Foreword

Whats New at i4C

Interview withGireendra Kasmalkar

Innovators

Events

Photo Gallery

Founding Members

What’s Inside

Issue : 2, 20 March 2015

INDIA ka IDEA

It is amazing to find the Millennial Generation more vibrant, agile and versatile even during the time of volatility, complexity and ambiguity. The enthusiasm, precision and inspiration to outperform is evident. I say this as enthusiasm towards Swaach Bharat Abhiyan, Digital Highway, and Make in India are glaringly visible.

Twitter and other social media platforms are flooded will positive messages appreciating these initiatives and team i4c believes that this positivity should be taken forward in very concrete manner. The recently concluded Goa Idea and Innovation Competition (Gi2C) 2015 for students and scholars in the state of Goa is proof of the zest and passion of our Indian innovators and i4c’s determination to provide them that platform.This issue of ‘ India ka Idea’ features the winners of Gi2C 2015 and an interview of a group of young innovators who call themselves – Team Robosapiens as they talk about their innovation ‘Shravan’ – a robotic stair climber. This issue also features discussion with our founding member, Mr. Gireendra Kasmalkar, as he talks about Indian innovators going global. We continue in our endeavor to identify and hand hold the innovators of India to highlight their technology and bring them closer to mentors and investors.

Goa- the state of Philharmonic Orchestra tunes to “Innovation Management” in sync with i4c

What’s new at i4cForeword

With the aim to mark Goa on the map of innovation, i4c in association with Goa State Innovation Council, Education Department - Govt. of Goa, Vidnyan Parishad - Goa and Persistent Systems Ltd held a first of its kind science and technology competition, Goa Idea and Innovation Competition (Gi2C) 2015 for students & Scholars in Goa. The competition took place as a part iof the 4th Bharatiya Vigyan Sammelan (BVS) 2015 showcasing the pride of how collaboration takes place at ground zero.

This competition was declared open at a meeting attended by 400 heads of various Goa schools and institutes. A total of 245 ideas from 116 institutes were submitted online on i4c portal. All the innovation entries were screened and the selected innovators presented their innovation to a panel of judges at the Kala Academy in Panaji. Of these shortlisted, top 3 winners in each group were declared. The Awards for Gi2C 2015 were given by Dr. S.W.A. Naqvi, Chairman, Goa State Innovation Council during the Valedictory session of BVS 2015 on 8th February 2015.

Dr. Abhay JereConvenor, i4cEditor, India ka Idea

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The winners received a trophy, certificate and a cash prize. Additionally, the first prize winner for each group won a tablet.

The Valedictory function of BVS 2015 and Gi2C 2015 saw distinguished dignitaries: Shri. Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy, Govt. of India, Padma Vibhushan Dr. M.S. Valiathan, Dr. Pramod Verma, Director General of M.P. Council of Science and Technology, Shri. Levinson Martins, Director, Department of Science Technology and Environment, Government of Goa, Dr. Satish Shetye, VC Goa University, Shri Jayant Sahasrabudhe, National Organizing Secretary, Vijnana Bharati.

The first edition of Gi2C 2015 ended on a positive note and the participants and organizers enthusiastically look forward to the next competition of this kind.

I. Group A (Std. Vth - VIIth) received 97 ideas. The winners were:

1. 1st Prize Winner - Nikita Soares for Food ATM (All Time Meals)2. 1st Runner up - Rujuta Haldonkar for Roller Pot3. 2nd Runner up - Tousif Khatri was third for the Water Bottle Purifier

II. Group B (Std. IXth - XIIth) received 105 ideas. The winners:

1. 1st Prize Winner - Dielle Martins for the innovation idea – Can we have flying cars? 2. 1st Runner up - U. Umarye, Shubham Sawant& V. Parabfor their innovation Hybrid Self-Sustaining Non-Conventional Energy 3. 2nd Runner up - Anish Gaunkarfor the Smart Pen

