a quarterly journal of KPIT Cummins Infosystems Limited

VOL. 6, ISSUE 2 APR - JUNE 2013

“Smart Innovations” Innovations: Then & Now Impacting Lives Conserving for Tomorrow Connecting the Masses Reusing to Recreate Emerging ‘Bricks’ Reversing the Flow

Colophon TechTalk@KPITCummins is a quarterly journal of Science and Technology published by KPIT Cummins Infosystems Limited, Pune, India.

Guest Editorial Mr. A. Sriniwas Vice President - Vehicle Systems Mahindra & Mahindra Pune, India

Chief Editor Dr. Vinay G. Vaidya CTO-Engineering, VP KPIT Cummins Infosystems Limited, Pune, India [email protected]

Editorial and Review Committee Kanchan Chivate Priti Ranadive Reena Kumari Behera Pranjali Modak Ashay Shah Chaitanya Rajguru Ankita Jain Krishnan Kutty

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Disclaimer The individual authors are solely responsible for infringement, if any. All views expressed in the articles are those of the individual authors and neither the company nor the editorial board either agree or disagree. The information presented here is only for giving an overview of the topic. For Internal Circulation Only TechTalk@KPIT Cummins

Contents Editorial Guest Editorial Mr. A. Sriniwas

2

Editorial Dr. Vinay Vaidya

3

Profile of a Scientist 19

Dr. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar Rakesh Rao

Book Review Reverse Innovation: Create Far from Home, Win Everywhere Mayurika Chatterjee

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Articles Innovations: Then and Now Priti Ranadive

4

Impacting Lives Shilpa Kauthekar and Rajaram Patil

8

Conserving for Tommorrow Ameeta Menon

14

Connecting the Masses

20

Shilpa Dhavale Reusing to Recreate Aditi Athavale

26

Emerging ‘Bricks’

30

Reena Kumari Behera Reversing the Flow

36

Pranjali Modak

TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

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Guest Editorial Dear Friends, “Nothing endures but change” – Heraclitus (535 BC to 435 BC)

Mr. A. Sriniwas Vice President - Vehicle Systems Mahindra & Mahindra Pune, India

As you all are aware change is natural and industry understands the deep rooted meaning entrenched. To survive and grow in business, continual changes to gratify the latent aspirations of the customers is a must. Customers are always inquisitive towards advanced and novel features. The success in harnessing the market potential depends highly on the rate at which an organization can surpass the changing customer expectations continuously. Concept of “Brand Loyalty” is witnessing a declining trend as customers predominantly prefer products based on “VALUE FOR MONEY”. On the other hand increasing aspirations demand products of higher functionalities and features. As a consequence, cost of the product increases leading to reduced market success. So as to stay competitive and sustain in the market, manufacturers need to offer higher value at a lower cost. The weapon to tackle this conflicting need is what I would like to call as “Frugal Innovation”. Amongst the numerous technological achievements from Mahindra which are frugal and innovative, I would like to mention here the path-breaking and revolutionary micro-hybrid technology. Mahindra's Microhybrid technology has been offered at an exceptionally lower price as compared to the offerings at developed countries. Today we have more than 2,00,000 micro-hybrids running on roads leading to a reduced carbon foot print. I would like also to mention that while making the solutions frugal, onus is on the manufacturers to ensure that the robustness is not compromised. I would like to conclude “Frugal without Compromise” is the winning mantra for the future and a simple make shift solution may not sustain in the competitive market. I wish readers all success. Srinivas A

"You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new." -Steve Jobs

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Editorial “Frugal Innovation” is not a newly coined phrase. It is just that in the recent times we have started looking at it with more admiration. Managing within the means leads one to think differently. It also teaches us how to value every little thing that we have. Henry Ford once told his young son to pick up a penny and said, “You never know how useful it would be to you”, thus teaching him the value of things no matter how small they are. Often the word frugal makes one believe that it is 'cheap'. The right way to convey true meaning of 'frugal innovation' is to recognize it as the cost effective, affordable, and creative solution. One can sum it up and call it a 'smart innovation'.

Dr. Vinay G. Vaidya CTO - Engineering, VP KPIT Cummins Infosystems Limited, Pune, India

Today the times have changed. From ignoring the masses at the “bottom of the pyramid”, we have now come to understand that there is fortune hidden there. From driving gas-guzzlers in a carefree manner, we have come to a firm belief that fuel economy is the mantra of today as well as tomorrow. From designing everything only for the advanced economies and selling the same designs in low-income countries, we have now started redesigning for the emerging markets and taking those smart designs back to the advanced economies. From the world economy being controlled by the advanced nations, we are now in an era where the emerging markets are playing a major role in controlling the global economy. Globally 4 billion people live on less than $2.5 per day. It is not just about making food, clothing, and shelter available to them but it is also about communication, transportation, and health care availability. Let us look at the problem of communication for the masses. Mobile communication has done wonders. While bringing the masses together the communication industry has truly realized the fortune hidden under the bottom of the pyramid. Transportation sector has major challenges. With fuel prices rising, one has to develop fuelefficient vehicles. To bring pollution under control, these vehicles have to reduce emissions. To make it affordable to the masses, it has to be a low cost solution. Over the past few years, KPIT has been carrying out research on hybrid vehicles. It has resulted in a plug in hybrid solution that effectively increases fuel efficiency by 35%, reduces greenhouse gases by 30%, and it can be retrofitted at an affordable cost. The solution is called Revolo. It has won multiple global awards including Knowledge@Wharton innovation tournament and Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award. From health care perspective, GE's MAC ECG machine is a classic example. The cost of the machine dramatically reduced to $500 after redesigning in India. Affordability and thus availability of these machines increased in villages. The same designs were sold back in the western countries thus starting a new era of reverse innovation. The impact of smart innovation is being felt in every area. For example, energy saving is at the core of every new consumer electronic equipment. Every TV, air conditioner, refrigerator, washing machine, and laptop display comes up with an energy consumption sticker. Today, one can only go so far by differentiating based on quality and durability since every competitor has more or less the same durability and quality. Thus, what matters at the end is the cost. Controlling the costs requires innovation right from the product design phase through production and delivery. Every industry is run differently now than 25 to 50 years ago. Competition in every business is growing. Profits are shrinking and the costs are rising. Thus, one has to be creative to stay and grow in business. Venturing into emerging markets is another ball game. Consumers in emerging markets are very cost conscious. The same is now true for advanced countries since the life style of living on borrowed money is slowly changing. Today, the world economies are less controlled by the giants of the past than by the emerging nations. Historically these emerging nations always had to manage with less thus making frugal living common amongst masses. This frugal living has led to smart innovations when it comes to product designs. We are indeed living in an exciting era in which smart innovations are shaping our future; the future that will be more sustainable, all inclusive, and the one that would take care of the planet earth.

Please send your feedback to : [email protected]

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Innovations: Then and Now About the Author Priti Randive CREST, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest OS, RTOS, Parallel Computing, Embedded Systems and TRIZ

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I. Introduction

cooking oil. The husk of the coconut fruit is

Most of us who have seen the movie “Life of

used for cleaning dishes; it is also used as coir

Pi” would agree that the movie is all about

for making mats and ropes. People earn their

survival. The protagonist Pi is confused about

bread and butter by making decorative

which religion to follow but when it comes to

artwork using the coconut shell. They also use

survival, he finds his own ways to do so. What I

coconut trees as roofing and ribs to make

liked most about this movie was Pi uses

brooms. No wonder the coconut tree in India is

whatever is available to him of the wrecked

called the “Kalpavruksha” meaning a divine

ship. He uses his available resources to make

tree fulfilling all wishes.

a fishing rod, uses the whistle he has to tame the tiger. Now that is what we can call frugal living or innovation. Frugal innovation may be any out-of-the-box or common sense solution to solve a complex engineering problem or any problem in our daily lives. Today the word frugal innovation is being used so commonly that it creates a larger than life

Figure 1: Kalpavruksha

image of for what it is actually intended. A general search on Google with these terms would show up surprisingly innovative products that have been created and more so that most of these innovations have happened in India. So, what is so special about Indians that makes them do this? No prizes for guessing that in India a huge population and limited resources have made Indians re-do or re-engineer most of the products to make them low cost while still delivering their value or intent. This leads us to think that like all inventions, frugal innovation was also born out of necessity.

II. How did it start? If we look back in history or even today, in India, in many remote places or villages, people live on whatever is available in abundance around them. One very good example is of people living in the coastal areas of India. Here one would find coconut trees in abundance and hence most of the people living there make use of various parts of the coconut tree in different ways. For example, the milk of the coconut fruit is used for cooking and coconut water is a good way to re-hydrate. Coconut meat is used as a substitute for

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While in the above example we saw how Indians in the villages exploit natural resources for frugal living, the next example is about supercomputers . In the 80's, U.S. had enforced a technology restriction fearing that the supercomputer may be used by India for its missiles and nuclear development programs [1]. Thus in 1988, India started a program to develop its first indigenous supercomputer. With no prior expertise or experience in this technology, a group of scientists set off to build a supercomputer. In 1990, a prototype of a 'Made in India' supercomputer was benchmarked at Zurich Supercomputing Show and it performed better than most other systems. This placed India second after the U.S. as a supercomputing power. In 1991, finally the “ PA R A M ” ( m e a n i n g “ S u p r e m e ” ) supercomputer was installed. In these three years, India not only gained tremendous knowledge about building a supercomputer indigenously, but also resolved the dependencies on other nations and resources. Thus, the necessity of having a supercomputer led India to build one with a frugal budget of INR 34 crore or approximately

$20 million in 3 years, which was

benefitted students and entrepreneurs to

approximately the cost of the CRAY computer

implement their designs and ideas to build

in the US during that period.

innovative products. The second global example is about the cloudcomputing model. Though here we are talking of some resources that are made available, the important aspect in this model is the low cost involved and cost based on usage or availability. Many organizations today use cloud computing that share infrastructure and services.

