Sam Pitroda: Base of the pyramid innovation
Sam Pitroda on the Nature of Innovation
Dr Sam Pitroda, chairman of India’s National Knowledge Commission, interviewed in Palo Alto, California on the nature of innovation, hinting at the role of design in solving the everyday needs of everyday people.
I love this interview because at no point does Sam Pitroda associate innovation with short-term productivity, efficiency, cost reduction, more profit, more corporate products — the domain of Finance Orientation. Rather, Sam Pitroda hints at innovation on the road to ending poverty, war, hunger, deforestation, loss of species and needless human suffering. If we are not trying to make the world a better place, we are not innovating.
Design is a fundamental creative problem solving process through which the highest potential of innovation for the benefit of humankind — and ultimately, a better world — may be realized.
Thanks to @raymondpirouz for the text.
Posted in Steve
July 29th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Sam Pitroda is a legend in India. Many thanks for posting this.
August 1st, 2009 at 2:50 pm
this is a great interview. sam blew me away. i don’t know him but greatly admire him. wow.
July 16th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Although I agree with some of the things he is saying about looking at the problems of the poor, we need to think differently from Mr. Sam Pitroda. The idea of hanging plastic bags in million and millions on homes, how is this more sustainable than what we are doing in the modern sector. What is wrong with pots made of clay etc which mind you are more sustainable and cost effective and have solved certain problems of the poor so far. Obviously, there are problems with which they need help but we have to recognize that the poor may be economically poor but not poor in knowledge. It interesting to look at innovations that have been generated from the POOR BY the POOR. We need a more inclusive model where we don’t treat the poor as CONSUMERS, but producers and entrepreneurs, adding value to the chain not just providing raw materials to the modern world or opportunities for the modern sector to exploit.