<ul><li><keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword> is one of the most loved and highly-paid actors in Asia, who holds a mass appeal.</li><li>His unique sense of dialogue delivery and the swiftness of his actions helped create the brand ‘Rajinikanth’.</li><li>Earlier this week, Rajinikanth said that he is disbanding his political party.</li></ul>Sivaji Rao Gaekwad has had it tough, early on in his life. After schooling, he took up various jobs and worked as a carpenter, coolie and finally a bus conductor in Bangalore. Born in Bangalore in 1950, Gaekwad worked as a bus conductor in the 1970s before he made his debut in Tamil cinema in 1975 with the film Apoorva Ragangal. Gaekwad was reincarnated as Rajinikanth. But this story is not about his filmography. This is an effort to look back at his complete volte-face on politics. Earlier this week, the Dadasaheb Phalke award winner said that he has disbanded his political party putting an end -- seeming once and for all -- to his noncommittal tryst with politics. In Tamil Nadu, movie stars taking a plunge into politics has always been a norm. Movie stars like J Jayalalithaa and M G Ramachandran, commonly known as MGR, have been chief ministers of the state representing the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). AIADMK’s rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) former leader, late M. Karunanidhi also wrote scripts and dialogues for films. So, when it came to Rajinikanth, the public expected him to follow the same path. He first dipped his toe into the arena back in 1996, by campaigning against the then chief minister Jayalalithaa. His speech against the former actress stated, “If Jayalalithaa is voted back to power, even God cannot save Tamil Nadu," causing shockwaves and leading to the defeat of the AIADMK in the elections that year. Bus conductor, movie superstar and people’s favourite Rajini’s appeal to masses comes from his encapsulation of the working class and labourers in the roles he chooses. For example, in his film Muthu, one of the songs — Oruvan Oruvan Mudhalali — talks about the role of equality and humanity. Another song Naan Autokaran from the movie Baashha captured the attention of the auto drivers association as the song praised the community. While his mass appeal and stardom in south India helped the DMK in the 1996 Assembly Election, it was not the same in 1998 when the General Elections took place. The DMK was only able to secure 9 seats out of 39. Since the defeat, Rajini has steered clear of politics for more than six years and focused on his film career and personal life. Political and ‘not so’ political phase After the failure he faced in the 1998 general elections, in 2004 he entered into politics again by raising his voice against the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) and supported the AIADMK-BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) alliance as PMK had created a big ruckus against his film ‘Baba’. Though Rajinikanth did not change his opinion on Jayalalithaa, he supported the alliance thinking that the BJP will work for ‘linking all the rivers in the country’ to solve the drinking water crisis. His efforts against PMK was all in vain once again as the party won only 5 seats in the Lok Sabha election. Later in the same year, the BJP-AIADMK alliance was not able to win even a single seat in the state assembly election that followed. Meanwhile, he was changing the trend and style of Tamil cinema with his mannerisms and unique dialogues. “Nan oru thadava sonna nooru thadava sonna madhiri”, (If i say it once, its equivalent to having said it a hundred time) -- a punch dialogue from the movie Baashha and “En vazhi thani vazhi”(My way is a unique way) from Padayappa are something which people celebrate even today. Rajinikanth goes through a crisis The Tamil Superstar was about to appear in Rana, a period film to be produced by his daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth and directed by K. S. Ravikumar. But he suffered