Figure 2: PARAM Supercomputer

III. Where are we today? Over the past decade, the importance of frugal innovation has increased and many such innovative initiatives are being led globally. While you would read about many such examples in other parts of this issue, in this article we would particularly discuss two global examples. One is on the open source initiative and the other on cloud computing. Open source is a methodology that encourages free access and redistribution of any product's implementation details. Today open source software and hardware [2] have both made it big. Open source software gained popularity when there was a massive need for retooling in the software industry [3].Many small organizations cannot afford to have costly licensed software. They come up with their products by using what is available from the open source community. This approach not only saves cost but also the time to implement and bring a product to market.

Figure 3: Cloud Computing

IV. Conclusion Frugal innovation has been a part of our daily living since olden times. Frugal innovation is not limited to engineering designs. Some of the examples discussed in this article show how frugal innovation can work as a business model or help people live their daily lives. Every frugal innovation is born out of a necessity and constraint of resources. The major learning from all these examples is the empowerment that frugal innovations bring to the end users.

The open source model in itself is an example

Refernces

of frugal innovation in software. Similar to the

[1] Janne E. Nolan“Global Engagement: Cooperation and security in the 21st century” published by Brookings Institution Press, 1994. [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source_ hardware#cite_note-10- last accessed on 20th March 2013 [3] Steve Weber, “The Success of Open Source”, Harvard University Press, 2009 [4] http://web.archive.org/web/20091105185812/ http://linuxfund.org/projects/ogd1/ - last accessed on 20th March 2013

open source software, open source hardware (OSH) [4] is also gaining popularity. OSH makes it possible to share hardware designs in the form of mechanical drawings, PCB layouts, circuit diagrams, and detailed list of components. Since the use of FPGA based designs have increased, the OSH concept is gaining importance. This OSH has definitely

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TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

Impacting Lives About the Authors Shilpa Kauthekar KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest Embedded & Control Systems

Rajaram Patil KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest Product Design & Mechanical Engineering

TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

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I. Introduction

from the health-care sector to know how frugal

Michael Porter once said, “Innovation is the

innovation is able to reach the masses and do

central issue in economic prosperity”. This

more with less resources.

clearly signifies that innovation makes money.

II. The Jaipur Foot

Recent innovations from Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg have changed the whole perspective of the IT world. The future prosperity of any country depends on its ability to generate new ideas, processes and solutions through which knowledge can be utilized for helpful social and economic prosperity. The economy of any country and the current

Several years ago a very interesting movie “Nache Mayuri” was made. This movie depicted the real life story of a promising Indian classical dancer Ms. Sudha Chandran. Ms. Chandran had lost her limb in a road accident and had given up any hope of being able to dance ever again in her life. But a path breaking invention by an extremely talented Indian came to her rescue and she could relive

market situation are the two main driving

her dream of dancing on stage again. This was

factors that make us think about Frugal

the “Jaipur Foot” which made her stand on her

Innovation that is beneficial to the population

own feet again, without crutches, and live her

at large in any country. Economic conditions

life with dignity.

suggest that putting money in big amounts in research may not be always the perfect solution which can solve the issues at grass root level. What is perhaps needed most of the times is “Frugal Innovation”. The word 'Frugal' means finding creative ways to do more with less. Cost is the crucial factor which gives a real sense to the concept of “Frugal”. The global economy, as we all know, is in recession. Asian economies too are struggling to achieve the expected GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Employment is declining in many countries. All these factors are conducive to frugal innovations where the product that people will tend to buy should most importantly be cost effective apart from being robust, reliable & efficient. Hence, frugal innovation is going to play a major role in materializing this.

Many of us may not know the importance of the Jaipur foot. It looks just as an artificial limb, but it's not as simple as that. It has helped many people earn their bread and butter with dignity especially those, who have lost their limb in IED/ mines blast in Naxal infested states of India and Afghanistan. Before going into the intricacies of Jaipur foot (prosthetic limb), let us see the reasons and need for it. India, one of the biggest and fastest growing countries, is withstanding the worst of new age problems that are already faced by developed countries These include road accidents, life style diseases like diabetes and related problems. These diseases may sometimes result in poor blood supply to lower limb leading to gangrene etc. This may result in morbidity in the form of limb amputations. Available studies show that lower limb

One of the salient features of frugal innovation

amputations account for up to 90% of total

is that it ensures that economically challenged

amputations.

people will be able to have the privilege of procuring features or services. This will also ensure bringing in the required balance with respect to available facilities. In this article, we will discuss a few examples

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One of the most reliable, inexpensive and comfortable solutions to many of the amputees of lower limb is the Jaipur foot also known as the Jaipur Leg. This was developed in 1968 and is a rubber-based

prosthetic leg for people with below-knee

foot has become available throughout India

amputations. The prosthetic foot in the U.S.

and 18 other countries.

averages $8,000. The Jaipur Foot is tailored to

B. Advantages

the active life styles of the poor and costs only about $45 and it is given away free to many poor handicapped people.[2]

The main feature of the Jaipur Foot is that it does not require any shoe, i.e., amputees can walk barefoot. It is made of waterproof

The idea of making the Jaipur foot was first conceived by Mr. Ram Chander Sharma a.k.aMasterji, who designed and developed the prosthetic foot and limb, under the guidance of Dr. P.K. Sethi. who was the Head of the Dept. of Orthopedics at S.M.S. Medical College at that time.

A. Overview

material enabling amputees to walk in wet and muddy fields. It permits enough dorsi-flexion (essential for squatting, standing up from prone position, etc.) and other movements necessary to adapt itself while walking on uneven surfaces. It is one of the most costeffective foot-pieces available in the world and is light in weight.

This innovation was designed in and named

The Jaipur foot is better in comparison to its

after the city of Jaipur in India. The main

Solid Ankle Cushion Heel counterpart in ways,

concept behind this prosthetic leg was to

primarily in terms of the range of activities,

make it inexpensive, easy and quick to fit and

water resistance, span of life and cost. These

manufacture, and be water-resistant. Masterji

features help a physically challenged person

first created a foot of vulcanized rubber hinged

absorb more easily in a semi-urban - rural

to a wooden limb. After that he continuously

setup in the Indian subcontinent and other

improved the design and the material

developing countries. Although inferior in

selection for this. Today the Jaipur Foot is

many ways to the composite carbon fiber

made of polyurethane, which is the new

variants, its variable applicability and cost

material used in the production of the

efficiency make it an acceptable choice for

prostheses. This increased the robustness of

prosthesis.

the leg. Its essence has however remained:

The manufacturing and fitting time required is

ease and speed of fabrication, lightness in

comparatively lower.

weight (weighing approx. 850 Gm), low cost

C. Future

and suitability for working people.

Today, the Jaipur Foot comes with several changes in the design and manufacturing of lower limb prostheses to keep tempo with the increased understanding of bio-mechanics. Also, advances in material technology have put less challenge on the design. At present, the Jaipur foot is being hand-designed but this also raises the issues of consistency and its impact on quality and reliability. To overcome

Figure 1: Jaipur foot design ([3] Source:http://www.jaipurfoot.org/ ) Between 1968 and 1975, approximately 50 limbs were fitted. However, since 1975, over 300,000 limbs have been fitted. As a result, India has become the world leader in practical,

some of these issues, an agreement has been signed with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) who invented polyurethane technology. This technology will reduce the foot cost by 40% and weight by 60%.

low-cost foot prosthesis. Moreover, the Jaipur TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

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III. Arvind Eye Hospital

Apart from being very productive and efficient

Statistics show that cataract is one of the major causes of blindness in the world. In the rural areas, where timely medical attention may not be easy, it is very easy for this problem to go unnoticed till it is too late. In a developing country like India, this is a cause of major concern.

in the operation theater, there are many other reasons for its success. Usually in any eye care system, the cost of the doctors and facilities is exorbitant. Arvind Management however has managed to lower the above cost by being process oriented and using the best facilities available. Arvind also manufactures its own lenses and ophthalmic consumables.

To counter this, the Indian Government

The hospital management is pushing to create

launched a national cataract control program

innovations to reduce the cost.

which has succeeded in lowering the

This hospital conducts eye care camps. Such

prevalence of blindness from 1.49% to 0.3 %.

eye care camps help people diagnose the

However, one hospital, which brought about a

reason and take treatment in initial phase of

revolutionary change in the way it handled

disease.

cataract surgeries is the Aravind Eye Hospital.

