Jugaad is a Hindi word, which refers to a creative or innovative idea or work-around providing a quick, alternative way of solving or fixing a problem especially when there is lack of resources. It is widely used term in India. Sometimes, jugaad is also used describe an idea from which a person can control his or her budget, or from which they may acquire luxuries through illegal means, such as the theft of electricity or gas, producing fake bills in office, giving bribe to police etc. Now a days, jugaad is increasingly being accepted as a management technique and is recognized all over the world as an acceptable form of frugal engineering pioneered in India. Moreover, companies in India are adopting Jugaad as a practice to reduce research and development costs.
Some experts describe jugaad as common man’s innovation where he uses least amount of material and resources to increase his capability. Let’s see some out of box jugaads used by Indians across the globe.
Click on the image to enlarge!
India is developing a specialism in ‘frugal’ innovation, with entrepreneurs responding to limitations in resources (whether financial, material or institutional) and turning them into an advantage. This innovation is not being driven directly by environmental concerns. “India, so far, has done this out of compulsion. The combination of scarcity and aspiration was the trigger”, says Ramesh Mashelkar, one of India’s most eminent scientists and a board member of the Tata Group.