a mild foodborne illness in the sets for which he had to undergo medications. After that he was rushed to St. Isabel's hospital, in Chennai, for breathlessness and fever. He was also admitted to the Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute in the month of May for respiratory and gastrointestinal problems. In this phase Rajinikanth was completely hospitalised and did not indulge in politics much except for his support to the AIADMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections in 2011. In 2014, his political stature grew as Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the actor at his residence before the general elections. Both of them denied that there were no political indications in the visit, but it seemed like both held each other in great regard. After that the BJP put in all the efforts to make Rajinikanth join the party thinking about his stardom and the 1996 elections. <div type="image" title="Graph of his political journey" msid="84464061" hostid="261"></div> Finally the wait was over He started to meet his fans across Tamil Nadu and gave a hint that he was entering politics in 2017. Just before the New Year, he organised a fan meet-and-greet — an event went on for six days. Fans from more than 20 districts were present at the meet. Finally, he addressed the gathering at the Raghvendra hall in Chennai on December 3, 2017 where he opened up about his entry into politics. Soon after his announcement, the ‘Rajini fans welfare association’ was transformed and established as a political party named ‘Rajini Makkal Mandram’. He visited the Himalayas for his movie ‘Baba’ which was released in the year 2002 and started to breathe spirituality back into his life and this was regarded as the reason he chose the ‘Baba symbol’ as the logo for the mandram. However, he has always mentioned that he will be into “spiritual politics”. U-turn happened Even after his announcement regarding the entry to politics, Rajinikanth decided not to take part in the 2019 general elections and also clearly said that his party, Rajini Makkal Mandram will not support any political party in the Lok Sabha elections. Rajnikanth finally ended the suspense and tweeted on 3 December, 2020 that he will bring back his political party in January 2021. The people were expecting the Rajini Makkal Mandram, to take part in the 2021 state election in Tamil Nadu. He also stated that the public wants transparent, honest, corruption-free, secular, caste-less, and spiritual politics. Chaos comes to an end Though he nodded yes to politics, the superstar of Tamil cinema, announced clearly on July 12, 2021 that he has no plans to enter politics, after a discussion with the ‘Rajini Makkal Mandram’. He also added that the Mandram has been dissolved. A separate meeting happened with the party authorities in the Raghavendra Mandapam (hall) in Kodambakkam on 12 July, after which the actor announced his decision in a press meet. He stated that the party will be back to ‘Rajinikanth Fans Welfare Association’ with the same members. In his Twitter account, he released a notice announcing the decision. He also added that he has been under medication and has been to the US for medicinal examinations followed by the shooting of his upcoming film Annaatthe, which is why he will not be able to concentrate on politics anymore. <a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E6Es1NbUUAALiUq.jpg">https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E6Es1NbUUAALiUq.jpg</a> After this announcement, it seems pretty clear that the actor has shut the door forever. SEE ALSO - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/netflix-plans-to-add-video-games-to-its-categories/articleshow/84433119.cms">Netflix will reportedly add video games on its platform ‘within the next year’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/just-dial-share-price-surge-as-mukesh-ambani-is-looking-to-buy-just-dial/articleshow/84432450.cms">As Mukesh Ambani reportedly dials in, Just Dial stocks surge 3%</a>