All this has made a tremendous impact on the

Dr Govindappa Venkataswamy, who started

society. Eye care and surgeries are now

this hospital in 1976, realized that poor people

affordable to each element of the society

from rural areas, who needed this surgery, were the ones who kept away from such hospitals as they faced challenges like lodging during surgery, food and transport. To reach out to the masses that were in dire need of these surgeries, Dr Venkataswamy came up with a very simple innovative model. They defined a few processes that in turn created affordable services to all. The doctors in these clinics sit between two operating

Figure 2: Productivity Improvement

tables; when one doctor is finished with one patient, he simply turns around towards the other patient who is already draped and ready for surgery. Thus, they are able to save time between two surgeries. This process has also made the surgeons extremely productive. Figure 1 below shows the productivity improvement achieved with

the simple

innovative model of performing surgeries. The average cost of the Cataract surgery has also reduced drastically. About 200,000 surgeries happen in this hospital every year. They have optimized and defined processes in such a way that this surgery is affordable to everyone. Figure 2 shows the comparative

Figure 3: Comparison of number of eye surgeries performed and cost of surgeries

IV. Home Based Neonatal Care Model: Most of us are lucky enough to come from a good social background where we shower our little ones with care throughout their lives. However, have we ever thought of those babies who do not have the luxury of vaccinations, proper and timely nutrition, and good pediatric care? Infant mortality rate all

cost of delivering eye care along with the

over the world is growing day by day. This is

number of eye surgeries performed each year.

especially true in the developing nations

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where neonatal care is not easily accessible to

especially those living in the remotest

the less privileged.

villages.For starters, the lack of transport to

One couple who has brought about a

reach the nearest hospital was the first

revolution in healthcare for the poor and

obstacle. Add to that, the high cost of

downtrodden in some of the remotest villages

treatment. These two were formidable factors

in India is Dr Abhay and Rani Bang. After

that kept the sick babies away. Change was

completing their MBBS and subsequent MS

definitely needed and Dr Abhay and Rani

from one of the reputed universities in

Bang were quick to realize it.

America, they returned to India to serve their

The couple's untiring efforts have resulted in

fellow Indians.

reducing the infant mortality rate to 50% in the villages that they work in.This program is now so popular that other countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and parts of Africa are also adopting the same.

V. Conclusion As discussed in above examples, it is clear that the social impact of frugal innovation in health care industries huge. The growing Figure 4 -Dr. Bang with abacus device for neo-natal care Together they have founded SEARCH, a nonprofit organization whose main aim is to address health-care issues. They have been successful in reducing the infant mortality rate by a simple principle; train the women in these remote villages in neo natal care. Dr Bang found that the main cause of death in infants was pneumonia. To fight this, they came up with the Home Based Neonatal Care (HBNC) model. The women from the village learnt how to diagnose / detect this deadly disease early on. This was done using an abacus to count baby breaths. They were also taught how to resuscitate children and in the event that the baby was sick, how to administer some basic antibiotics. These trained health visitors went to houses where they were most needed. Precious time was not lost in walking to the nearest hospitals. All that these women carried with them was a small health pack. Dr Bang thus 'empowered' and 'armed' more and more women who in turn passed on their knowledge to others. Of course, the road for this couple has not been easy. It was tough to fight the traditional non-governmental healthcare that was the norm for decades. But it was obvious that this system was not working for everyone

population in the developing countries and the subsequent problems associated with it are a big challenge. It is time to break away from the traditional way of dealing with diseases and go frugal. The Jaipur foot, Arvind eye hospital and Dr Bang's ideas are some of the examples of how any complex problem can be resolved with a simple solution. Thus, innovation has much to offer to the developing world, but the key is to be driven by the needs of the common people.

References [1] Jaipur foot official website: http://www.jaipurfoot.org/ - last accessed on 20th March 2013 [2] Arvind eye care system official website: http://www.aravind.org/clinics/hospitals.aspx last accessed on 20th March 2013 [3] “About 70 per cent Indians live in rural areas: Census report” –THE HINDU news, 15th July 2011 http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2230211.ece last accessed on 13th March 2013 [4]Tracey Vickers, “Driving down the cost of high Quality care, Lessons from the Arvind eye care system”, Health International 2011, Number 11 [5] Home based neonatal care official website: http://www.searchgadchiroli.org/brochure%20publication. htm – last accessed on 20th March 2013

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Conserving for Tommorrow About the Author Ameeta Menon Head of CREST, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest Art of Writing, Holistic Healing Techniques, Art and Painting, World and Hindustani Classical Music & Spirituality

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I. Introduction

provides solar energy at very low prices to

The human race is a race of survivors. Over

over 125,000 households in remote Indian

millennia, it has adapted, improvised, and

villages, exposing the myth that poor people

repeatedly survived catastrophe. Each time it

cannot afford clean technology. This

faced a calamity, whether natural or

technology has helped replace the use of

manmade, it has struggled in many ways to

hundreds of thousands of kerosene lamps,

overcome it. However, over the years, in

which in comparison were found to be

wrestling with problems such as feeding and

relatively expensive, messy and inefficient

housing itself, it has weakened the very Earth

systems.

from which it has drawn sustenance, thanks to its greed and suicidal shortsightedness. However, it would appear that all is not lost, not yet anyways. We still have a fair to middling chance at redeeming ourselves. We have learnt painful lessons and many of us have realized the futility of thoughtless consumption. There is a renewed sense of purpose in finding ways and means to improve our lives without denuding the Earth of its precious resources. Today, the lack of resources or the fear of losing it, is driving

Figure 1: A SELCO technician installing solar panels. Photo courtesy SELCO

people, corporations, and governments to find

Another example is that of a washing-cum-

ways to create products, services and

exercise machine, hand operated water-lifting

systems that are easy to buy, easy to use and

device, portable smokeless stoves and solar

easy to recycle. Many promoters have been

mosquito repellants. These are products that

successful in developing lucrative skills and

have been created by entrepreneurs in India.

created remarkable products in many 'developing' countries, in spite of the shortage

Increasingly, this collective science and

of means.

technology capability is seen as an important source of competitive advantage for

The approach to adapt, improvise, and

developing countries and an opportunity to

overcome is the basic requirement for any

build sustainable partnerships with countries

living being's survival. It may (or may not)

in the west, which are facing economic

surprise you to know that this is the credo by

difficulties. It is also seen as the key to the

which, one of the most successful fighting

mitigation of environmental pollution and

forces in the world, namely, the U.S. Marines,

sustenance of the Earth's precious resources.

lives by. It is this creative attitude that enables

For instance, in Punjab, India, two PepsiCo

people to find opportunities in tough situations

employees developed a novel idea with

and create viable solutions through the

remarkable renewability credentials. They

efficient use of resources that are limited.

initiated a new method for growing rice.

Such improvisation across emerging markets

Conventionally, young rice saplings are

has led to the realization of low priced,

transplanted to fields from a nursery. The

minimalistic, innovative solutions, popularly

fields are then inundated to hinder the growth

termed 'frugal innovations'.

of weeds. The new direct seeding method they

A good example of this is SELCO, which

introduced cut labour needs by half, saving 30% of the water requirement and reducing

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TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

carbon emissions by 70% – yet keeping the yield and quality.

Acumen Fund, a nonprofit Venture Capital Company, believes there are opportunities in the affluent markets to consider how services

A major challenge in India is reducing the

can be delivered uniquely.

water required for rice cultivation; it accounts for 40% of the country's total usage. PepsiCo

Many Western counterparts are beginning to

India has cut down on water utilization

use this thought methodology to develop new

considerably by using direct seeding.

and cost effective solutions. Arup's (a multinational headquartered in the UK)

To come up with new manufacturing methods

Zimbabwe office designed a turbine extractor

and viable business solutions and not just

that uses wind rather than electricity to power

revamp its design is an integral part of Frugal

building ventilation. The wind-tunnel testing

Innovation. To increase sales companies

was accomplished by fitting the system on the

need to control overheads and accept

rear of a pickup truck and driving round a race

reduced profit margins.

track . The company refers to this as “innovation blowback”—that means using

Ramón Mendiola Sánchez is an example of

solutions that come from developing

the above. He is the CEO of Florida Ice & Farm

countries.

Co., a large food and beverage producer and

innovation.

This is also termed as reverse

distributor in Costa Rica. He introduced an appraisal system that helped his company to

A good example of the use of frugal innovation

reduce the consumption of natural resources

is the case of “Vortex Engineering,” which

such as water while delivering more value to

wanted to increase the level of economic

the customers and stakeholders. Under his

inclusion across rural India. To make this

able leadership, Florida Ice & Farm has

possible they worked to find a solution to

reduced the amount of water it requires to

overcome the difficult power situation that is a

produce a litre of beverage from 12 litres to 4.9

common challenge in rural India. They built an

and aims to further reduce it to 3.5 litres soon.