III. Group C in Group C (UG/PG/PHD) received 43 ideas and innovations and the award went to:

1. 1st Prize Winner - Manohar Vishnu for the innovation Semi-Automatic Wheelchair2. 1st Runner up - Vijay Nayak and Neha Bisth for the Non-surgical Brain Controlled 3D Printed Prostheses3. 2nd Runner up - Mukul Bandodkar & Virat Chourasia Dristi for A low cost Braille Hand Glove

What’s New at i4c

Interview

Mr. Gireendra KasmalkarManaging Director and CEO, SQS India Infosystems Pvt. Ltd .Founding Member, i4c

“i4C will be keen to help Indian innovators go global”

Interview with Founding member, i4c, Gireendra Kasmalkar

Mr. Gireendra Kasmalkar, Managing Director and CEO, SQS India Infosystems Pvt. Ltd and founding member, i4c, is positive about the innovation scenario in India at present. He believes innovation doesn’t happen in vacuum, it is the society that creates the environment for innovations to happen. In an exclusive interview with i4c, Mr. Kasmalkar said, “The huge success of the Innovations expo in December 2013 envisioned by Dr. Anand Deshpande, Mr. Prataprao Pawar and Dr. Arun Jamkar, with thousands of people, including children, standing in queue to meet innovators and see their innovations, proved that this basic pre-requisite - the positive outlook of society - is very much there. That expo turned out to be the pre-cursor for i4c.”

Talking about the challenges in the overall innovation ecosystem, Mr. Kasmalkar said,“The innovation ecosystem, as we see it today, may be limited to small pockets within larger cities in India. Although the possibility of innovation is everywhere, the vast majority of Indians may be untouched by this ecosystem. This means that whatever innovation we are seeing right now is just the tip of the ice-berg. As an ecosystem, we are missing out on large number of innovative ideas. A lot of innovation can happen simply through the diversity that we have in India - somebody coming from a very different background can think of a completely different idea to solve the same problem.”On being asked about development of the innovation ecosystem in India, he responded, “We all know that innovation is not just an idea. There are many hard steps to convert an idea into a commercially viable proposition. An ecosystem should provide support at each step towards commercialization in terms of systems, resources, guidance etc. There are many commendable efforts and initiatives towards this goal. However for me, two additional aspects must be considered. Firstly, as mentioned earlier, the ecosystem should reach out to every corner of our country. Secondly, the ecosystem should support not just technological innovations, but even other innovations such as in service models. (E.g. Rural BPOs)”.

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Interview “At the “grass-root” level, the problems may be much larger and that would require solutions to be highly innovative. That’s what I really like about Dr. Mashelkar’s “inclusive innovation” concept. In fact, sometimes I contemplate that the innovations happening in IT may suffer from trying to solve small problems due to the lack of exposure to the bigger problems and not because of any dearth of innovativeness.” Mr. Kasmalkar said.

Mr. Kasmalkar’s shares his thoughts on the scope in India for innovators to commercialize their ideas, “Innovation need not always lead to business (e.g. there can be innovation in government). However, at i4c, innovation and entrepreneurship are synonymous for our target audience because commercial success is important for them. Innovation provides possible solutions to problems and the lack of possibility for commercialization in India can also be considered a problem that requires a solution through innovation. Indeed, the “innovation” of frugal engineering specifically targeted the “problem” of the Indian price sensitivity, and the benefits were not only reaped by the Indian market but also the global market.”

Lastly, he expressed his views on i4c serving as a platform for innovators, “i4c is poised to provide innovators exactly the kind of ecosystem that I have talked about. The platform will bring in the investors and the mentors to guide an innovator on taking an idea to commercial success. It will also bring in the media to make sure the word spreads across the country to stimulate even more innovators. The government agencies are supportive and are providing resources and removing bottle-necks. There is collaboration with other like-minded platforms to maximise the benefits to the innovators. We can see, Dr. Abhay Jere, Convenor i4c, doing the heavy-lifting on all these different fronts to make this an attractive platform for innovators.”