The political flip-flops of Superstar Rajinikanth over the last three decades

<ul><li>The government of India on Sunday decided to lockdown 75 districts across India after the seven deaths in the country.</li><li>Services of Ola and Uber will not be available in Delhi till March 31 amid the lockdown announced by the state government.</li><li>The World Health Organization (WHO) is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staffers after a <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> study showed that the virus could survive in the air. </li></ul>The number of Coronavirus infected people in India is heralding the onset of the third and critical phase of the pandemic. The <keyword id="405860" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Council-for-Medical-Research">Indian Council for Medical Research</keyword> <a href="https://icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/whats_new/ICMR_website_update_22March_6PM_IST.pdf">data</a> showed that India now has 415 infected people; out of which 23 recovered and seven died. Karnataka bars non-essential services in 9 districts The Karnataka government on Monday barred non-essential services in nine districts with certain exceptions to ensure social distancing and isolation to contain the spread of coronavirus. The restrictions will apply to revenue districts of Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kalaburagi, Chikballapur, Mysuru, Madhugiri, Dharwad, Mangaluru and Belagavi from 12 am on Monday to 12 am on April 1. "To adopt strict social distancing and isolation measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, the government of Karnataka in exercise of the powers conferred under The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases COVID-19 Regulations 2020 has imposed the following restrictions," said an official statement. TN allocates ₹500 cr for prevention Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami on Monday said an additional sum of ₹500 crore will be allocated for preventive measures against the spread of Coronavirus in the state. Announcing this in the state Palaniswami said a sum of Rs.60 crore was earlier allocated for preventing the spread of Coronavirus in the state and now an additional sum of Rs.500 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose. Maha toll rises to 3 after a Filipino dies A 68-year old Filipino national succumbed to the coronavirus, taking the state total to three dead and 89 infected, officials said on Monday. The foreigner had initially tested positive and was admitted to the Kasturba Hospital. Later he recovered and tested negative after which he was shifted to a private hospital where he succumbed late on Sunday. The patient suffered from diabetes mellitus and asthma, and subsequently developed acute kidney failure and severe breathing problems to which he succumbed. Lockdown in 75 districts: Indian government The government of India on Sunday decided to lockdown 75 districts across India after the seven deaths were reported. The list of districts including Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata are going on lockdown starting Monday. All public transports including metros, trains and other facilities will be suspended till March 31 across several states while the lockdown will allow only essential services like food supply, dairy and pharma to function. Uber, Ola to suspend services in Delhi till March 31 Services of Ola and Uber will not be available in Delhi till March 31 amid the lockdown announced by the state government. The Delhi government on Sunday announced lockdown from March 23 to 31, under which no public transport, including private buses, taxis and autorickshaws will be allowed. “Uber is complying with all Central and State Government directives related to its services for containing the spread of Coronavirus,” an Uber spokesperson said in response to a query. An Ola spokesperson said the company “will enable a minimal network of vehicles to support essential services in cities, wherever applicable, as part of this national effort to reduce the contagion of COVID-19”. KLM flight with Indian nationals stranded in Amsterdam lands in Delhi A day after being denied permission to land in India, a KLM flight with 113 Indians who were stranded in Amsterdam landed in New Delhi on Sunday evening. Government sources had on Sunday indicated that a special KLM flight would be allowed to enter India on Sunday as a special case. The Indians, returning from the US, had been stranded in Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport for four days without food or water or place to sleep after their flight was turned back mid-air two hours away from Delhi airport. MP cases rise to 6, after two more tests positive With another man from Jabalpur testing positive on Sunday, the number of Coronavirus cases rose to six in Madhya Pradesh. Till Friday, there were only four positive cases— three who returned from Dubai and one from Germany— had tested positive in Jabalpur. A sixth victim is a man in his early 40s who works at a shop in Dubai. He was hospitalised for Covid-19 in Jabalpur, health officials said. Hours before him, a 26-year-old woman studying law, who returned from London tested positive for COVID-19, an official said. She is the first COVID-19 case in the state capital. Andhra reports the first case of local Covid-19 transmission Andhra Pradesh on Sunday reported the first case of local transmission of Covid-19 as a woman, close contact of a man tested positive earlier, was found infected. With this, the total number of Covid-19 cases rose to six in the state. The 49-year-old was a close contact of a 65-year-old male patient, who had returned from Saudi Arabia. The man had reached Hyderabad Airport from Saudi Arabia and then travelled to Visakhapatnam on March 12. He was admitted to Government Chest Hospital Visakhapatnam on March 17 and tested positive. Study shows Coronavirus can survive in the air The World Health Organization is considering “airborne precautions” for medical staffers after a Coronavirus study showed that the virus could survive in the air. Coronavirus was said to be transmitted through droplets of saliva, and mostly through sneezing or coughing. In a virtual news conference on Monday Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases unit, said, “When you do an aerosol-generating procedure like in a medical care facility, you have the possibility to what we call aerosolize these particles, which means they can stay in the air a little bit longer.” Vehicle production to be largely impacted Following the lockdown, Toyota’s India joint venture halted production of cars at its Bidadi plant. Followed by two-wheeler major Honda Motorcycle India and Hyundai Motor India will also suspend vehicle production at its Chennai facility from Monday till further notice as a measure to stop the spread of Coronavirus, the company has said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/data-of-coronavirus-patients-state-wise-in-india/articleshow/74669748.cms">Coronavirus cases in India state wise</a>

Indian Coronavirus cases rise to 468, after nine dead and 34 cured

The <keyword id="6360789" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi-Government">Modi government</keyword>’s plan to develop 100 <keyword id="6377036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-cities">smart cities</keyword> has stirred a debate on its strategy or lack of it on the fate of the existing cities in the country. 
 