ATM with a solar panel that consumes very less power. In fact a normal ATM machine

The company achieved an annual growth rate

would use 20 times more power than the one

of 25 percent between 2006 and 2010–twice

built by Vortex Engineering. Not only do these

the industry average. Mr. Sanchez comments

machines have lower operating costs, but also

''By using incentives, we motivate our

the capital spent is approximately a third of the

employees at every level to be creative and

cost of the standard ATM's.

invent frugal and sustainable ways to deliver significantly more value to all our

Low cost does not necessarily mean a lack of

stakeholders, using far fewer natural

skill or knowhow. A mix of low and high

resources–while saving substantial amounts

technology can bring about remarkable

of money for our company.''

solutions. In Ladakh, farmers grow fresh vegetables in sub zero climates, thanks to a

Small companies can use Frugal as much as

pioneering conservatory designed by local

by the large. The blueprint can help small firms

NGOs in partnership with the French

make that change in developing nations.

organization “GERES.” These Ashden Award-

However, the current resources might make

winning conservatories use traditional earth

some of these models difficult to blend into an

and straw insulation coupled with specially

established economy. Mr. Raj Kundra from

d e v e l o p e d U V- r e s i s t a n t h e a v y - d u t y polythene. TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

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References: 1. Image Reference: Selco Solar Panel –Global Envision.Org.Article written by Ben Osborne,Oct 4,2011India, SELCO blazes social trails to bring power to the people 2. Arup Reference: Director –Innovation-Plain and Simple by David Woodward http://www.director.co.uk/ONLINE/2011/08_11_frugalinnovation.html 3. Our Frugal Future: Nesta :http://www.nesta.org.uk/library/documents/OurFrugFutur e.pdf 4. Green Future Magazine-The Fruits of Frugal Innovation: Feb 1,2013 5. Reference to Ramon Sanchez:http://www.fastcompany.com/1838214/3lessons-corporate-frugality-developing-world; Navi Radjou, Jaideep Prabhu, & Simone Ahuja May 24, 2012 6. Frugal Innovation: A New Business Paradigm: By Navi Radjou and Jaideep Prabhu | January 10, 2013 7. The Economist-First break all the Rules-Special report on Innovation in emerging markets-April 8. Pepsico Website:Press Release on Direct Seeding of Rice in Punjab: 7/17/12

Figure 2: Solar greenhouses function during extreme climatic conditions to produce fresh vegetables in the peak winter season

9. Ref to Raj Kundra: Investors Chronicle: Oct 28th 2011 By Sarah Murray- Developing World: Small Scale innovation brings vital help to communities

In some Philippine slums, solar skylights

10. Image Reference: Solar Greenhouss:http://www.solargreenhouse.org/community_ practice.html

made from one liter soda bottles filled with water and bleach provide light equivalent to that produced by a 55 watt bulb and may reduce electricity bills by US$10 per month. Frugal innovation is also an exceptional way to decrease industry's consumption of natural resources and reduce its environmental impact. The key characteristics that will ensure the success of 'Frugal Innovation' are to use renewable resources and

optimize

manufacturing processes. A focus on recycling and repair rather than on disposable items will also add to its success. In the end, Frugal Innovation is not just about being cost effective or improving business revenues; it is about creating an entirely new attitude to life and respecting the resources that make it possible.

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Many homes in India use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Thousands of lives are lost every year due to the leakages in cylinders that contain LPG. Gautam Kumar has come up with an innovative gas detection system that warns a LPG user in case of a leakage. He uses sensors and mobile phones to communicate to the users. His innovation has contributed to solve serious problems for the masses. Hence he was awarded the ‘Social Innovator of the Year’ by National Innovation Foundation

Scientist Profile

Scientist Profile

Dr. Raghunath Anant Mashelkar “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed”—Mahatma Gandhi Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, an eminent scientist and well known scholar, used these words of Gandhiji inspiringly to come up with a novel idea which he termed Gandhian Engineering and explains it as getting more from less for more people. Dr. Mashelkar was born on January 1, 1943 in a place called Mashel, Goa. He lost his father at the tender age of 6. Hardships were very much part of his young life. He used to go to his school bare-foot. While his principal and science teacher were conducting a science experiment by pointing a glass lens to a paper till the paper started burning, his principal told him that if he could focus on his studies the way the lens focused sunlight on the paper, he would reach the sky. Considering the steely nerved determination his mother had in his upbringing and education, things could only get better for him. Being very studious, he always topped his class. Although he managed to be a rank holder in matriculation examination, his mother could not support his college education. Through various scholarships, he was able to attend college. Later, young Mashelkar studied at the University of Bombay's Department of Chemical Technology where he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in 1966 and later on, a PhD in 1969. In 1969, he moved to the University of Salford where he held Fellowship in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He was a lecturer in Chemical Engineering until 1976. Dr. Nayudamma readily saw glimpses of a true visionary in him. He picked Dr. Mashlkar as the brightest scientist and referred him to the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune in 1974. Dr Mashelkar worked as an assistant director in NCL from 1976-1978, as a Deputy Director from 1978-1986, then as Scientist in Director's grade till 1989. He then became the Director of NCL and continued till 1995. It is said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. This became true of him as he went on to earn the title “Warrior of Haldighati” during his tenure at NCL. He noticed that though NCL was established in 1950, they did not have a single patent. His motto ‘patent, publish and prosper’ worked miracles as NCL prospered. People used to call him “Polymerkar” as polymer science was his area of expertise. His crusades in patenting earned him the name “Patentkar”. Men on mission always have a vision. When Dr Mashelkar took over as the Director General of CSIR, (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) he enunciated "CSIR 2001: Vision & Strategy." This was a bold attempt to draw out a corporate R&D and business plan for a publicly funded R&D institution. This unconventional initiative, though having raised few eyebrows, has transformed CSIR into a user focussed, performance driven and accountable organization. This process of transformation has been heralded as one of the ten most significant achievements of Indian Science and Technology in the twentieth century, by eminent astrophysicist Prof. Jayant Narlikar, in his 2003 book, Scientific Edge: The Indian Scientist from Vedic to Modern Times. Dr Mashelkar explains Gandhian Engineering as developing products and services that improve everyone's life, an innovation that does not leave out the poor. Dr Mashelkar took an initiative to help raise the productivity and income of millions of Indians living along the eastern

coastline. The coastal community relies on fishing for their livelihood and they come under the zone called Satellite based Potential Fishing Zone or PFZ for short. In the past often fishermen used to return home at the end of the day without a single catch. The PFZ system supports fishing activity. Scientists observe increase in chlorophyll as green coloration of water due to fish activity. Fish activity also leads to changes in Sea Surface Temperature (SST). This PFZ information can be disseminated to fishermen by means of electronic message board display or by sending SMS to the fishermen's mobile phones by means of tie-ups with certain mobile network providers. This helps the fishermen increase their productivity since they can go to places where fish density is more. Dr Mashelkar made the first molecular level interpretation of volume phase transitions in stimuli responsive gels through his Lattice Fluid Hydro gels Bonding models. This study led to an understanding of the role of the subtle hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance in determining these transitions and also in molecular tailoring of these intelligent gels. Dr Mashelkar has made exemplary contributions in Intellectual Property Movement. Based on a worldwide opinion poll (2003–2005), International Journal 'Managing Intellectual Property' has listed Dr Mashelkar as one of the 50 most influential people in intellectual property from 19 countries around the world. He spearheaded the challenge of the success revocation of the US patent on wound-healing properties of turmeric and chaired the Technical committee, which successfully challenged the revocation of the US patents on Basmati rice by Ricetec, Texas in 2001. This has opened up new paradigms in the protection of traditional knowledge, not only for India but also for the entire developing world. He is presently the President of Global Research Alliance & National Innovation Foundation. He was formerly President of India National Science Academy & UK Institution of Chemical Engineers. He is only the 3rd Indian engineer to be elected as a Fellow of Royal Society (FRS) and the 1st Indian to be elected as the foreign associate of Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, He is also the only scientist to have won the JRD Tata Corporate leadership (1998). He has also had stellar presence in the Board of Directors of companies like Reliance Industries Limited (2007), Tata Motors Limited (2007), Piramal Life Sciences (2008), Hindustan Unilever Limited (2008). Indigene Pharmaceuticals Inc,(2008), GeneMedix Biological Private Limited (2008) and KPIT Cummins InfoSystems Limited (2008) as well. Awards do not come as mere recognition. They come as mighty whole hearted tributes for the stealthy impact the person has made to the world and people alike whilst making such accomplishments. Dr Mashelkar was conferred with two of the civilian awards of the highest cadres - Padmashri in 1991 and Padmabhushan in 2000. Bank of India, Mumbai gave him the Golden Jubilee Award in 1998 for excellence in R&D management. Materials Research Society of India conferred on him Material Scientist of the Year Award in the year 2000. For his contributions to advancing science and technology in India, he got the Dadabhai Naoroji Memorial Award in 2002, and New Millennium Innovation Award (2003) by Associated Chamber of Commerce for excellence in innovation (ASSOCHAM). Though he possesses a very captivating presence and a charismatic persona, he is a very humble and down-to-earth human being. He has always been a champion pioneer of development for everyone. Life seems to have come a full circle to him since he never showed any signs of letting his teachers and well-wishers down. So much so, that, even his school principal might have felt like clapping astutely and saying, “way to go, my boy”. Let us all stand up to salute this living legend.

Rakesh Rao CREST, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Areas of Interest Embedded Systems

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Connecting the Masses About the Author Shilpa Dhavale KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest Technology impact on Environment, Business Intelligence and Analytics & Management Information System

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I. Introduction Scarcity has become a major driver for innovation. The bleaker economy of the last few years has forced companies, organizations, universities – and just about everyone – into an ascetic mode. Innovation is more critical than ever. All around us, we see radical ideas and inventions in technology that in spite of being frugal have solutions for everyday needs. In the communication technology, we have seen rapid changes and breakthroughs. These have taken the communication world by storm when they were launched and have today become an inseparable part of our lives. These include bluetooth, camera phones, RSS technology, Skype, social media, wikipedia etc. Amongst these, the mobile technology in the last few years has metamorphosed into a tremendously growing facet which has called for multiple innovations and a global reach out like no other. It was then, very natural, that the next steps in this growing phenomenon was to look for solutions and 'work with the best and cheapest available resources' available. The idea was to basically bring in frugality to come up with mobiles sets, calling plans, accessories and touching just about all areas to reach the huge consumer base. The aspects of affordable pricing and addressing critical considerations of consumers, has been the deciding factor for successful frugal innovations. The framework given in figure below depicts areas for companies that intend to succeed with frugal innovation and gives guidance on efforts related to frugal innovation. What has emerged is an interesting array of products, solutions and a scenario where there is substantial competition to grab the market share. There is no limit to the services that can be offered on this miniature platform. This article talks about a few such examples in the mobile communication field.

