Information Driven Innovation Economy !!!

This week everyone in the capital and country to some extent was immersed in the Obamania. Every media person, strategic analyst was guessing what Obama will speak in Parliament or whether he will mince any words on core issues to the Indian concerns. On the sidelines of an historic occasion marking the bilateral relations, speech in Parliament was indispensable to any other speeches he made. But more than that if we consider the substance of his visit-- driving more jobs to home and sustain business in troubled trauma of financial crisis, the speech he gave at Chicago American Library Association Conference in 2005 holds more relevance than his at the Indian Parliament on 8th November 2010.

 At Chicago, in 2005 he said:
“Only a few generations ago it was possible to enter into the workforce with a positive attitude, a strong back, willing to work, and it didn’t matter if you were a high school dropout, you could go in to that factory or work on a farm and still hope to find a job that would allow you to pay the bills and raise a family. That economy is long gone. And it’s not coming back. As revolutions in technology and communications began breaking down barriers between countries and connecting people all over the world, new jobs and industries that require more skill and knowledge have come to dominate the economy. Whether it’s software design or computer engineering or financial analysis, corporations can locate these jobs anywhere in the world, anywhere that there’s an internet connection. As countries like China and India continue to modernize their economies and educate their children longer and better, the competition American workers face will grow more intense, the necessary skills more demanding. These new jobs are not simply about working hard, they’re about what you know and how fast you can learn what you don’t know. They require innovative thinking, detailed comprehension, and superior communication.


But before our children can even walk into an interview for one of these jobs, before they can even fill out an application or earn the required college degree, they have to be able to pick up a book and read it and understand it. Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible, from complex word problems and the meaning of our history to scientific discovery and technological proficiency. And by the way, it’s what’s required to make us true citizens. It’s not enough just to recognize the words on the page anymore. The kind of literacy necessary for the 21st century requires detailed understanding and complex comprehension. And, yet, every year we pass more children through schools or watch as more drop out. These are kids who will pore through the help-wanted section and cross off job after job that requires skills they don’t have. Others will have to take that help wanted section over to somebody sitting next to them and find the courage to ask, “Will you read this for me?”


Three events this week emphasized this whole perspective about crucial aspect of reading, its place in knowledge economy of radical-frugal innovations and its larger significance for our societies which are urgently seeking the attention of the best brains of the world who are busy solving the problems of the rich who do not have any problems actually.

Within hours of Obama leaving New Delhi, the next day it was a corporate world which jumped to catch the baton for further cooperation between India and USA. The meeting was titled ‘US-India Conclave: Partnership for Innovation -- Imperative for Growth & Employment in both Economies’. The need to forge better partnerships was inspired from belief in the urgent need to address many challenges. As Indian government`s National Innovation Council understands: "The needs of the new knowledge economy in the 21st century demand new thinking, new responses and new mindsets. The challenges of our times in health, agriculture, education, environment, energy and governance demand more efficient and sustainable solutions which meet the needs of our people. Innovations are the key to unleashing this mindset change because they have the potential to re-define and re-shape everything – from products and services, to governance, organisations, processes, people, economy, institutions, business and technology. Innovation fulfils needs which cannot be met by conventional products, processes and institutional forms and can have a significant impact in terms of social and economic value. Innovation is all about change and related opportunities to improve access, affordability, sustainability, efficiency, productivity and competitiveness.”


On 11th November this week, National Youth Readership Survey 2009 sponsored by National Book Trust, India and conducted by National Council of Applied Economic Research with collaboration of ‘Nelson Research’ was released. In the era of fast changing world, youth as human capital has the ability to modify itself and other inputs. In 2020, an average Indian is expected to be only 29 years old, as against 37 years in China and the US, 45 years in West Europe and 48 years in Japan. While developed world is observing the higher rate of ageing, India will have 47 Million more people in the working age group population by 2020. In order to reap the benefits of this "demographic dividend" it is necessary that the knowledge and skill levels of our young population need to be at international standard. Objectives of the Study:

