Have you heard about a water ATM? How about a motorcycle helmet that keeps you cool in the height of summer? Are these things even possible? The answer is a resounding "Yes!" They are innovative products that have been made in India, for India. Jaswinder Ahuja, Cadence India Managing Director, mentioned these and many more examples during his keynote talk at Aavaahn 2018, the 2 nd National Institutes Students’ Meet held recently at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. The event featured many eminent personalities who came together to interact with young minds from India’s premier institutions around the themes of Make for India, Serve India, and Live for India. Jaswinder drew on his vast experience of over 30 years in the Indian semiconductor industry, during which time he has mentored incubators and India-centric start-ups, to “tickle [the audience’s] imaginations” and share his perspective about the kinds of innovations that could build a better India. Here are some highlights from his speech. “A problem is an opportunity looking for a solution” Jaswinder started by saying that an abundance of problems translates to an abundance of opportunities for innovation. But on the flip side, it also creates a conundrum – what is the problem to solve? Often, identifying the “right” problem is the hardest and most important part. Once the problem has been identified, Jaswinder said that being an entrepreneur today has become easier than ever before. There are lower entry barriers. Take just one example – distribution. In the past, entrepreneurs were not able to scale or distribute their products across the length and breadth of the country. Today, thanks to Flipkart, Amazon and other platforms, entrepreneurs have option of building product lines in their backyards and distributing them to customers even in remote areas. The right kind of innovation Jaswinder said that start-up innovation should not be only about profits, but should aim at solving real-world problems for society as well. The two can co-exist. Most global businesses focus their efforts on solving the needs of the richest two billion people of the world—the ones who can afford to buy products priced at $50 and above – so there is tremendous opportunity to address the needs of the remaining 5.6 billion people who need products or services priced at three or five cents. Jaswinder mentioned two Indian marketing innovations from the past that addressed the bottom of the pyramid and turned out to be extremely profitable for their parent companies —the shampoo sachet (introduced by Hindustan Lever, now known as Unilever) and the “Chhota Recharge”, or "small recharge", offered by several telecom operators which allows pre-paid mobile users to add talk time to their phone plans at incremental rates as low as Rs 10. Both of these innovative solutions addressed the aspirations of the masses while also addressing their cash flow issues. Notable innovations revolutionizing India JanaJal Hybrid Water ATM , developed by Pune-based Parag Agarwal, is an excellent example of an innovation that is solving a unique problem for India. It provides access to clean drinking water to a large number of people at minimal cost. Originally developed to benefit the population in rural Maharashtra, the concept is now being used all over India, and has been adopted as a solution for drought-prone countries in Africa. There are several companies setting up water ATMs across India now, even in urban centers. There is a big opportunity in urban mobility and urban transportation, and that’s where electric vehicles/solar comes into the picture. But there are issues with solar, and just one of them is charging (for ex, lack of charging stations, charging time and cost, battery life reduced due to over-charging). Jaswinder gave the example of a company that is enabling smart solar charging solutions for electric rickshaws. It not only enables fast charging but detects the level of charge and automatically stops charging when the charge reaches 90%. It also comes with ATM-type capabilities where charging can be done for a fixed amount of time or money. BluSnap (pictured at right), developed by Bengaluru-based BluArmour, has found an innovative answer for motorbike and scooter drivers battling hot, polluted and dusty Indian roads. Imagine wearing a helmet when the ambient temperature is 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit)! BluSnap is a n innovative wearable cooling device that snaps on to the helmet, filters the air and reduces the temperature inside the helmet by 6-15 degrees Celsius. In the area of renewable energy, while solar is a big opportunity in itself, bio fuels – “waste to wealth”, as it is sometimes called - is another one that is largely untapped. Earlier this year, the National Capital Region was blanketed by a gritty, smoggy haze that turned out to be caused by farmers in the green belt states of Punjab and Haryana burning their crop waste. Imagine if these farmers were able to make some money from harnessing the energy from crop waste instead of burning it. We would be solving a number of problems in one go. On the topic of solar energy, a company called Doorastha Analytics is redefining solar electrification in rural areas. Using prepaid meters, the company is ensuring that cheap, but not free, electricity is being provided to rural India. Jaswinder concluded by saying that the business leaders of tomorrow will be those who solve the real-world problems in a scalable, profitable, and sustainable way.![]()
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