Mr. Gireendra KasmalkarManaging Director and CEO, SQS India Infosystems Pvt. Ltd .Founding Member, i4c

Innovators

“There are more than 9,000 billing codes for individual procedures and units of care. But there is not a single billing code for patient adherence or improvement, or for helping patients stay well.”

The quotes by Clayton M Christensen – the originator of Disruptive Innovation , characterizes the espirit de corps of the young 9th & 10th graders Aadiv Shah, Harsh Bhatt, Sabhya Sehgal, Rahesh Saraf, Jeet Shah and Adesh Suri who prefer to call themselves ‘Team Robosapiens .

Shravan-The staircase negotiator

“The Disruptive Innovation of Shravan”

1. Why was your innovation called “SHRAVAN”?

Team Robosapiens: At a robotics competition in which we participated, , the theme was senior solutions. The word senior solution was applicable to Elders. We took up the challenge and put our heads together to research realizing that the difficulty faced by Elders, and the community in going up the staircases of residential or office complexes where elevators were not easily available. This was a mobility concern. We took up the challenge and started researching and found that most seniors among our family and around the community were facing a problem of climbing stairs due to which their mobility was reduced and were confined to their homes or needed people to help them around. Therefore we thought that we should do something to help them, thus the idea of ‘Shravan’ was born. In this opportunity to serve, we noticed a disruptive innovative challenge. Shravan is the name of a mythological character in Ramayana who carried his aged parents on a sling. To honor his dedication and valor, we appropriately named our innovation ‘Shravan’ – the robotic stair climber.

2. How does this disruptive technology product ‘Shravan’ offer solace to the recipients of the service?

Team Robosapiens :First - ‘Shravan’ is a staircase negotiator. It has an undercarriage, using a rack and pinion mechanism.Second - It works on a unique algorithm which helps to keep the wheelchair in a horizontal position during an ascend and descend. The algorithm builds a safety mechanism by ensuring the centre of gravity operates between the frames of the lower limbs. This eliminates any kind of mishap. Third - The weight of the whole machine is supported by 4 sets of roller wheels. These are independent of each other. The roller wheels are equipped with anti-skid brakes. Fourth - The USP of ‘Shravan’’ is its robustness even on a rough terrain.

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Innovators3. Does a disruptive innovative product like “SHRAVAN” face challenges?

Team Robosapiens:The greatest challenge was shaping up the algorithm. To derive a mechanism by which one could climb stairs as well as keep the platform horizontal. ‘Shravan’ has been built with the help of Lego parts which have their own limitations. The first prototype that was made was very bulky. After working on the model for some more time, we created a design which eliminated the slag and was much more compact and efficient.

4) How will “SHRAVAN” contribute in solving the problems of the Society?

Team Robosapiens: The demand for mobility assistance tools will increase as society ages and ‘Shravan’is an ideal tool to ensure mobility and independence during such times. Its uses are not restricted to senior citizens and can also be used by people suffering from diseases that affect movement like Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy etc. Above all it helps seniors to remain independent, engaged in activity and connected with the rest of the world.

5) What is the current status of “SHRAVAN”? Do you plan to develop it into a commercial product under the guidance of your mentors?

Team Robosapiens: ‘Shravan’ is at prototype stage made out of LEGO Mindstorms. Soon we will be planning to make a real life model. Yes for sure; we do plan to make it into a commercial model and hope to see it in market soon. We have applied for a patent for our innovation with the help of our mentor and parents.

6) As a Young Innovator, what message will you like to give children of your age?

Team Robosapiens:We would like to tell everyone that you must never stop dreaming. Even if it is the craziest of idea, write it down. You never know when that may become a reality. A lot can be achieved with being dedicated towards a goal. One only needs to look at everyday solutions for everyday problems to realize that there is a lot to be done.

“Motivation is the catalyzing ingredient for every successful innovation. The same is true for learning.” ― Clayton M. Christensen, Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns

Shravan-The staircase negotiator

Recent Events Upcoming EventsMahaIdea 2015 To recognize and felicitate novel ideas & innovations amongst students in the State of Maharashtra.

