The Road ahead
A humble beginning has been made. But there is long way to go to before the aspirations of the creative people at grassroots are met. New frontiers in value addition, IPR, commercialisation have opened up where formal sector has lent full support to the efforts of the informal sector. Now a renewed drive is needed to churn out viable products/ solutions from the immensely potential indigenous knowledge system and to link them with enterprise/ livelihood options.
NIF and GIANs have been systematically building synergies with organisations and institutes to facilitate up scaling of grassroots innovations with inputs on design, development, testing, IPR, diffusion and promotion of technologies. Now, with NIF’s convincing advocacy to the government, a micro venture fund is being set up to incubate and commercialise the outstanding innovations and traditional knowledge based best practices. This would lead to the socio-economic upliftment of the underprivileged section by way of employment generation, wealth creation, wider and better choices for the consumer and eventually usher in the paradigm of “innovative society”.
While GIAN (N) is committed to augment innovations from the Region, it has limitations too. Some concern areas are:
• Scientific/ technical validation of substantial number of innovations from diverse fields and wide geographical spread is a great. Answer lies in the involvement of scientists, specialists, students and volunteers in this great task. Also, availability of facilities for fabrication, testing and guidance on technological issues are essential for scaling up. Closer institutional linkages, access to and effective sharing of the resources/ knowledge of the formal sector is essential in overcoming this challenge. Technical Institutes, Research & development bodies, subject experts, techno-professionals and students can make a difference in this respect.
• Handholding support to innovation based micro enterprises is another issue of import. The commercialisation process involves market studies, business planning, assessment and valuation of technologies and outreach to prospective venture partner/ licensee. In addition, setting up and sustaining a new business in present day competitive environment is a formidable challenge. A virtual mentoring framework will be needed to show ways to the grassroots inno-preneurs. EDIs, business schools, industry associations, concerned government departments, economists, social entrepreneurs and business leaders can catalyse the required change process.
• Adoption and diffusion of technologies at a wider scale is of paramount importance. Initiatives of government departments, non-govt. development organisations, development funding institutions in this direction will ensure that desired benefits reach to the larger masses.
• To broadbase the innovation movement spearheaded by NIF/ GIAN, dissemination and awareness generation is critical. Role of media is extremely significant. Adequate space for representation of the grassroots endeavours needs be given in all media as well as in formal events/ forums. Such exposure in the public media can make a lasting impact on the cultural psyche of the nation towards this cause.
• Field officers and workers of government and NGOs can make a very big difference in identifying creative works and knowledge resources from remote corners and hinterlands of the country. They need to be sensitised and empowered to undertake this invaluable job of unearthing the hidden treasures. Similarly the efforts by individual volunteers and scouts need to be encouraged and strengthened. Integrating the scouting and dissemination process into Government and Non-Government sectors rural programmes will help immensely.
• The innovation orientation needs to be embedded in our learning system. Inclusion of exemplary creative works by unsung heroes and heroines of our society should find place in the curriculum. This surely will ignite the young minds to break away from beaten track. A proactive approach by the academics can surely make a sea change in this respect.
GIAN (N) with its limited capacity can hardly meet the challenges. But it believes, with effective networking and harnessing the power of distributed knowledge and shared resources, much can be achieved.
Institutional Networking
In the first year itself, effective linkages have been established with many organizations from fields of science & technology, technical & business education, legal & IPR, NGOs, trade associations and development funding organizations etc. GIAN (N) has been instrumental in forging alliance with IIT, Kanpur; especially with the SIDBI Innovation & Incubation Centre there. Similar associations are on the anvil with Universities of Agriculture & Technology in Udaipur and Panth Nagar and Entrepreneurship Development Institutes of Jaipur and Delhi. Also to scale up the innovations pertaining to agriculture and herbal practices, livestock management and farm machineries; GIAN (N) has formally entered into an understanding with Morarka Foundation for incubating and help commercialising these innovations from North India as well as other parts of the country.