Over the years, lack of infrastructure and unplanned growth turned Indian cities into a real mess. While urbanisation has enhanced economic, social and political progress, it has resulted in socio-economic mismatch among people. Also, rapid growth of urban population has put enormous pressure on public utilities like housing, sanitation, transport, water and electricity besides pushing unemployment among rural immigrants. Urbanisation deserves immediate attention as according to reports by 2030, more than 50 % of India’s population is expected to live in urban areas. 
 
Urban sprawl, the expansion of the cities in terms of population and geographical area (which is rapidly taking over the precious agricultural land) has been one of the key problems which authorities failed to tackle. Continuous immigration from rural areas has consistently added to the size of the cities. This has led to a situation where economic base of most cities is incapable of dealing with the problems created by the huge growth of urban population. Metro cities are clear examples urban sprawl due to large scale migration of people from the different states, seeking employment opportunities. 
 
Unplanned growth has also resulted in overcrowding—a situation where too many people live in too little space. For instance, Mumbai has one-sixth of an acre open space per thousand people though four acre is considered normal. This kind of overcrowding leads to heavy pressure on infrastructural facilities. 
 
Overcrowding leads to shortage of houses in urban areas. Housing is a bigger issue in those cities where there is large influx of immigrants. According to a recent study, around 40% of all married couples in India do not have an independent room for themselves. Around 35% of families in urban areas live in one-room houses. About one third of urban Indian families have houses without a proper kitchen, bathroom and a toilet—and there is no supply of water or power in some cases. 
 
Overcrowded cities are a breeding ground for unemployment. According to an estimate, about 50% of all urban unemployed who are educated are concentrated in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Though those living in cities earn more than those in the villages, their incomes are low considering the high cost of living in urban pockets. Unless government streamlines the large-scale migration to cities, unemployment in cities will continue to rise. 
 Another consequence of unplanned growth of urban areas is the spread of <keyword id="6367743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="slums">slums</keyword>. In the recent years, industrialisation has led to rapid urbanisation which has resulted in undeterred growth of slums. 
 
A slew of reasons such as the large influx of rural migrants to the cities, the shortage of land for housing development and high prices of land contribute to the growth of slums. No wonder, this has been exerting huge pressure on civic amenities and infrastructure. 
Inadequate transportation is another challenge faced by people living in cities. As cities grow, more people are required to travel to work or shop, leading to clogged roads and unending traffic jams. 
 
Scarcity of drinking water is perhaps the biggest challenge thrown up by haphazard development of cities in India. In fact, no city in India gets sufficient water to meet the needs of city dwellers. In many cities, people get water from the municipal sources for less than half an hour every alternative day. In dry summer season, taps remain dry for days together. 
 
This in addition to growing problems of lack of proper sewerage management, trash disposal and pollution besides surging crime rates in cities. It is high time the government figured out whether developing select smart cities or solving the litany of problems faced by people living in existing cities should be its priority. 
 
Image: thinkstock

Smart Cities Are Good Idea, But What About Existing Ones?

Unilever, the world-famous consumer goods company, is in trouble lately. Mercury contamination that its thermometer factory has spread in the air and soil of Kodaikanal, a hill station in southern India, has lead to a protest. The 27-year old Chennai-born rapper <keyword id="2981644" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sofia-Ashraf">Sofia Ashraf</keyword> made a rap video, stating how Kodaikanal won’t (sit silent anymore) and set it to the tune of <keyword id="560006" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nicki-Minaj">Nicki Minaj</keyword>'s “Anaconda” and the video has gone viral (with over a million views) in just 4 days, and for all the right reasons. Sofia’s powerful lyrics describe how the company failed to clean up its ‘toxic shit’ in 14 years, despite all the Corporate Social Responsibility acts that it claims to undertake. 
 The video has been conceived and directed by Rathindran R Prasad, and has garnered appreciation and support from eminent personalities like <keyword id="15016" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nandita-Das">Nandita Das</keyword>, <keyword id="6373601" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vishal-Dadlani">Vishal Dadlani</keyword>, and yes, Nicki Minaj herself. 
 