Inclusive Innovations 2015National level Expo for pioneering Innovations.

Goa Idea & Innovation Competetion (Gi2C) 20158th Ferbuary 2015

Dignitaries during the Award ceremony

Winner of Gi2C 2015

Gi2C 2015

Award being given by Dr. S.W.A. Naqvi, Chair-man, Goa State Innovation Council

Group photo of all winners with the Dignitaries & Organizers of Gi2C 2015

Award ceremony – Gi2C 2015

i4c house of expertsThe founding member’s team of i4c boasts of pack of experts with an exceptional experience.

Dr. Anand DeshpandeCEO & Managing Director,Persistent Systems Limited

Dr. Ganesh Natrajan Vice President andCEO, Zensar Technologies

Mr. Sharad Kalmegh Founder President, SwargiyaDadasaheb Kalmegh Smruti Pratishthan Dental College & Hospital

Mr. Bharat AgarwalExecutive Director,Vishwakarma Institute of Technology

Dr. Arun JamkarVice Chancellor, MaharashtraUniversity of Health Sciences (MUHS)

Mr. Ashok KatariaChairman, Ashoka Buildcom Ltd.

Mr. Shrikrishna ChitalePartner, Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale

Mr.. K. R. NatuManaging Director, Deccan Mechanicaland Chemical Industries Private Limited(DEMECH)

Mr. Ravi Pandit Co-founder, Chairman andGroup CEO of KPIT Technologies

Dr. Rajendra Jagdale Director General, Sciene andTechnology Park, UoP

Mr. Gireendra Kasmalkar MD and CEO, SQS India

Mr. Abhay Gadgil Partner, PN Gadgil and Sons

Mr. Pramod ChaudhariExecutive Chairman, Praj Industries

Mr. Ajay BhagwatFounder, Renu Electronics

Mr. C. ManivannanPresident, Suma Soft Pvt Ltd

Mr. Aniket AusekarCo-founder and CEO, Evolvus

About i4c AcknowledgementWhat is i4c?• i4c is an independent, non-profit entity. • i4c will act as a platform to proactively scout, showcase and handhold technology innovations,

especially aimed at the base of the pyramid.• Through i4C, we wish to systematically support innovations and innovators and make

themmarket ready. • i4c will also aggressively work to promote the culture of Innovation through crowdsourcing of

new ideas, Grand Challenges and Innovation Competitions. • Our mentors include esteemed personalities like Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, Mr. Kiran Karnik &

Dr. Anil Kakodkar.

Our Achievements within a year of inception• Partner with CII, DST and AICTE in India’s biggest Innovation Challenge - India Innovation

Initiative (i3), 2014.• Knowledge partner in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by Govt. of India, 2014.• Knowledge & Technical partner at National Level Summit on Srijan Bharati 2014 - Safe drinking water

and sanitation organized by Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Govt. of India.• Inclusive Innovation 2013 was the most successful Innovation Initiative in India till date :

- 150+ Innovations showcased - 1,50,000+ people witnessed these innovations - 50+ industrialists involved in determining the commercial sustainability of innovations

• Knowledge Partner for Deloitte reports – Inclusive Indian Innovations – Perspectives & Case Studies (2013) and the Innovation Ecosystem in India (2014).

Contact :Dr. Abhay Jere Convenor i4C,Editor, India ka Idea

Persistent Systems Ltd.Aryabhatta-Pingala 9A/12,Erandwane, Pune-411004,Maharashtra, India.020-67036702

www.i4c.co.inidea@i4c.co.inwww.facebook.com/InclusiveInnovations

@IndiaKaIdea

i4c

We would like to acknowledge and thank the design and editorial team for their contribution in this issue of the i4c e-newsletter ‘India ka Idea’

Editorial Team Design Team• Abhay Jere • Sayali Bhagali • Disha Singh

Ankita Dumbare