India as a Pioneer of Innovation

In India, a country often labelled as poor in innovation but excellent in competitive survival, creative solutions are now on offer across diverse settings such as the informal economy, large business groups, entertainment and copyright industries, an evolving pharma sector, and a poorly organized public health system. This book explores this apparently sudden paradigm shift and the background conditions that fuel and hinder India''s innovation story.

What does innovation mean to and in India? What are the predominant sites of activity where Indians innovate, and under what situations do they work or fail? This book addresses these all-important questions arising within diverse Indian contexts: informal economy, low-cost settings, large business groups, entertainment and copyright industries, an evolving pharma sector, a poorly organized and appallingly underfunded public health system, social enterprises for the urban poor, and innovations-for-the-millions. Its balanced perspective on India''s promises and failings makes it a valuable addition for those who believe that India''s future banks heavily on its ability to leapfrog using innovation, as well as those sceptical of the Indian state''s belief in the potential of private enterprise and innovation. It also provides critical insights on innovation in general, the most important of which being the highly context-specific, context-driven character of the innovation project.