Here are the tweets and status updates supporting the movement: 
 
Nandita Das 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Could a rap music video about Kodaikanal's mercury disaster do what years of protests have failed to? <a href="http://t.co/vN1Z2MAIvd">http://t.co/vN1Z2MAIvd</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/scroll_in">@scroll_in</a>
	— Nandita Das (@nanditadas) <a href="https://twitter.com/nanditadas/status/627797601438445568">August 2, 2015</a></blockquote>
 
Vishal Dadlani

	
		<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/vishaldadlaniofficial/posts/1633034570268978">
			
				Like hip hop?This is the newest, coolest rap track out there . Watch it, listen to the lyrics, and share extensively please.https://youtu.be/nSal-ms0vcI
			Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vishaldadlaniofficial">Vishal Dadlani</a> on&#xa0;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/vishaldadlaniofficial/posts/1633034570268978">Friday, 31 July 2015</a></blockquote>
	

Nicki Minaj 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
	
		Wow <a href="https://t.co/dZCIT186iN">https://t.co/dZCIT186iN</a>
	— NICKI MINAJ (@NICKIMINAJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/627274179507830784">August 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
The said factory in question was shut down in 2001 by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for crossing the limits of environmental pollution, but the contamination is yet to be cleared from KodaiKanal and the surrounding hills. 
 
In a shocking discovery, we came to know that the company had dumped almost 15 tones of broken thermometers that contained mercury in the scrap yard of the said factory, and this figure doesn’t even take into account several tones of mercury that was discharged into the surrounding air and water while the company operated. The lethality of this can be estimated by the fact that a single gram of mercury is capable enough to contaminate 25-acre lake. 
 
The people of Kodaikanal, along with the factory workers and their families are suffering from chronic health problems, with kids being born with genetic problems. 
 
The video has gone viral and had 11,29,839 views by the time the story was written. 
 
Watch the video here: 
 
 
 
Courtesy: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHjM-1jjik-vuDEXHfl1Xpw">Jhatkaa</a>

Kodaikanal Won’t! Protest video garners support from celebrities

We are entering an Age of Complexity manifested by intensified economic unpredictability, tectonic demographic and technological shifts, and accelerating scarcity of resources. Adversity has become the new normal. The good news is that we humans are typically good at coping with adversity. From a biological perspective, humans are pre-programmed to react predictably to adverse—and even hostile—situations thanks to our well-perfected “fight-or-flight” instinct. Sadly, however, this preconditioned “fight-or-flight” reaction fails to produce optimal responses in today’s complex world. When we face an intractable problem many of us tend to throw in the towel quickly or keep on fighting the issue wishing it will vanish. Now visualize this: what if you could transcend this binary “fight-or-flight” reaction and uncover a “third way”—a new outlook that empowers you to see adversity as an opportunity for personal and collective growth? Adversity will suddenly morph into your ally—an ally that can ignite your ingenuity and drive you to the unearthing of revolutionary solutions that yield amazing value for yourselves and for humanity. You will become a modern day alchemist—one who can literally transmute adversity into opportunity. Such alchemists do exist—and many of them live in emerging markets like India. 
 
Take Kanak Das, a young man who lives in Morigaon, a remote village in the northeast Indian state of Assam. Das got sick of riding his bicycle on poor village roads filled with potholes and bumps. Assume you were an R&amp;D engineer who works for <keyword id="6355174" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ford">Ford</keyword>, <keyword id="6355119" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="BMW">BMW</keyword>, or <keyword id="6374528" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Toyota">Toyota</keyword> trying to design a car that can ride smoothly on such potholes-filled roads: your “fight” instinct would have told you to design better shock absorbers to overcome the bumps. But Das didn’t “fight” the bumps: instead, he used this constraint to his advantage by equipping his bicycle with a makeshift device that converts the shocks it gets into acceleration energy—enabling his bicycle to run faster on bumpy roads! 
 
Das literally transformed adversity into an opportunity to innovate and extract value from the very problem he confronted. Das epitomizes the spirit of jugaad. Jugaad is a hindi word meaning an innovative fix or an improvised solution born from ingenuity and cleverness. Jugaad is, quite simply, a unique way of thinking and acting in response to challenges; it is the gutsy art of spotting opportunities in the most adverse circumstances and resourcefully improvising solutions using simple means. Jugaad is about seeing the glass always half-full. 
 
