INDIA INNOVATING

India has always been full of surprises. The country is mind-blowing in terms of complexity, of challenges, of aspirations. Everything is changing constantly, for the better, for the worst, but never certain. It has been the motherland of agile development, long before the invention of software or Bangalore. Indians are the true masters of steering through challenging times. Its heroes are not the big shots but the millions of Indians making a living day in and day out. India has a long history of social movements striving for creating a better India worth living. It’s the millions of women that build the backbone of the Indian economy, providing for care, food and proper clothing. It’s an army of street vendors that caters for the million of workers, infusing Masala Magic into the veins of the biggest social venture of all times: India. 

In 2022 the Republic of India will celebrate its 75^th birthday. Independence has been a moment of liberation, of hope and most of all: aspirations. Now, at the advent of a mind-boggling technical revolution: how do we unlock India’s full potential? How do we get from jugaad to large scale innovations?  And when human-centred design becomes the true imperative of the hour, where do we find the solutions that work for everyone? 

At a first-of-its-kind flagship conference, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s India office wants to dedicate special attention to the many heroes of the big India adventure. With its first G20 summit in India in 2022, India will become a showcase of the future. A true master of the unknown, the unexpected, the unconventional. It’s where the future and the past live side by side that Indian innovations can lead the way towards progress:  where innovations are built ground-up and truly serve a social cause. 

Let’s get started! Let’s Innovate! Together!