• To prepare a detailed demographic profile of Indian youth according to sex, age, level of education, occupation and other socio-economic characteristics;
•  To study the usage pattern of various information sources both print and electronic media in terms of accessibility, frequency, time spent, place of exposure, etc;
•  To comprehend/assess the readership status, reading habits and preferences, with particular reference to voluntary leisure reading among the youth;
•  To identify and assess the role of motivational factors that influence reading habits and preferences;
•  To understand the purpose behind and attitude towards reading among the youth and know how the two attributes shape their aspirations, perceptions and attainments; To ascertain the extent of awareness, interest and informedness among the youth about the various youth developmental programs; and to understand youth perception on important social and developmental issues;
•  To study the aspirations and perceptions of the youth, their role in nation-building activities and their satisfaction levels and the challenges ahead;
•  To assess the level of awareness about NBT initiatives towards creating a strong culture of reading and motivating the youth to become enthusiastic readers and also to know the youth perception in this endeavour.

Research Questions were:

• How often, how much and what Youth read?
•  What are the types of reading materials used?
•  What are their reading preferences and interests with regard to the reading subject matter? 
•  What are their purposes and motivations for reading?
•  Do they read to acquire new skill and knowledge or to improve their present ones?
•  What are their opinions and attitudes towards reading as a pastime activity?
•  Does other sources of information (TV, Computer) affects reading habits? Reading and Reading Habits

Reading is the art of interpreting printed and written words. Reading is one of the most effective means of systematic development of language and the personality. Reading habits of youth have been a matter of much interesting educator, parents, publishers, librarians and other stakeholders. Reading interests and reading habits is a life-long process which begins in the home, improves systematically in the school and is carried on in later life depending on individual’s social role and positioning. What is Readership Research? Readership research is a scientific process in which readers’ perceptions, attitudes, satisfaction, and expectations about a publication are quantitatively collected and analyzed for better decision making and offering of the publication. Strong culture of reading and motivation is certainly equip youth to develop and maximize their potential to the fullest since reading is the one of most effective means of systematic development of the personality. In this context, National Book Trust (NBT), on its Golden Jubilee celebrations conducted a “National Action Plan for the Readership Development among the Youth (NAPRDY).

The 21st century is truly the era of the “learning society.- continuous learning is necessary if economic development is to be ensured. Progress in science and technology is happening at such a pace that conventional or class room education is no longer sufficient. The young people today need to read more than their forbears to fulfil their obligation as responsible citizens as well as to meet their personal and social objectives. The country can compete with the developed countries only if creates a strong culture of reading among its youth. Without a regular reading habit, advantages accruing from literacy or what is learnt in school may be quickly frittered away. Therefore it is high time that our educators think in terms of imparting what is known as “life-long education or life-long self education”. Globally reading is on decline, leading to widespread erosion of comprehension skills even in developed countries. There is an urgent need to reduce the missing link between literacy and library. It is possible by providing books to the people rather than waiting for the people to come to the books, providing books to people which are easy enough for people to enjoy and the continuously investing in the ongoing programes like Right to Education.

On 12th November this week, Thomson Reuters Innovation Awards for India were given by National Innovation Council Chairman Dr. Sam Pitroda. The winners from were Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL), Ranbaxy Laboratories, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the National Institute of Immunology (NII). Speaking at this occasion Dr. Pitroda urged to think towards new vistas of questioning the traditional mindset. He narrated different initiatives taken by National Innovation Council (NIC) to identify the drivers of the innovation. This work which will be based on the previous 300 recommendations of National Knowledge Commission will strive to make India, not only a Innovation Driven Business hub, economy but also Governance, Education System, Agriculture, Health Research and to a larger extent nature of society. Dr. Pitroda emphasised on changing our whole mindset as a nation. He said, “We’re living in the 21st-century knowledge economy; but our schools, our homes, and our culture are still based around 20th-century and in some cases 19th-century expectations. We have 19th century mindset, 20th century processes and 21st century problems.”