Jugaad Innovators: The Modern Day Alchemists 
 Jugaad is practised by almost all Indians in their daily lives to make the most of what they have. Jugaad applications include finding new shrewd uses for everyday objects—Indian kitchens are replete with empty soft drink or pickle bottles reused as containers for water, spices, or lentils— or inventing new utilitarian applications and ingenious solutions with everyday objects, like using cellphones to make “missed calls”. 
The entrepreneurial spirit of jugaad is not limited to India. It is widely practised across all emerging economies such as China, <keyword id="12925" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Africa">Africa</keyword>, and Brazil, where resilient entrepreneurs are also pursuing growth in difficult circumstances. The Brazilians have their own word for this resourceful approach: jeitinho. The Chinese call it zizhu chuangxin, or indigenous innovation (in contrast with shanzhai, meaning copycat versions of foreign-made products). The Kenyans refer to it as jua kali. In our book Jugaad Innovation, my co-authors and I delved into the frugal and flexible mindset of thousands of ingenious entrepreneurs and enterprises around the world practicing jugaad to creatively address critical socio-economic issues in their communities. In Kenya, for instance, entrepreneurs have invented a device that enables bicycle riders to charge their cellphones while pedalling. 
 
In the Philippines, Illac Diaz invented A litre of light—a recycled plastic bottle containing bleach-processed water that refracts sunlight, producing the equivalent of a 55-watt light bulb. This product—which costs only $1—is a boon for scores of Filipino families living in makeshift houses in off-the-grid shantytowns. And in <keyword id="15735" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lima">Lima</keyword>, <keyword id="6360497" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Peru">Peru</keyword> (a country with 98% humidity that receives only 1 inch of rain a year), the local university of engineering and Technology (UTEC) has designed advertising billboards that can generate up to 100 litres of potable water out of humid air each day. 
 
The jugaad innovators we studied all hail from different cultures and social and professional backgrounds. Yet they all share one unique quality: their uncanny ability to “make lemonade with any lemon” they are given. They are resilient entrepreneurs who overcame tremendous difficulties to invent ingenious solutions to vexing issues afflicting our societies. Like magicians, they conjured up these innovative solutions out of thin air—using meagre resources. Just as an alchemist can convert low-value metal into high-value gold, these frugal innovators can “do more with less”: they can create lot more value using far fewer resources. 
 
What Makes Jugaad innovators— And Their solutions—Unique? 
Despite their diversity, all the jugaad innovators—be they entrepreneurs or corporate leaders—we studied in India and other emerging markets all have the following unique personality traits in common: 
 
They are empathetic 
They recognize that their fellow citizens are suffering from adverse circumstances (e.g., poor access to healthcare or education services) and strive to lessen their pain. It is this compassion for other beings that sparks their own passion to discovering pertinent solutions to issues afflicting others. 
 
For instance, Jane Chen, a Stanford MBA, was deeply moved by the fact that 20 million babies are born prematurely or with a low birth weight each year worldwide, and four million of them die, most in developing nations, because their parents can’t afford to maintain them in baby incubators, which are too expensive. To address this issue, Jane co-founded Embrace, which makes inexpensive portable infant warmers that low income mothers in rural India, China, and Africa can use to keep their premature babies warm, and thus save their lives. 
 
They are driven by a higher purpose 
 
Jugaad innovators are not driven by fame or money. Rather, they are motivated by the aspiration to build “a better world”. This higher purpose provides them great ethical clarity and serves as an inner compass that guides all their decisions and actions. 
 
For instance, brothers <keyword id="299988" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Abhishek-Sinha">Abhishek Sinha</keyword> and Abhinav Sinha co-founded Eko to make <keyword id="6354241" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Financial-Services">financial services</keyword> affordable and accessible to the 600 million Indians who can’t avail of banking services. Eko enables low income people to open a savings account in a kirana (neighborhood retail store) and then merely use a mobile phone to deposit/withdraw cash as well as send/receive money. 
 
