Innovation

India is and has always been at the center stage of some great innovations - be it the digit ‘0’ by Aryabhatta or the contribution towards astrology and technology. World is coming back to accept the knowledge of Ayurveda and Yoga for the betterment of individual life. The recent success of indigenously built Mars Orbiter – Mangalyaan on its first attempt is a tribute to not only frugal innovation (cost incurred `7 per kilometer in covering the 650 million km distance to Mars, least amount spent - $74 million, one-tenth of the $670 million that NASA spent on its Maven explorer) but also a demonstration of India’s mastery of technology and leadership.

The Digital India program of the government is a very good platform for people to display their talent and share ideas on spectrum of topics. Participatory governance is a step towards inclusive and equitable growth of all the segments of the society with inputs from grassroots to the dominant. The digital revolution will also kick in innovations for the bottom of pyramid segment for effective and sustainable growth. More and more innovations are expected in the sectors like education, agriculture, healthcare and environment in the coming years to solve the challenges faced by the rural masses.