INNOVATION
Jugaad Innovation : Doing More With Less
By Senorine Wasike
At the beginning of this year , I made a selection of twelve innovation books to read in 2020 as part of my journey to mastery ( you can tell that I have been listening to a lot of Robin Sharma ). I came across a book titled , ‘ Jugaad Innovation ’ which did not interest me much .
Last month as I was reading about how the current Covid pandemic is affecting innovation initiatives in companies , Jugaad showed up again in most of my searches , so I decided to research more about the concept .
Jugaad is a Hindu term for a clever solution in the face of adversity . Jugaad innovators have the attitude to do anything with almost nothing through ingenuity and determination . The authors of the book , Navi Radjou , Jaideep Prabhu , and Simone Ahuja , illustrate the concept using different case studies across the globe , making it easier to understand the true meaning of Jugaad innovation .
Most companies are currently experiencing rapid changes and scarcity of resources as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic . Consequently , firms are finding ways to complement the traditional methods of innovating , for example , adopting leaner pipelines and less investment in R & D . Prioritization is being given to projects that address the ongoing challenges .
This article discusses six principles of Jugaad innovation and how companies can learn and adopt the approach in these VUCA times where adversity seems to be the new normal .
Seek Opportunity in Adversity
There is a famous Indian porter from Gujarat called Mansukhbhai Prajapati , who exemplifies the spirit of Jugaad . Prajapati is credited for a famous innovation , the MittiCool clay innovation . Forbes named him one of the most powerful rural Indian entrepreneurs after successfully introducing clay refrigerators that worked well in the desert because they were affordable and did not need electricity .
Prajapati credited his success to an earthquake that had caused a lot of devastation in his village . After the
Beyond logical thinking , businesses must think of how they can empathize with consumers . Keeping the customers and consumers close allows companies to really understand the needs beyond what formal research or focus groups could indicate . earthquake , one of the newspaper articles had a photo of a pot smashed into pieces captioned , ‘ poor man ’ s fridge broken .’ This statement was the eureka moment for Prajapati . Despite the adversity faced , Prajapati saw an opportunity to find a solution , one that is now enjoyed by many people in 9 states and more than 63 cities . The MittiCool has received 90 awards , and many companies have adopted the concept in manufacturing items such as the nonstick pans .
Do More With Less
With companies mitigating on financial and operational exposure , how can the same firms achieve more with less ? The proper jugaad attitude can help companies accomplish a great deal with very little money . This can be achieved by optimizing the use of resources while delivering high value to customers and consumers .
Think about the boda guy ( Motor bike delivery man ) who has made more home deliveries than the usual delivery vans that are limited by the size of the shopping basket . With the lockdown , most companies have partnered with delivery firms such as SafeBoda to deliver goods to consumers safely and efficiently .
Think and Act Flexibly
The current pandemic has challenged how we think about everything . Many organizations are now shifting from long term strategic planning and forecasting and adopting short term goals . This is not to say that organizations have entirely disregarded the long-term objectives ; however , the current business environment is so fluid that what matters the most is
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