Frugal innovation is the process of reducing the complexity and cost of a good and its production, allowing it to be used by a larger group of people.

Prof. Saradindu Bhaduri taught us that there are different ways to do frugal innovation, either supported by large companies and government top down, or done by locals to solve problems in their daily lives often using local materials. Please find his lecture below.

Summarising his lessons; frugal innovation is about intuition, learning by doing and adapting when needed, and practibility and doing, rather then validating scientifically. It is something many people do around the world. However, not all inventions can be upscaled or used beyond the local situation.

Prof. Saradindu mentioned examples of frugal innovation that are in the process of upscaling (great inspirations)

• http://www.thebetterindia.com/45103/food-security-women-jharkand-parboiled-rice/
• https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1240116767/edible-cutlery-the-future-of-eco-friendly-utensils
• https://www.seed.uno/awards/all/ecopost-fencing-posts-from-recycled-post-consumer-waste-plastic.html

A big lesson is to appreciate the local, intuitive, practical innovations, and acknowledging that not everything can and needs to be upscaled. The great challenge is to find those local innovations that can change the lives of many.