’s see some of them and how they impact our society.
Mobile – Shops:
(I am not talking about cellular shops here :)
Nothing new, but I always thought they are fascinating element in
India’s business ecosystem which is missing in metros and most countries
abroad. In today’s super-busy lifestyle, I find it awesome if someone
can come to my house for fixing my gas stove or to sell vegetables. Hats
off to these innovators (like one below) which meet my needs and also
figured out an innovative way to sustain.
Haathi Chaap Paper:
Now this one will really surprise you – A paper which is made from
Elephant Poop. It is environment friendly and completely organic.
Infact, this Indian innovation has become a rage in countries abroad.
Have a look at their website http://elephantpoopaper.com/ and read the story on how this came about – Fascinating I must say!
Nano Ganesh:
To operate the irrigation pumps, villages and rural locations
in India are often marred by fluctuations in power supply, difficult
terrain, fear of animals on the way to pumps, hazardous locations of the
pumps along the river or water storage beds, shock hazards, rains etc. Nano Ganesh is a GSM Mobile based remote control system exclusively for the use with water pump sets in agriculture areas.
The need of Nano Ganesh aroused from the routine problems faced by
the farmers in operating the pumps. A farmer has to simply dial a number
dedicated for a Nano Ganesh set and then punch his on or off code for
the control of the pump set. It can be connected to any existing
electrical starter and motor pumps. Hence, there is no necessity of
replacing the pumping set. With bulk of our GDP coming from agriculture,
I think products like Nano Ganesh are super-important to keep the
sector blooming.
Eco-Wash:
Ever thought about a washing machine made of junk which runs
on mechanical and kinetic energy? Well, Sourabh Siyal and Tushar
Agarwal, students of Christ College, Bangalore definitely did and
invented Eco-wash.
To me the machine is a revolution because it is cheap and environment
friendly at the same time. It can be of great potential usage in Indian
rural areas where electricity is scarce. Even in industrial areas it can
be useful and cost effective.
Marketing:
It’s fascinating to see some of the most “awesomest” marketing
techniques used by Indian vendors which will even give the best of
B-Schools run for their money. Below are some of my favourite ones
I haven’t seen a better marketing campaign than this. It’s amazing
how they have utilized Google’s popular brand image and used it to sell
golas (snow-balls)!
This one was by Childcare, India when they wanted to create awareness
about child beggars in India. I think it captures the emotions
beautifully which makes it innovatively effective.
Obviously, these are just very few examples of innovation in India,
but I am always excited to see how we Indians learn from different
sections of our society and utilize this knowledge in our lives. I guess
that is what drives us together as a nation and I have no doubt that
many more innovations are yet to come.
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