Sem: Degree 2nd Sem
State: Telangana
About the Author:
Sreevas Sahasranamamam studies pioneers and entrepreneurs who take on significant difficulties, particularly in nations that are developing, as well as the institutional elements that influence their work. He is the director of the University of Strathclyde’s (Glasgow, Scotland) doctorate training centre for socially progressive innovation and entrepreneurship. He also works with the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) UK team. In addition to teaching at the Strathclyde Business School, he oversees projects related to technology commercialization. The essay that follows was composed in April of 2020.
HOW THE CORONAVIRUS SPARKED A WAVE OF INNOVATION IN INDIA SUMMARY
India’s innovators and entrepreneurs have risen to the challenge presented by the COVID-19 pandemic with remarkable speed. In recent weeks, a plethora of new technologies have surfaced, some originating from start-ups that have received university incubation.
The urgency of the humanitarian issue and the government’s proactive attitude to crowdsourcing ideas are two of the reasons for the prompt response. India is also home to a large pool of highly skilled engineering people and promotes Jugaad, a thrifty innovation culture that looks for creative solutions to issues with little funding.
Ventilators, Robots, and Apps
The expressions of the global response to COVID-19 have been social distance and contact tracing. How to stop the virus from spreading in public areas like bus stations and airports will be especially important when lockdowns start to loosen. Hand sanitiser and public health messaging about the virus are being distributed by robots stationed at office buildings and other public place entrances by Asimov Robotics, a Kerala-based start-up.
Asimov-created robots In order to relieve the strain on medical workers, robotics is also being used in hospital isolation units to provide food and medication.
Startups like KlinicApp and Practo are using their platform to offer COVID-19 testing that can be done at home and to connect patients with doctors virtually. Startups like Nocca Robotics, Aerobiosys Innovations, and AgVa Healthcare are creating affordable, user-friendly, and portable ventilators that can be used even in rural areas of India in response to the scarcity of ventilators for critical care. These companies are incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur. Before these ventilators could be used, medical regulatory permission would be required.
Through the development of technological platforms to distribute official alerts, startups are also helping the government’s public communication campaign regarding the coronavirus. A platform created by QKopy was used by the Kerala state government to launch the GoK-Kerala Direct app. In order to reach less than half of Indians without smartphones, it provides COVID-19 updates and travel advice via SMS to older phones and phone notifications. The local language of Kerala, Malayalam, is also used to convey these messages.
Another notable area of innovation is the cleanliness of public areas. Startups like PerSapien and Aqoza Technologies assert that they have created chemical compositions that sanitize public areas. During the 2018 Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, Aqoza developed a water-based sanitiser disinfection called “Airlens Minus Corona.” Meanwhile, PerSapien claims to have developed a machine called “Airlens Minus Corona” that sprays ionized water droplets to oxidize the viral protein.
Another startup, Droom, says it has developed a unique anti-microbial coating called Corono Shield that prevents the formation of mould, mildew, bacteria, algae, and yeast on car surfaces. Police in the state of Haryana’s Gurugram are testing it.
CONNECTING PEOPLE
In response to COVID-19, my discussions with a few of these Indian entrepreneurs and innovators have shown an excellent illustration of the triple helix model of innovation, which integrates efforts between universities, industries (start-ups), and the government. Two other enabling characteristics are especially important, even if the lifeblood of these breakthroughs is the active involvement of engineering volunteers from universities and businesses.
CROWDSOURCING IDEAS
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