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INNOVATION TIMES

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Innovation Business Model

Some time back (about 5 years ago) I met one of the leading figures in technology in the US, who was also one of the richest Indian for a while – who had asked me why would you start a new company when there are so many around and what’s so unique about your idea, whatever you do make sure that you have a sustainable model. I could not explain to him in the so called “elevator” pitch – how unique was the idea of UNIKEN – simply because UNIKEN was then (and even now) more of a “movement” in our mind – not just a company – that it has to have a legal structure was more of an execution parameter. Coming from a scientific background – I always thought that one has to address any problem at the foundation – an innovation driven business model – was more of a problem to me than of a business enterprise. There were so many individuals in the 90’s in the IT industry then – specifically in India – who used to make public speeches about innovation saying how critical it is for India in the coming century – I always wondered if it is so clear to all – why is it not happening around. Why aren’t there so many product companies, why aren’t there so many research labs – why are there a flood of services companies breeding on the cost arbitrage model – what’s the missing link? Why is it that the same individual goes to the West, joins a research lab, or starts a product company so easily than one can do it in India, what’s so special about this place that STOPS us from innovating, I can boldly say “STOPS”, after seeing the industry inside out...

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On the role of education in creating an innovative culture

Education (which will be termed as literacy here – since as aptly put – education is something that remains after we remove all that we learnt in our schools and colleges!) determines one’s ability, and gives one the courage, to question. The current literacy systems in India – including graduate and postgraduate systems – are more or less linear. The teeming numbers of graduates getting out of these systems are not consciously aware of the conditioning that they have been subjected to – a conditioning that stunts the growth of their innovative or “risk” neurons. It is not required to be innovative in these current education/literacy systems – there are just three skills required to pass through these systems – the ability to memorize, the ability to logically analyze (to some extent) and the ability to understand the examiners psyche (which I admit is an art). The systems are so linear that the end-product (the graduating student) is not even geared to address the problems he/she would subsequently face in his/her respective industry – where he/she would be spending the rest of his/her productive life.

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Should (government funded) innovation have a social relevance

“Indian Tri-Color on the moon”. A news heading that we all should be proud about and as an Indian citizen I am proud no doubt. I was on the way back to the office in the morning after reading this fantastic news – thought it gives the right kind of positive mental framework to start ones work day. After reaching the traffic signal nearby – I saw a policeman in a heated conversation with a young citizen – with some very interesting gestures between them that finally ended in a friendly “note” – without either one repenting on exactly what each one had done. Next was a group of young set of kids – definitely below the “poverty” line (as per the government's definition) – begging to the affluent on the streets – with a few obliging them and a few returning strange gestures back – a cold dead look as if they (both) don't exist. I reached office – and had a chance to glance through economic times, headlines like – “Farmer suicides subside due to loan waivers” – followed by “India Inc cautious about growth forecast – profits will reduce”.

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The role of Innovation in employment and wealth creation in the Indian Context

The central problem haunting our nation is that of employment, one can almost reason all the issues the country is facing to that of employment and hence employability of our citizens. There are crores of people who are getting added to the economy, but very few are being added to the list that is employable and even fewer to the list that is responsible for generating the employment.

The government declared the NREGA (the national rural employment guarantee scheme) couple of years ago, and one sees some signs of employment being created in rural India. What always has intrigued me is why is it that the salaries of the individual working for say an Investment Bank is like 100000 times higher than that of the individual working in the NREGA scheme!

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