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Figure 1: Framework for Successful Frugal Innovation

II. Vodafone Solar Powered Mobile One of the upcoming attractions; Vodafone has come up with a solar powered handset that is priced at a minimal Rs. 1500 ($30) .This is specifically targeted for rural India. It has all the basic features of a phone plus it also aides in informing the user of the remaining balance. This feature alone will make it a hit amongst the rural population. The inclusion of an inbuilt hardware and software called 'Sun Boast' makes it possible for the phone to charge under normal daylight too. In addition Vodafone has also penetrated the Indian market by selling pre-paid cellular phone service vouchers for as low as Rs.10.($0.2) Reaching mass consumers has been made possible by selling the vouchers through grocery and convenience stores.

III. Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit Other mobile handset companies like Nokia are also not far behind when it comes to targeting the rural population. They have come up with a Bicycle Charger Kit. This kit is compatible with all their phones that have a 2mm charging interface. Consisting of a bottle dynamo, a charger and a phone holder, this kit fits on the bicycle. People in rural India use dynamos to provide light in the dark to the bicycle. Nokia has used this exact principle. Currently, Nokia aims at capturing markets where electricity supplies are unpredictable. This feature will definitely empower a lot of less privileged people to communicate with each other.

VI. Micromax Mobile Handset Another classic example of a breakthrough in the mobile technology in the last few years is when Micromax vowed to bring in handsets at entry and mid-level for Rs 1800 to Rs 2400 ($35 to 45 USD). Micromax initially targeted small towns and Figure 2: Bicycle Charger Kit

IV. Safaricom in Kenya

rural areas; however; currently, it is expanding its horizon to newer territories.

A Kenyan company, Safaricom, has launched an extremely useful service via SMS (short messaging service)or via text message on mobile phones. Funds can be transferred through SMS. This idea was born once they realized a large part of the population were mobile phone users but were not so much into traditional banking. Thus, the M-PESA service was launched. This service has now become so popular that customers use it for paying their utility bills as well as safe storage of money. The fact that it is also highly affordable

Figure 2: Micromax Handsets

makes it an added attraction. Recently some of the cheap and imported Chinese mobiles phones that lacked an IMEI

V. Nokia 1100

number were banned. This has also

All of us at some point in time have seen the

contributed in a major way towards the sales

Nokia 1100. The neighboring lady has it, our

of affordable Micromax phones.

household help has it, and even the school bus driver has it. Who can deny its mass appeal? In addition to basic features like voice

VII. Innovations

and text, it also has a flashlight and is durable.

Considering the erratic power in most of India,

The biggest attraction however, would be its

Micromax has increased its battery size of one

cost.

of its models, the X1i. It can last as many as 30 days on standby. This too amounted to its success and gave the company an initial boost in sales. The competition was tough and in order to beat it, Micromax had to come up with innovative ideas to strengthen its distribution network. Micromax knew they had arrived but in order to keep the momentum going, they had to think differently and frugally. Figure 2: Nokia 1100 handset TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

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Micromax first launched the dual SIM and dual reception (GSM and CDMA) handsets before Nokia did. This established their market share. Micromax has now targeted competitors like Samsung by introducing the Android and touchscreen handsets at a very low price. This is specifically to suit the requirements and preferences of different consumer groups, Micromax also has mobile phones with Qwerty keyboards, utility, 3G, gaming and multimedia handsets, phones that work as universal remote controls etc.

VIII. What Next? And finally post the breakthroughs of Nokia and Micromax' of the world what will the next mega - selling phone look like? What features would it have and how would it compete with

REVOLO Due to the increase in green house gas emissions and fuel prices, electric or hybrid vehicles are a need of today. However, there is a greater need to convert existing cars to hybrid electric cars. Revolo is an intelligent, plug-in, parallel hybrid solution, developed by KPIT Cummins and Bharat Forge Limited. Benefits * Fuel efficiency improvement of over 35% has been consistently observed during tests at ARAI as well as on road. * Reduces Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by over 30%. * Provides more pep and additional power to the vehiclewhile maintaining safety. * Improves the ride handling and driving pleasure. * Increases the life of the engine and reduces maintenance cost. * Applicable on vehicles starting from 800 cc engine to 3000 cc engines. * For commercial applications when the vehicle is used for higher mileage (>55,000 km), the breakeven time can be as low as two years. * Retro-fitment of this solution can be expeditiously done in 4 to 6 hours.

the next generation of Smart phone? They'll

* Solution does not require additional

be rough facsimiles of the high-end smart

infrastructure investments from the government.

phones forged for well-heeled buyers, stripped of fat and excess—an embodiment of compromise. They'll be 90% of the phone for 20% of the price, with FM radios instead of digital music stores, and flashlights instead of LED flashes.

Reference: [1] Prahalad, C.K. and Hammond, Allen (2002) Serving the World's Poor, Profitably.. HarvardBusinessReview, Vol. 80 Issue 9, p48-57 [2] Frugal Innovation, The Key to Penetrating Emerging Markets by KaushikMukhrjee, Ivey Business Journal www.scu.edu (Santa Clara University) Core Competencies in Frugal Engineering

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Solution Details * 'Plug-in' – The batteries used in the solution can be charged from a standard external electricity source such as a domestic power outlet. * 'Parallel hybrid' – The motor and engine work simultaneously at all times. The vehicle will never work like an EV (electric vehicle) only and hence will continue to operate as a conventional fuel vehicle if the batteries are fully discharged. * The solution is fuel-agnostic, it can be adopted for both petrol and diesel vehicles. * The batteries are recharged through opportunity-based regeneration and regenerative braking thereby enhancing the range per charge. * The solution also includes an inbuilt Stop-Start feature, which improves the fuel efficiency in 'stop & go' traffic situations. * The solution also has in-built intelligence that recognizes driving patterns and self-adjusts to provide optimum efficiency. * The solution is battery-agnostic; it can be adopted to work with various types of batteries such as lead-acid or lithiumion batteries. * The solution works without any interaction or interference with the existing Engine Management System (EMS) of the vehicle. The system is thereby also adaptable to vehicles without EMS and without electronic engines. * This solution can be made available as an Original Equipment Manufacturer integrated solution or even retrofitted on vehicles as an aftermarket solution.

Reverse Innovation : Create far from home, Win everywhere

healthcare, signifying the essence of the term in the current global scenario. The authors urge the developed nations, established firms and the next generation of leaders and innovators to shift from the age old strategy of “exporting to emerging markets to innovating for emerging markets”. The book talks about the “needs gaps” between

BOOK REVIEW

Authors : Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Timble

the authors have cited many examples, like the above mentioned GE

The second goal of this book is to provide a practical guidance to

Introduction:

concept that the book has tried to explain is that the multinational

developed and emerging nations. It further identifies five gaps on the basis of the infrastructure they possess, the price versus performance expectations from the products, sustainability issues, their respective regulatory systems and lastly their distinct preferences. The authors say that these gaps are so substantial that the needs of the masses of the emerging nations can merely be addressed by just making adaptations to rich-world products. These five are indeed, the “five paths of reverse innovation” and can only be dealt with if started from scratch. execute the same, avoiding impending traps. Here, the overall

Perhaps one would think that all the high tech gadgets and mind

corporations in the rich world must build up a deeper understanding

blowing innovations travel from the rich countries to the poor

of local consumer problems by putting together a different

countries. Well, this book will make one think again. The authors give

management model. On the other hand, the home companies must

a refreshing perspective towards the innovations made in the

build global brands and global distribution capabilities. Thus,

emerging nations like India and China. These solutions are typically

according to the authors, the prime barrier for reverse innovation is

low-cost with good enough quality and focused on the very needs of

organizational and approach based rather than technology or

the locals. Then, once success is achieved in the local markets, these

finance based.

are upgraded and sold to the developed markets.

The second half of the book is very interesting; it contains different

Take GE healthcare (one of the dominant manufacturers of medical-

case studies of companies such as GE, Procter & Gamble and

imaging, diagnostics, and health-information technologies) for

PepsiCo, illustrating their trials, tribulations and triumphs in following

example. The local team in India realized that GE's ECG machines

the path of reverse innovation. Through their respective experiences

are heavy, high-tech and cost from about $3000 to $10,000, and are

the readers will certainly get a clear picture of the importance of this

not really an ideal solution for the Indian economy. They wanted to

powerful tool that adds to the innovation capabilities of both the

create a product which would typically benefit Indians in every sense,

developed and developing nations.

be it cost-effective or easy access in the rural areas. They started

This book is worth a read for people residing in any part of the world

from grounds up focusing on frugal solution .After applying different

and at any level of the society. The authors, Vijay Govindarajan and

strategies, both technical and process, they were able to build highly

Chris Trimble of the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, have

portable, low cost ECG machines, perfect for the Indian market and

shared their insight in a very detailed and clear way and have

with a cost of $800! After achieving the desired results, it was clear

provided with a good amount of assertive examples.

that the same machine could be sold in other countries as well. Today these machines are sold in 194 mostly European countries . This process of backward travel of the innovation is known as “Reverse Innovation”, a term popularized by the authors, and it is a clear indication of the change in global dynamics of innovation, mostly due to a constant decrease in the gap between the rich and the emerging nations. The objective of this book is to first help the readers grasp the theory

Mayurika Chatterjee CREST, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest Mechatronics and Control Systems

and principle behind reverse innovation. In order to accomplish this,

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Reusing to Recreate About the Author Aditi Athavale CREST, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest Multicore Programming, Cryptography, Nature Inspired Innovation

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I. Introduction “Waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both. Without industry and frugality, nothing will do, and with them everything." --Benjamin Franklin Is this not a timeless quote that applies to every technology, product, or service that we create? Frugality is an eternal principle that has been in practice since ages. However, due to evergrowing crunch of natural and artificial resources, it will definitely be a prudent strategy to adapt to in future. Projectors made out of cell phones and tiffin boxes, incubators made from automobile spare parts, mobile phones that can detect forged currencies, a water transport product that cleans water on the go, are some of the examples of frugal engineering that will be highlighted in this article. What is special about these solutions is that they are designed by studying the requirements of the societies, the means available to them, and their affordability. They emphasize the fact that requirements can lead to audacious thinking and crazy but frugal solutions.