NIC will provide a broader PLATFORM for Innovations everywhere to include: Products, Services, Organisations & Institutions, Processes, Research and Development, Science & Technology, Governance, Social and Cultural, Mindset and National/ State/ Sectoral Councils. NIC will focus on KEY DRIVERS: Multidisciplinary, Collaborative, Transformative, Generational Change vs. Incremental Change, Durable vs. Disposable, Need vs. Demand, Nature as Nurture Locally Relevant, Globally Connected & Competitive and Focus at the Edge. NIC will expand Space for Discourse on Innovation in the country by: Discussions, Debates Seminars, Conferences, Best Practices, Alternative Dialogue, Re-thinking, New Ideas Media and Innovation Portal. NIC will facilitate the creation of necessary ECO-SYSTEMS through: Incentives & Awards, Innovation clusters at universities, Innovative business clusters, Innovation in MSMEs, Organisational Autonomy & Flexibility, Policies & Programmes, New Institutions & Infrastructure, Risk/ Venture Capital, Intellectual Property/ Patents and Web & ICT as tools. NIC will encourage Innovations for INCLUSION aimed at the Bottom of the Pyramid through: Awareness, Access, Affordability, Availability, Scalability, Sustainability, Quality, Pervasive Growth, and Innovations for/ by the people, Innovations for the Bottom of the Pyramid.

The NIC aims to re-define innovations to go beyond formal R&D parameters; facilitate innovative solutions that lead to inclusive growth for the people and by the people; foster an innovation eco-system across domains and sectors to strengthen entrepreneurship; focus on key drivers to ensure sustainability, durability and quality and expand the space for dialogue and discourse on innovation. NIC will also be involved in facilitating State level and sectoral innovations. This will create an eco-system to boost innovation performance in the country. Creating a framework for evolving an Indian model of innovation, with focus on inclusive growth, to delineate policy initiatives within the Government, required to spur innovation, to develop and champion innovation attitudes and approaches, to create appropriate eco-systems and environment to foster inclusive innovation, to explore new strategies and alternatives for innovations and collaborations, to identify ways and means to scale and sustain innovations, to encourage Central and State Governments to innovate, to encourage universities and R&D institutions to innovate, to facilitate innovations by SMEs, to encourage all important sectors of the economy to innovate, to encourage innovation in public service delivery and to encourage multi-disciplinary and globally competitive approaches for innovations.


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Honey Bee: Piling the Stones that Fell Afar !!

"There's a moral we may gather
From the busy bee for all,
Gather food stuff in the summer,
And protect it in the fall. "

---Nettie Sutton



Shodhyatra of ideas, novelty and creativity has been the mantra of the people who struggle to overcome the problems in their daily lives by very small incremental improvements in their approach towards life. A very small shift in the perspective may yield enormous returns in terms of efficiency, profit and satisfaction due to enhanced quality. Where does this motivation for proactive enhancement comes from? Some people call this motivation as 'intrinsic', some call this as induced due to circumstances. Even if this motivation is intrinsic why do not all people have this motivation? This is one of the questions being thought over under the research being lead by Hemant, a Ph.D. scholar in Centre for Studies in Science Policy in JNU. He was recently in Dhemaji district of Assam as a part of Shodhyatra organised by National Innovation Foundation and 'Srishti'. Understanding Motivation, Collaboration and Linkages for Grassroot Innovation Systems in India has been his passion of research.


Rashtrapati Bhavan is hosting the exhibition (10-14 March) of grassroot innovations which were identified, augmented and protected by the help of National Innovation Foundation. Honey Bee believes that "the prevalent mode of knowledge extraction from people, and dissemination among them, were non-sustainable. Knowledge has been extracted, documented without any acknowledgment to the source of knowledge for feedback. These practices have impoverished the knowledge holders by pushing them further down in the oblivion, but also have hampered the growth of an informal knowledge system, that is robust in nurturing creativity."



How to understand innovation from the perspective of a person working in the field, working in factory, in remote areas, in rural areas or in any region crippled with resources, finances, technical inputs and expert guidance. HoneyBee is confident that it is a metaphor indicating ethical as well as professional values, which most of us seldom practice. A honey bee does two things that we intellectuals, often don’t do. It collects pollen from the flowers and flowers don’t complain and it connects flower to flower through pollination. Similarly Honey Bee feels that their innovative and ethical approach to knowledge extraction, their sincere attempt to build up people to people communication and their commitment to let reasonable benefit be shared with the knowledge holders, qualifies them to identify themselves with the great metaphor of Honey Bee.



Everett M. Rogers in his book 'DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS' (The Free Press, 1983) explain to us about basics of innovation, it`s diffusion and it`s mechanism. He says, "Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system. It is a special type of communication, in that the messages are concerned with new ideas. Communication is a process in which participants create and share information with one another in order to reach a mutual understanding. This definition implies that communication is a process of convergence (or divergence) as two or more individuals
exchange information in order to move toward each other (or apart) in the meanings that they ascribe to certain events."

