Technology, innovation and rural development: Critical linkages

Abstract

The process of transition from invention to innovation of some of the technological choices that we have today,especially in a manner benefiting the rural sector, is not well understood by management researchers and practitioners.Furthermore,such ideas promise to have huge application potential in the near future. While we grapple with these possibilities,the TeNeT Group,comprising several faculty of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science departments,IIT Madras,has focused its attention on development of solutions for telecom and Internet access.The group was formed in the early 90s when the liberalisation of the telecom sector in India,and the growing importance of Internet in all walks of life made it clear that inexpensive and widespread availability of telephones and Internet had the potential for enabling all strata of society to take the fruits of development. Prof Jhunjhunwala and his TeNeT team have been pioneers in several areas:going beyond invention to innovation by showing how technical ideas can be taken to real implementations in the field;breaking down barriers to adoption by setting up downstream entities that enable deployment of new technology; showing how the telecommunication needs of rural and semi-urban markets can be served in a commercially viable manner;leveraging expertise in academic institutions to carry out R&D;incubating new companies in the academic institutes;and fostering a consortium approach to R&D involving the government,the private sector and academia.

Speaking on these issues to Prof G Venkatesh in a thought provoking and inspiring interview,Prof Jhunjhunwala describes the genesis of TeNeT,the early challenges faced by the group,and the vision that drives the team.Teamwork,a certain amount of 'extra-constitutional authority ' and an absence of functional barriers,he holds,are key to the transition from invention to innovation.In the context of TeNeT 's transition to rural markets,he shares his concerns about the digital divide and his belief that,with some focused initial effort,the rural areas could be a vibrant and viable market.