Necessity is the mother of innovation

In terms of spirit, creativity and the innate ability to devise effective solutions for day-to-day problems, India8217;s rural and small-to...

In terms of spirit, creativity and the innate ability to devise effective solutions for day-to-day problems, India8217;s rural and small-town innovators are second to none. Our village visionaries are powering a grassroots revolution that could go a long way to alter the face of rural India. With an array of new ideas for products, improvised technologies and ground breaking innovations, these natural born scientists are having a lasting impact on the quality of life in India8217;s villages and small towns.

A series of short films, to be telecast as part of the Discovery series, 8216;Beyond Tomorrow8217;, showcases nearly a score of remarkable need-driven products and functional everyday technologies that grassroots innovators have developed in different parts of India. Necessity has clearly been the mother of invention. Take the amphibious bicycle developed by Mohammad Saidullah of Motihari, Bihar. It is retrofitted to negotiate rivers, ponds and other water bodies. Imagine how important Saidullah8217;s cycle will be in times of floods!

Such seemingly quick-fix and invariably effective improvisations have rarely got the recognition they deserve. These grassroots innovators start with an inherent advantage. Since they live and work among the people, and not in rarefied research labs, they know the problems and needs of the community better than anyone else. Their inventions reflect just that. Remya Jose of Mallapuram, Kerala, has, for instance, fulfilled a basic household requirement by inventing a pedal-operated washing machine that provides a 8220;tumble wash8221; without consuming a single unit of electricity. This is one innovation that deserves to make it to the market. As does Gujarat8217;s Mansukh Prajapati8217;s 8216;Miticool 8212; the village fridge8217;. Made of special clay, this is a refrigerator with three chambers, one of them designed to deliver cool water at any time of day or night. Like Remya8217;s washing machine, Miticool needs no electricity. In rural areas where power supply is erratic, if not non-existent, a clay fridge is a godsend.

Much the same could be said about the wind-powered mobile phone charger that Sathyanarain of Hyderabad has developed. Its commercial potential is beyond doubt. It8217;s a very small hand-held windmill that operates when a draft of wind is generated either artificially or by the crosscurrents that blow through a moving vehicle. Sathyanarain8217;s invention can charge mobile phones, laptops and other battery-operated appliances that require low amperages. It has the makings of a major success story for it can ensure that you will never again be caught in the middle of nowhere with your mobile battery dying on you!

The range and nature of these grassroots innovations are truly astounding. An UV ray-protected moga silk umbrella from Assam, a manual milking machine from Karnataka, a scooter for the physically challenged from Gujarat and a remote firecracker bursting device from Haryana, are just a few of the other grassroots inventions that are set to go places in the years ahead.