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Innovation In India

When you title an article India is over-hyped as an innovation hub you can count on some sharp division in the opinions of the commentators. Being that people tend to agree and disagree with that assessment with equal passion, I am a little surprised that the comments did not generate into naming calling and a whole scale slanging match.

Bernard Lunn's article on the same subject is far more informative and balanced. He makes a great point about why the kind of innovation that is happening in India is not considered to be "innovation" in the manner of Google or eBay

Today’s successful (meaning currently lucrative) innovation in India tends to be at the process and business level. These companies use technology extensively, they are technology driven and enabled, but the technology innovation is more incremental than disruptive and still uses lower cost labor as a core advantage.

He goes on to say :

Many people would not see these as innovation. They are not seen as classic “killer apps” and disruptive innovation along the lines of eBay or Google. In this view, truly great innovation should be totally independent of the cheap labor advantage or market localization.

There is no reason this type of innovation cannot come from India but also no reason that it should; the innovation spark is totally location independent today

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Anonymous said…
Hi.
I found your blog through a myriad of other blogs. Initially, it was a post on the nytimes about the movie, ' who does she think she is.' i was pleasently pleased to read snippets of your blog. especially since i am an immigrant, living in america, brown woman et al. i have gone ahead and added your blog as a favourite. i do hope to return to it not in the distant past. i also wanted to wish you happy diwali. one of my favourite childhood memories in kenya.
namaste to you and yours

nehanda.
sparodic blogging at www.aburstoflight.wordpress.com
11:42 PM
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