Rogers narrates characteristics of the innovation from the individual perspective. These are:

1. Relative advantage: It is the degree to which an innovation is perceived as better than the idea it supersedes. The degree of relative advantage may be measured in economic terms, but social-prestige factors, convenience, and satisfaction are also often important components.

2. Compatibility: It is the degree to which an innovation is perceived as being consistent with the existing values, past experiences, and needs of potential adopters.

3. Complexity: It is the degree to which an innovation is perceived as difficult to understand and use. Some innovations are readily understood by most members of a social system; others are more complicated and will be adopted more slowly.

4. Trialability: It is the degree to which an innovation may be experimented with on a limited basis. New ideas that can be tried on the installment plan will generally be adopted more quickly than innovations that are not divisible.

5. Observability: It is the degree to which the results of an innovation are visible to others. The easier it is for individuals to see the results of an innovation, the more likely they are to adopt.



Rogers unpacked other aspect of the process of diffusion of innovation. About communication channels he says that, "The essence of the diffusion process is the information exchange by which one individual communicates a new idea to one or several others. This process involves: (1)an innovation, (2) an individual or other unit of adoption that has knowledge of, or experience with using, the innovation, (3) another individual or other unit that does not yet have knowledge of the innovation, and (4) a communication channel connecting the two units. While classifying this he envisages broad category of innovators or adopters which are: (1) innovators, (2) early adopters, (3) early majority, (4) late majority, and (5) laggards.


It will be a daring statement to say that innovators I visited at the exhibition at Mughal Gardens were just like us. But they were more disempowered than us in terms of access of information, channel of finances and reach to the institutions recognizing novelty in their ideas. If we see the list of award winners some of whom presented their inventions, we would be able to reflect on the challenges they are tackling. Consider an invention by Susant from Bhubaneswar whose super Brain Modulator is a device by which a completely blind, deaf and disabled person can do all types of work as a normal human being can do and that via breathing. The project helps blind, deaf and dumb disabled person to do day to day work via breathing. 'Super Brain Modulator' received first prize by NIF for year 2009. Through this technology disabled persons can operate the electrical and electronic appliances. They can also communicate with others about their basic requirements in daily life.

In another invention, an automatic asu machine developed by Mallesham to alleviate the pain of his mother. To increase the speed of weaving spin a traditional Pochampalli silk sari, he greatly enhanced the yarn weaving efficiency of hand winding devise to help his mother to make asu for eight sarees per day compared to previous number of two.

A. Muruganantham has developed a mini sanitary napkin making machine by which it is possible to prepare low cost sanitary napkins. The novelty of this invention lies in integration of well known equipments like mixi (defibration), core forming process and naturally operated electric sealing unit to cut down the cost of production.


Yusuf Khan developed 'Groundnut Digger cum Separator Machine'. This is low cost, drudgery reducing, tractor driven device which digs out the groundnuts (99%) and separates them from earth. Normally in post harvest season, about 25 % of groundnuts stay beneath the soil which needs to be recovered by manual labour.


Annasaheb Udgavi has developed 'Rain Gun' named Chandraprabha which is low cost sprinkler usable for sprinkling of slurries of 110 feet in agricultural field with alternative nozzles size to suit the requirement. The discharge stream is so thick that it can even wash away pests without physicallt damaging the plants.

The list goes on. Many of the inventions like these have been patented by NIF with the inventor`s accent to help inventor to commercialization those. Like on inventor told before patenting he could sell only 50 odd pieces to customers. But after NIF came to his help to patent his invention upto now he has able to sell 1000 pieces of his invention.


Finally let me attract your attention towards what Anil Gupta, a brain behind NIF says in editorial of Honey Bee vol 20(3) of July-Sept. 09. He says, " The game stone piler is a metaphor for building knowledge networks. Every volunteer, scientist, entrepreneur contribute to the network provide the stones to be piled. There are always forces, which disintegrate and delay the building of network, or piling of stones. But without such forces , those who gather courage to rebuild the broken links or forge new piles perhaps will not enjoy their contribution." In short, Prof. Gupta asserts that nectar of innovations will not emerge if these forces did not act. The challenge is to use these forces creatively and constructively.


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