February 21, 2006

Ajit Chouhan has posted an interesting piece on Bihari innovation on his blog Cool Bihari.

Setting up a FM radio station with an investment of just Rs 50 and which caters to an audience in 15 KM radius is something mind boggling. Yet this feat has been achieved by a young Bihari named Raghav.

After reading about this innovation, a thought has just crossed my mind. Can Bihar be the laboratory of grassroots innovation in India? I think it can be.

Bihar is at a critical moment in its history. It is a case of now or never. Bihar is currently economically backward. There was hardly any development in the last 15 years. It lacks basic infrastructure. Development and governance are going to be the key drivers of change. The conditions, as they are in Bihar today, are the perfect breeding ground for grassroots innovation. And with a government committed to changing the fortunes of Bihar, it is the most opportune moment for a revolution in grassroots innovation.

In fact, I feel that with the present circumstances Bihar can be the ideal place to test C K Prahlad's theory of "Fortune at the bottom of the pyramid". But for that to happen, a little bit of hard core marketing will be needed on part of the government of Bihar.

Following actions can help in bringing about a revolution in grassroots innovation in Bihar:

  1. Promoting the image of Bihar as a potential hot-bed of grassroots innovation among corporate India, academia, students, and educational institutions of repute.
  2. Tie-up with reputed technical and management institutes like IIT, IIM, and others of their ilk.
  3. Inviting private sector to be an integral part of this win-win revolution.
  4. Promoting a vision of "development through innovation and social entrepreneurship".
  5. Creation of special task force with Chief Minister as its chairman to facilitate the various initiatives in the field of grassroots innovation and social entrepreneurship.
  6. An awareness campaign targeted at people of Bihar to promote “self-reliance” and “self-sufficiency” through innovation and enterprise.
I strongly feel that this could go a long way in changing the fortunes of Bihar and its people. After all, nothing can stop an idea whose day has come! With ample doses of creativity, determination, enterprise, innovation, and marketing, Bihar’s fate can be turned around.

4 comments

  1. Atul // February 22, 2006 at 8:38 AM  

    Very good thought Mayank. I would also like to believe that this will happen. One of my favorite quotes is ,"No Force in this world can stop a person/idea whose time has come". I feel and would like to believe that the Idea of Bihar re-emerging from the land of darkness has come. We just need to keep promoting the positive spirit.

  2. Mayank Krishna // February 22, 2006 at 10:42 PM  

    Fully agree with you Ajit. And I would like to add that emergence of Bihar from darkness to light will be led by the youth of Bihar. Every small and big contribution from each and every individual of Bihar will count. Apart from positive spirit we need an attitude and will to succeed against all odds. As someone said long back, "ATTITUDE DECIDES ALTITUDE".

  3. Atul // February 26, 2006 at 6:32 PM  

    arey bhai nam to na badlo hamara .. hai humeim bahut hi pyara

  4. Mayank Krishna // February 26, 2006 at 9:43 PM  

    Sorry Atul bhai...

    Anjane mein bhool ho gayi. Ab aisi galti dobara nahi hogi...promise :-)