Do Frugal Innovations Lead to Frugal Outcomes? A Case Study of Healthcare in India

In BLOCKIN1988, BLOCKINMansukhbhai BLOCKINPrajapati, BLOCKINa BLOCKINrural innovator from Rajkot, Gujarat who failed his Class X exam, quit his job at Jagdamba Potteries. He borrowed Rs 30,000, began producing earthen pans with a modified hand press, and soon started his own earthen plate manufacturing factory. After an earthquake in 2001, Prajapati was inspired to create Mitticool, a Rs 2500-3000 clay-based fridge run without electricity that can keep fruit and vegetables cool for up to five days. Customers and home appliance companies from over 40 countries have ordered from Prajapati's product catalogue, which has expanded to include a clay tawa and low-cost water filter. In 2001, Vortex Engineering, a Chennai-based startup, sought to make banking services accessible in remote and rural locations across India by designing affordable ATMs powered by solar energy. These ATMs are over 50% cheaper than traditional ATMs, consume 95% less electricity, and offer a fingerprint scanning system for illiterate users. Vortex has influenced competitors, forcing market leader NCR to launch a solar-powered ATM model, and forged export partnerships in Africa, neighboring Asian countries, and the Middle East 1. Jaipur Foot, Mitticool, and Vortex Engineering are all popular examples of jugaad innovation, which in Hindi means " to make do. " Jugaad is a cultural mindset of " quick fixes " – solving problems with limited resources. In India, it is common to see makeshift motor vehicles, empty jars repurposed as containers, and washing machines used to churn milk. lists six principles of jugaad: seek opportunity in adversity, do more with less, think and act flexibly, keep it simple, include the margin, and follow your heart 2. Under these premises, US corporations adopt jugaad innovation strategies not by merely increasing their R & D budget, but rather by shifting from a structured, top-down approach to innovation to an open, adaptable culture that leverages stakeholder and employee creativity. through Profits, he lists several principles of innovation for bottom of the pyramid (BOP) consumers (defined in 2004 as people living on less than $1500 USD per day). BOP innovations reduce resource wastage; create a new price-performance envelope; co-exist with infrastructural challenges; are scalable, rugged, and transportable; deskill work; and reach customers efficiently 3. The 10 Core Competencies of Frugal Innovation developed by the Frugal Innovation Lab at Santa Clara University are similar: ruggedization, lightweight, mobile enabled solution, human centered design (e.g. intuitive, easy to use, etc.), simple in features and functional …