They are nonconformists 
 
Jugaad innovators boldly challenge the status quo by relentlessly posing the question: “why not?” They exhibit what Samuel Taylor Coleridge calls “uncommon common sense”: they develop counterintuitive solutions that flout conventional wisdom or even turn it on its head. 
 
For example, when <keyword id="6360722" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword> announced his decision to produce the Nano industry experts and media analysts scoffed at the idea of making a $2,000 car, for which they believed there would be no market. But the maverick Tata stuck to his counterintuitive decision and he ended up creating not only a breakthrough car but he also shaped an entire new market for subcompact cars that western automakers are jumping into lately. 
 
They are ingeniously resourceful 
 
Just like MacGyver (the famed TV action hero who can escape from any predicament by improvising solutions using just his Swiss Army knife), jugaad innovators display great ingenuity in the face of challenges. They leverage their (inner) resourcefulness when they have no external resources to tap into. They embody the frugal “bricoleurs” whom the legendary anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss lauded in his seminal book La Pensée Sauvage. According to Lévi-Strauss, a bricoleur taps into existing resources to quickly solve a problem—unlike an engineer who goes searching for the best resources available to design a perfect solution. 
 
Mansukh Prajapati is one such bricoleur: a potter by training, he created Mitticool, the world’s “greenest” fridge made entirely of clay that consumes no electricity and is 100% biodegradable. 
 
They are adaptable 
 
Jugaad innovators possess an agile mindset that enables them to rapidly shift course and reach their objectives by trying out various approaches. They are not wedded to any specific approach or tool to solving problems. Their sense of purpose is steadfast (“make the world a better place”) but their method to serving that purpose is dynamic and constantly evolving. Hence, they are resilient and can “reinvent” themselves continually. 
 
For example, Harish Hande founded Selco in 1995 to debunk the myths that poor people can’t afford <keyword id="6357019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="solar-energy">solar energy</keyword> and cannot maintain sustainable technologies. Conservative banks refused to fund his start-up and he initially struggled to convince rural consumers to switch from cheap-but-polluting kerosene to solar systems. But Hande applied his flexible thinking to improvise an ingenious solution that involves a grassroots network of micro-entrepreneurs who charge, install, maintain, and collect payment for solar lighting systems that they rent to people in remote villages. 
 
These personality traits of jugaad innovators also pervade the clever solutions they conceive. All their astute solutions (products or services) share the following attributes: 
 
• They deliver more value at less cost: Their ingenious solutions are low-cost (or much less expensive than alternative solutions in the market) and yet they offer much greater value for users. As a result, these solutions deliver “more value for less”. For instance, the embrace portable infant warmer costs less than $200—or 1% of the cost of western baby incubators priced at $20,000. More importantly, mothers can now hold against them their premature babies— dramatically boosting their chances of survival. That’s real value! 
• They are simple to use and maintain: The solutions are designed to be incredibly simple to use and maintain, thus lowering their “adoption barriers” for a larger number of users. For example, Eko’s mobile banking and payment services can be accessed using even the most basic mobile handset. This ease of use is a key success factor of Eko’s service which today counts 2 million clients. 
• They are inclusive: The solutions make critical products and services available and accessible to “marginal segments” of the society—e.g., low income people, the elderly, ethnic minorities— who traditionally couldn’t afford or access these products/services due their high cost or high complexity. For example, Selco’s solar lighting systems are now used by over 125,000 rural households across India (Selco aims to serve 200,00 households by 2013). 
• They are sustainable: The solutions are both environmentally and socially sustainable. First, these solutions are eco-friendly and minimize use of natural resources. Second, these solutions contribute to the social sustainability of local communities by spawning new “ecosystems” that create new jobs, etc.—thus catalysing a virtuous cycle of enduring socio-economic growth. For instance, Mansukh Prajapati involves many women in his village in Gujarat to produce his Mitticools, thus creating gainful employment for local community members. 
 
The rise of Jugaad innovation in The West The developed world, like emerging economies, is increasingly facing its own problems in areas such as healthcare, education, finance, and community development. Cash-strapped western governments, however, are unable to deal with these challenges on their own. In this context, a new wave of flexible-minded jugaad innovators in the US and Europe are emerging. These nonconformists are turning the conventional practices of many industries upside down, and in the process creating affordable and sustainable products and services for more citizens. 
 