II. NeoNurture : The 'Car Parts' Incubators Neonatal deaths are a serious cause of concern worldwide. One of the major reasons is the lack of consistent supply of heat that keeps the babies warm. To give them a clean and warm environment, incubators are used worldwide. However, due to huge prices and maintenance costs, they are not easily affordable in hospitals and the primary health care centers at villages and small cities. Maintenance is the biggest problem, even after purchasing an incubator. At such places, finding technical support to maintain the instruments is a major problem. This problem led the designer at a non-profit organization based in US, (Design that Matters) [1],to a question that “What is it available even at the remote places?” Surprisingly, they got pointers to a survey that said Coke, cigarettes, and car parts are the products that are widely available even at such places. This triggered a thought that if incubators were made up of car parts, mechanics would be able to service them. Hence, designers started working towards it. The first major component of the incubators is a warming system. By regulating the heat received

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from the beam headlights of a car, warming systems are designed. A motor blower brings in the flow of fresh air from outside. A door chime alarms the health care worker if the temperature inside the incubator crosses certain temperature. A small battery and a car charger act as additional sources of power in cases the incubator should be relocated from one place to another. Apart from the basic features, this incubator also incorporates some features that are rarely available in most of the current incubators. The Neo-Nurture incubator is designed to work on one single hinge, which allows open access from three sides. It also has a built-in power regulation feature. The incubator also provides a feature 'Mattress-Tilt' that uses two hinges at sides of the incubator. This eliminates the need of costly tilt systems. Apart from the ease of maintenance, Neo-Nurture incubator provides state-of-art incubator facilities at low cost.

III. Manufacturing Trucks at Lower Costs Is it possible to build a truck that is fuel efficient and competitive in pricing at the same time? Daimler, in order to enter India's ever-growing automobile market, decided to take up the challenge. A team of 400 engineers of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), successfully launched the new truck that is 10% more fuel efficient than its competitors. Since 2012, under the brand name 'BharatBenz', Daimler is offering the trucks at nearly half the price of comparable trucks in Europe. Thanks to India's increasing capacity of manufacturing excellent automotive components, Daimler is able to get nearly 85% components from domestic suppliers. More than 400 suppliers have been involved as a part of this venture. There has been some reduction in the number of electronic components of the truck. To make the prices attractive to Indian market, engines have been redesigned. The new engines, being lighter, are cheaper to produce and maintain.

IV. Potability of Clean Water Even in the 21st century, access to clean water near the habitat is still a luxury for a large part of the world population. The challenge is twofold. First challenge is in having resources of potable water near households, and the second is in the cleanliness of that water. Having studied these

challenges, researchers at Santa Clara University came up with the innovative solution, Milagro [2], of cleaning water when it is being transported. People can carry water using the wheel as it is a container. The cost of this solution is similar to the water containers having same capacity. In addition to that, it reduces the efforts in carrying the water to remote places.

places where electricity supply is not guaranteed, a solar panel is also provided with the projector [5]. This projector has been deployed in more than 40 villages in Mali and approximately 2000 people have used it for night time education. The innovative product has also received many accolades across the world.

VIII. Low Cost ATM Machines VI. Reducing 'One Gram Per Component' to Reduce Cost In order to reduce the production costs, Suzuki in India decided to reduce at least one gram of each of the component present in the car. On an average, a car contains nearly 2500 components. Hence, in a car weighing 665 kg, reduction of a minimum of 2.5 kg would make the vehicle lighter and cut the costs as well. The designers, vendors, suppliers who are associated with the car and its components were invited to give their suggestions. Many manufacturers that supply components like pistons, rings, valves, seats, rims, roofs, mirrors, axles, and so on, worked towards this. Nearly 2000 suggestions were received and 300 among them were actually implemented [3]. This resulted into a whopping reduction of 15% reduction in the car weight. Making the vehicle light offered an advantage to both the manufacturers and the customers. Manufacturers could reduce the cost, whereas lighter vehicles required less fuel, benefitting the customers.

VII. Projector and Portable Library for Rural Areas In rural areas, illiteracy is a cause of concern. One of the major reasons is scarcity of resources like books, reading material, electricity, etc. Working on this aspect, a team of researchers and designers at DtM came up with a low-cost projector which can also be used as a library [4]. KinkaJou, a product developed by DtM, consists of a battery and a solar panel. Considering the inability of villages to repair it frequently, the system has been designed to be robust, low cost, and one that consumes less power. To achieve the objective of durability, an LED has been used as a source of lighting in place of a bulb. To reduce the weight of the projector, plastic lenses, which are typically used in toys, are used in place of glass lenses. With this the projector one can project a picture as large as 3 meters in width. Microfilms, which are almost outdated, are used to store the images and contents of a book. At

In order to install ATMs and provide banking facilities in rural India, many factors need to be addressed. One of the factors is cost. In addition, power supply to these machines is a serious problem. Above all, illiterate people cannot use the machines easily. In order to cater to all of these requirements, a team of researchers has come up with a low-cost ATM machine. Solar energy is available in abundance at practically no cost. Hence, these are used to power the ATM machines. A sophisticated scanner that can scan the fingerprints and authenticate the user makes it very easy to use even to illiterate people. State Bank of India is taking up installation of such ATMs in the rural places in India.

IX. Conclusion Frugality, as a principle, applies to everything that human beings create. However, it has more value in the markets of developing countries. According to a special feature in The Economist (April 15, 2010), products of “Frugal innovation” in India and China cannot be mistaken as merely cheap, low quality goods, as they are innovative products adapting to new market needs and creating impact in international markets as well. In this article, we highlighted the journey of some enthralling 'frugal' technologies that have created an impact on the lives of those using them.

References [1] 'NeoNurture: the Car Parts Incubator,'http://designthatmatters.org/ portfolio/projects/incubator/ [2] Vipin Garg, Steven Gong, and William Reed, 'Milagro,' Online, Available At: http://www.scu.edu/profiles/?p=4769 [3] Shiv Shivaraman, Manish Mathur, Ram Kidambi, 'Frugal Re-engineering: Innovatively Cutting Product Costs,' Online, Available At: http://www.atkearney.com/operations/featured-article/-/ asset_publisher/BqWAk3NLsZIU/content/frugal-reengineering-innovatively-cutting-product-costs/10192 [4] 'Kinkajou® Microfilm Projector,' Online, Available at: http:// designthatmatters.org/portfolio/projects/kinkajou/ [5] 'The fruits of frugal innovation,' Online, Available at: http:// www.forumforthefuture.org/greenfutures/articles/fruits-frugal-innovation

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Emerging ‘Bricks’ About the Author Reena Kumari Behera CREST, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest Image Processing & Signal Processing

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I. Introduction

atmosphere. Figure 1 shows one of the FGD

Money has become a vital part in every one's

plants in China. FGD is very important to

life. There is a desire to get more things with as

restrict sulphur dioxide emissions from the

much less amount of money as possible.

power plants into the atmosphere. This

Frugal innovation aims at providing the basic

equipment can be introduced at a very lower

functionality at a lower cost. In most of the

cost (approximately 80%)in China in

developing nations, the major portion of the

comparison with other nations. The use of coal

population is accounted by middle class

and wind energy which is in abundance in

people who have an average income. Any

China helps in achieving this. Introduction of

product would surely appeal to this portion of

these technologies would lead to cost savings

the community, if it is cost-effective.

that would in turn support in conserving

Developing nations have a very strong belief

energy and maintaining sustainability in the

in frugal innovation. This article explains

coming years.

multiple products which fall under the paradigm of 'frugal innovation'. It also explains the need for creating such products, their journey from idea to implementation, and their impact in international markets.