For instance, Sal Khan founded Khan Academy to democratize access to education and make learning more fun for kids. He has created over 4,000 video tutorials for math, sciences, and engineering that are freely available on <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> and are today viewed by over 6 million users a month. Similarly, Erik Douglas co-founded CellScope, a start-up that converts your smartphone into a medical diagnosis tool so you can do ear, throat, and skin exams at home without having to visit an expensive lab. CellScope is a boon for the 50 million Americans who lack medical insurance. And to meet the needs of the 68 million Americans today who are unbanked or underbanked, <keyword id="2787085" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Danny-Shader">Danny Shader</keyword> founded PayNearme, which enables US citizens without credit/debit cards to pay for online transactions by cash in local convenient stores. 
 
Universities too are joining this jugaad innovation movement in the west. Several higher education institutions in the US and Europe are training a new breed of engineers and managers to design next-generation products and services that can deal with scarcity in a frugal and sustainable manner. For instance, Stanford runs a very popular multidisciplinary program called entrepreneurial design for Extreme Affordability. And <keyword id="54274" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="MIT">MIT</keyword>, with funding from Ratan Tata, recently launched the <keyword id="2481320" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Tata-Center-for-Technology-and-Design">Tata Center for Technology and Design</keyword> to train future generation of engineers and business leaders to create affordable technologies and inclusive systems that meet the needs of resource-constrained communities in the developing world. Finally, several vanguard western corporations— helmed by visionary CEOs—are pioneering the adoption of jugaad innovation. The most notable of them is the global carmaker <keyword id="70040" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Renault-Nissan">Renault-Nissan</keyword>, whose CEO, <keyword id="69288" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Carlos-Ghosn">Carlos Ghosn</keyword> famously coined the term “frugal engineering” in 2006 to describe the Indian engineers’ unique ability to conceive high-quality solutions faster, better, and cheaper. Ghosn is a big admirer of the jugaad mindset. As he puts it: “In the west, when we face huge problems and we lack resources, we tend to give up (too) easily. Jugaad is about never giving up!” In 2012, he sent Gérard Detourbet, a senior French executive in charge of <keyword id="43777" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Renault">Renault</keyword>’s entry-level car business, to India. From his new R&amp;D center in Chennai, Detourbet will be designing and producing several vehicles—all built on the ultra-low-cost “A-entry” platform—that will first be launched in India and then marketed in Brazil and <keyword id="6355117" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="South-Africa">South Africa</keyword>. There is no doubt that when Detourbet returns to Renault’s headquarters in Paris, he will carry with him the flexible jugaad mindset he acquired in India. 
 
Ultimately, the ingenious solutions devised by these audacious jugaad innovators—our modern day alchemists—in emerging markets as well as in developed economies stand out not because they are “clever” but because they bring hope to millions around the world. In today’s morose economic climate and challenging social context, these alchemists help transmute pessimism into optimism—and that, by itself, is priceless. These ingenious alchemists—and their frugal and agile jugaad mindset—not only represent the hope for humanity but they also help restore our faith in humanity. 
 This article is partially adapted from the book Jugaad Innovation: A Frugal And Flexible Approach To Innovation For The 21st Century (<keyword id="189391" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Random-House-India">Random House India</keyword>, 2012). 
 (<keyword id="373112" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Navi-Radjou">Navi Radjou</keyword>, an innovation and leadership strategist based in <keyword id="6357722" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="silicon-valley">Silicon Valley</keyword> and <keyword id="192175" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="co-author">co-author</keyword> of best selling books including Jugaad Innovation; From Smart to Wise: Acting and Leading with Wisdom; and most recently Frugal Innovation: How to do more with less, leads an engaging discussion with a group of like minded individuals brought together by Thinkers (<a href="http://www.thinkers.in/">www.thinkers.in</a>) on how new technologies (mobility, social media, Internet of Things, 3D printing) and groundswell socio-economic movements (e.g., sharing and circular economy, maker movement) are dramatically lowering the cost of innovation worldwide.)

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