II. Energy Potential of China It is rightly said that “Necessity is the mother of invention”. The demand for energy is increasing drastically in every nation. Due to the rapid growth in the industrialization, the energy consumption is increasing nonlinearly. In order to maintain a sustainable growth, the renewable energy sources should be explored. The major sources of energy for China include coal, crude oil, natural gas, and renewable resources. Coal accounted for about 75% of energy supply. The increase in the demand for power would increase the use of coal. China has an abundant reserve of renewable energy resources as a consequence of its territorial location. Power generated using the sources such as wind and coal are 30% to 40% cheaper than the products manufactured by the companies from other nations. The varying types of coal with different properties available in China help in minimizing the operating costs in accordance with the individual utility's specifications. Sulphur dioxide is a strong biproduct in almost all the power plants. Flue gas desulphurization (FGD) is used to prevent the emission of sulphur dioxide into the

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TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

Figure1.Luohuang FGD plant under construction in China [1]

III. Mettler Toledo Basic Weighing Scale Every small thing that we use in our day-to-day activity is a result of many years of research. Thoughts from many minds combine before any product comes into the market. People always want something better than what we have right now. Have you ever given a thought about the innovation behind the electronic weighing machines? We encounter these machines in one form or the other in almost every place. During the laboratory experiments, everyone would have encountered a small size weighing machine. This electronic machine was invented in 1945 by Mettler Toledo (MT) Company who is the pioneer in this field. It is a global leader in manufacturing highly precision weighing machines for various purposes. It has an

amazing accuracy of up to one ten-millionth of

its performance in comparison with the CT and

a gram. MT soon realized that it is facing a

MR scanners but they were lower in cost. The

very tough competition with other companies

cost of these machines is still higher and they

that are producing low cost weighing

were affordable only at sophisticated medical

instruments. It started a joint venture with a

centers. The instrument is also very bulky,

company to enter into the low cost market.

complicated and expensive. Sick people

Within a span of few years, the joint R&D led

especially who are below the poverty line

to the development of a low cost weighing

would not be able to afford the cost incurred in

machine with a compromise with certain other

using this machine. Moreover, the patients will

features. The instrument was designed in

not dare to come to urban hospitals for the

such a way that the accuracy is lower in

checkup. The instrument should be

comparison with the standard instrument. The

manufactured in such a way that it can be

materials used in the development were cost-

easily carried. This will help in taking the

efficient and a different design is given to the

instrument to the patients. GE envisioned this

instrument. The compromised features

dream and worked towards making it a huge

include fully automated adjusting, protective

success. GE launched its first compact

covering, dynamic weighing, electronic data

ultrasound machine in 2002, integrated with a

analysis via PC, and programmability. The

laptop. The cost of the instrument was

basic functionality of the product is still

$30,000. It launched another model at a cost

achievable with a fairly good accuracy [4].

of $15,000 in 2007. The lower cost of the machine enabled it to be installed in almost all the rural clinics. It is largely based on commodity technologies such as notebook screens for imaging and common interfaces between computer hardware and peripheral equipment. The performance of the system is low in comparison with the high end ultrasound machine. But it could serve the purpose for some health issues such as spotting enlarged livers and gall bladders and stomach irregularities. These machines were

Figure 2.Weighing machine[2]

initially developed for rural China. It has

IV. GE Portable Ultrasound Machine

where these machines are preferred in

extended its market to even United States, hospitals with limited financial resources.

Health is the major concern for every living creature. It is rightly quoted that “health is wealth”. The medical equipment used for assessing the health is very expensive. Accuracy of these machines is expected to be very high. A minor error in any instrument might lead to dangerous conclusions. GE's primary business is to develop high-end medical-imaging equipment. The ultrasound technology found its application in the medical field. The ultrasound machines are inferior in

Figure 3.Portable Ultrasound Machine[3]

TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

33 5

V. Logitech and Philips

country to make a product for usage in

Logitech also entered into the low cost market

understand the requirements. The basic and

developing nations. The team might not fully segment. It developed many such products

important factor in frugal innovation is to

worldwide. The computer mouse M215 being

establish local organizational structures. The

the first to cater to the low cost market. The

outcome of the frugal innovation highly

initial M215 had a very fancy look which

depends on the capability of the R&D team to

resulted in its high cost. In order to introduce

understand the local requirements and

the product into the low cost market, the

modulate into effective, low-cost products.

packaging of M215 was reduced to minimum. This helped in lowering the cost of the product.

VII. Guanxi

The bedside patient monitoring system developed by Philips is used to measure and

Any organization would need to maintain

display several physiological parameters and

connection with other organizations or

waves, and generate alarms and recordings. It

companies for the growth and success of the

can exchange information with compatible

organization. The use of flexible networks is

devices. Philips tried to understand how their

accomplished by guanxi. Guanxi describes

products were used in rural hospitals through

the personalized networks of influence. This

joining local doctors at work. The purpose of

culture is followed in the Chinese society. It

the display device of the instrument is to show

describes a personal connection between two

various parameters and recordings of the

people where one can ask for a favor or

patient. But to the surprise of Philips, the

service to other and vice-versa [8]. This helps

display device was also used as a writing pad.

in reducing the cost in maintaining the

The instrument was also carried inside the

networks and increases the flexibility. A Hong-

operating theaters where it was continuously

Kong based company, Li & Fung, applies this

exposed to sweat and blood. Such scenarios

concept and is in collaboration with a network

were unimaginable in western hospitals. In

of 12,000 companies operating in more than

order to cope up with such situations, the

40 countries. It uses its associates to track the

instrument was offered with a robust design.

quality and order fulfillment. A motorcycle-

The functionality of the system was simplified

maker, Dachangjiang, also uses the same

with increased reliability.

technique to maintain a network with hundreds of parts suppliers. The network can

VI.Siemens Computed Tomography Scanner

can also encourage other organizations to

The collaboration of Siemens with the R&D

problem [9].

be reduced or expanded on demand. They innovate by providing rough sketches of the

team of China helped in developing a low cost CT scanner. This collaboration helped these

VIII. Shanzhai

teams to develop products that can be installed in tiny rooms and are robust enough

You name any gadget, you will surely find a

to handle dirt and frequent power fluctuations,

low cost product replicate for the same. Have

and can endure intense usage. The product

you seen pen drives in the shape of an ATM

was designed with simple and basic

card, phones in the form of watches? Some of

functionality. It was designed for intensive use

us feel that it is a good way to operate the

and fast workflow. It would be very difficult for

same gadget at a lower price. But some of us

the development team from any developed

also feel annoyed by seeing the same gadget

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TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

that we possess to exist in the low cost market at a very low cost. This is popularly known as Shanzhai. Shanzhai word came into use with the advent of increase in the sales of Shanzhai

References 1.“Flue Gas Desulphurisation (Fgd) Technologies”, Technology Status Report, 2000. Available at

cell phones. These phones were

ftp://ftp.nilu.no/pub/NILU/kys/Para29/Para29-

manufactured by imitating the functionality of

Constorl%20costs-FGD%20technologies.pdf

other phones. This market also paves a way to

2.http://www.google.co.in/search?as_st=y&tbm=

innovate and try to achieve the functionality at

isch&hl=en&as_q=mettler+toledo+weighing+balance&

a lower price. Many of these products are very

as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&cr=&as_sitesearch=&safe=

thought oriented and innovative.

active&tbs=sur:f&biw=1311&bih=570&sei=eG1IUeSn

Other innovative products include the washing

FsjRrQe0mIDQBg#imgrc=xaClmF6tgbW-IM%3A%

machine from Haier which is also called Mini

3BvG5s_GG4OniKUM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252

Magical Child for the local market. It served as

Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252

an alternative for the expensive machines. It can be used for fewer loads. This product was initially targeted for only China but has been extended worldwide. Another firm, Galanz,

Fcommons%252F5%252F5d%252FBalance_Mettler_ AJ100.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcommons. wikimedia.org%252Fwiki%252FFile%253ABalance_ Mettler_AJ100.jpg%3B2200%3B1945 3.http://www.google.co.in/search?as_st=y&tbm=isch&hl

developed a cost effective, energy efficient

=en&as_q=GE+portable+ultrasound+machine&as_

microwave that is available at an affordable

epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&imgsz=&imgar=&imgc=

cost. The Tata Nano which has become

&imgcolor=&imgtype=&cr=&as_sitesearch=&safe=

famous for its low cost is a stunning example

active&as_filetype=&as_rights=1&biw=1311&bih=

for frugal innovation. Though it was initially

570&sei=-ytIUcO9NYH-rAeQ3YHoCA

developed for the Indian market, it could create its place in the market in many developed nations.

IX. Conclusion Frugal Innovation is the emerging trend in the present and coming future. Developing nations has demonstrated its capability in thinking frugally by setting many examples. The low cost doesn't mean that the product developed using this technique is inefficient. Achieving the same functionality of a device or a gadget at a much lower cost needs a lot of research and time. With the increasing cost of life, people would surely appreciate the low cost products. Frugal innovation is the future.

Wood is a fast disappearing natural resource thanks to manmade concrete jungles. In order to reduce the reliance on this natural resource, an innovator has come up with a process of making splints for safety matches using other natural fibers. These matchsticks are different from the conventional ones in the sense that they burn slowly but steadily, reducing the chances of the users’ fingers being burnt. No other harmful chemicals are used except phosphorus. The process of manufacturing these matchsticks is also easier and cheaper than using conventional wood. The need of heavy machinery for cutting logs of wood to suitable size is also eliminated.

TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

35 5

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TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

Reversing the Flow About the Author Pranjali Modak CREST, KPIT Cummins Infosystems Ltd., Pune, India Areas of Interest Intellectual Property Rights, Patents

TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

37 5

I. Introduction

from the developing countries are then

We have always known global companies

brought into the developed countries with

innovating for the developed countries to

modified offerings, under reverse innovation.

provide best grade products without much

Companies will have to focus on 'doing more

consideration for the cost. Then, the

with less' by innovating cost-effectively. Low-

companies globalize their products by

cost products developed and tested

eliminating the expensive features and down-

specifically for these markets may then be

grading the existing products to low cost

sold with or without up-gradation in the

products to be sold in the developing world.

developed world. When frugal innovation

Until now, innovations were only for the

aimed for emerging markets comes to

developed markets, as innovation being a

developed countries and becomes

costly affair was not worth for the emerging

successful, it is considered as reverse

markets which have so little money.

innovation. Reverse innovation has nothing to

Innovating for the emerging markets makes

do with where the innovators are, and it has

sense with increasing market volatility,

nothing to do with where the companies are. It

recessions and global economic concerns.

has only to do with where the customers are

Due to the unstable markets and fluctuating

[2]. Presently, most of the world's untapped

economy, now even customers from the

buying power is in the emerging markets of

developed markets are looking for cheaper

Asia, South Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and

solutions and products. All the customers,

Latin America.

whether from the developed markets or the

The primary driver of reverse innovation is the

emerging markets, have become cost

income gap between the emerging markets

conscious and are looking for a right blend of

and the developed countries. There is no way

quality and cost. This change has given rise to

to design a product for high per capita income

an important concept called 'Reverse

mass market and then simply adapt it and

Innovation'. Reverse Innovation does exactly

hope to capture the low per capita income

the opposite. Reverse Innovation or trickle-up

market. Companies need to specifically

innovation refers to innovating low cost

innovate for the low per capita income markets

products/solutions for the emerging markets

and not just export. Buyers in emerging

and then bringing these to the developed

markets demand solutions on an entirely

countries. The term was popularized by

different price-performance curve. They need

Dartmouth professors Vijay Govindarajan and

new high-tech solutions but at ultra-low costs

Chris Tremble and GE's Jeffrey R. Immelt [1].

and with a “good enough” quality [3]. Thus,

Reverse innovation has recently emerged as

there is no getting around from frugal

an interesting concept.

innovation to ensure developing ultra-low cost and 'good enough' solutions for the emerging

II. Reverse Innovation

markets.

The process of reverse innovation begins by

For many years, companies have followed a

focusing on the needs of the emerging

global strategy-first innovate for home

markets for low cost solutions. For developing

markets and then export, with or without

products for the emerging markets having little

modifications, to address the other local

money, companies will have to apply frugal

market needs. This strategy has worked well

innovation to ensure that the products are

until now. However, with growing importance

affordable. Frugal innovation serves low-

of reverse innovation, companies must realize

income customers in the developing

that they need to change their business

countries. These frugal innovation products

strategy.

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TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

opportunities are concentrated, they now

such lands. The John Deere tractor excelled on two characteristics- low price and fuel efficiency- and became a success.

need to innovate for the emerging markets.

F. Levis Denizen

strategy. In order to establish business in emerging markets, where most of the growth

III. Examples There are many successful examples of reverse innovation in various sectors, all around us. Let us look at some of these examples[4]:

A. Gatorade A doctor at the University of Florida worked with a medical group in Bangladesh to help with epidemic outbreaks of cholera. Carbohydrate and sugar along with salt was given to the patients for faster rehydration. He thought if such treatment worked well for cholera patients, it would surely work for rehydration problems for the football players. He created the Gatorade drink to help rehydrate players of football team. As all of us know, Gatorade has become a huge hit as a sports drink.

B. GE MAC 800 The rural population in China could not afford expensive health care. So, GE invented a USD 15,000 portable ultrasound machine. It was later launched worldwide and has generated over $250 million of global sales.

C. Tata Nano Tata Motors introduced the Tata Nano for the cost conscious customers in India in 2009. With this, Tata has unlocked a huge untapped market: cars for lower middle class Indians. Tata plans to take Nano to other emerging markets and to Europe and U.S. subsequently.

D. Nestle Noodles Nestle developed a low-cost, low-fat dried noodle for rural India and Pakistan. These noodles found a market in Australia and New Zealand as healthy and budget-friendly alternative.

E. John Deere Tractor In the developing countries, small pieces of land are cultivated. John Deere developed a small 35horsepower tractor customized for

Levi Strauss & Co. first brand launched outside of US was the denizen bran jeans launched in China, in 2010. With success, the brand quickly spread to India, South Korea, Singapore and Pakistan markets. In July 2011, the brand began selling in the U.S. in Target stores.

G. Unilever & Nestle People with low income in the emerging economies could not afford to buy standard sizes of coffee, toothpaste, creams, lotions, shampoo, etc. So, multinational companies like Unilever and Nestle came out with singleserve sachets priced at pennies per packet. After the 2008 financial crisis, Unilever discovered that the same approach worked well with millions of recession hit consumers in Greece, Spain, and the US.

H. Harman Harman designed a completely new infotainment system from scratch, for China and India. This system had functionality similar to their high-end products but at half the price and generated more than $3 billion in new business.

I. Narayana Hrudayala Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital does open heart surgery at a fraction of the cost of what it takes elsewhere. It is pure innovation. They have taken the manufacturing sector's principles and applied them to healthcare. They buy world-class equipment's just like the best hospitals buy, but they use it 20 times more. That drives the cost per unit down.

IV. Implications and Future Developing countries will become R&D labs for breakthrough innovations in a wide range of industries, such as, low-cost automotive and transportation, affordable medical services, health sector, energy and utilities, natural resources, low-cost housing, and many others. Reverse innovations will benefit low

TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

39 5

income citizens and will likely disrupt many U.S. industries in the years to come[5]. Companies need to focus on frugal innovation to meet the increasing demand of low-cost solutions and products in the developing countries. They need to adopt strategies for reverse innovation so that the western market can be satisfied with low-cost and adequate level of quality products. Companies have to operate at multiple price points, with premium products at high price in richer countries, while producing high-quality products at lower price in poorer countries. Companies need to realize that they can earn the same or even better margins and return on investment for a low-cost product designed for, say, China or India, than for a higher cost current product at home. To conclude, we feel that companies cannot ignore the growing trend in reverse innovation. Maybe not in the immediate future, but slowly and steadily the reverse innovation concept will hold ground as companies recognize that most of the developed country markets are saturated. The emerging markets is where the

untapped opportunities lie and would be the places for companies to grow in future. To tap the emerging markets and sustain in a fluctuation economy, frugal innovation will play a very important role. They need to learn to 'create the best, with the least resources' and even price it low. It is easy to innovate when you have the best of resources, all the money you want and when your customers are ready to pay any price for your product. However, it is a real challenge to innovate frugally- with limited resources, limited money and extremely cost conscious customers. Frugal engineering and innovation would be a crucial aspect of the reverse innovation phenomenon. Companies need to focus on creating new business models, new distribution systems and new business strategies to align with the reverse innovation phenomenon. For companies who wish to move along with the changing market dynamics and succeed in the coming years, frugal and reverse innovation is the way to go!

References [1] “Reverse Innovation”, Wikipedia, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_innovation [2] Chris Trimble, “Reverse innovation and the emerging-market growth imperative”, Ivy Business Journal, March/April, 2012 Available at: http://www.iveybusinessjournal.com/topics/innovation/reverse-innovation-and-the-emergingmarket-growth-imperative [3] Vijay Govindarajan, “How reverse innovation can change the world” Wharton, March 2012 Available at: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4678 [4] Vivek Kaul, “Reverse innovation is not optional. It is oxygen'”,DNA India, April2012 Available at: http://www.dnaindia.com/money/interview_reverse-innovation-is-not-optional-it-is-oxygen_1676369-3 [5] Ravi Ramamurti, “Reverse innovation's big impact for consumers”Boston Globe, Dec 2012 Available at: http://www.boston.com/business/blogs/global-business-hub/2012/12/reverse_innovat.html

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TechTalk@KPITCummins, Volume 6, Issue 2, 2013

About KPIT Cummins Infosystems Limited KPIT Cummins partners with global automotive and semiconductor corporations in bringing products faster to their target markets. We help customers globalize their process and systems efficiently through a unique blend of domain-intensive technology and process expertise. As leaders in our space, we are singularly focused on co-creating technology products and solutions to help our customers become efficient, integrated, and innovative manufacturing enterprises. We have filed for 42 patents in the areas of Automotive Technology, Hybrid Vehicles, High Performance Computing, Driver Safety Systems, Battery Management System, and Semiconductors. About CREST Center for Research in Engineering Sciences and Technology (CREST) is focused on innovation, technology, research and development in emerging technologies. Our vision is to build KPIT Cummins as the global leader in selected technologies of interest, to enable free exchange of ideas, and to create an atmosphere of innovation throughout the company. CREST is now recognized and approved R & D Center by the Dept. of Scientific and Industrial Research, India.. This journal is an endeavor to bring you the latest in scientific research and technology. Invitation to Write Articles Our forthcoming issue to be released in October 2013 will be based on “Autonomous Vehicles”. We invite you to share your knowledge by contributing to this journal. Format of the Articles Your original articles should be based on the central theme of “Autonomous Vehicles”. The length of the articles should be between 1200 to 1500 words. Appropriate references should be included at the end of the articles. All the pictures should be from public domain and of high resolution. Please include a brief write-up and a photograph of yourself along with the article. The last date for submission of articles for the next issue is July 31, 2013. To send in your contributions, please write to [email protected] . To know more about us, log on to www.kpitcummins.com .

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KPIT Cummins Infosystems Limited

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“It is about getting more from less, for more and more people!”

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35 & 36, Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Phase - 1, MIDC, Hinjawadi, Pune - 411 057, India.