Inclusive Innovation for the “Base of the Pyramid”
SPREAD OF LOW-COST EFFICIENT MICROIRRIGATION SYSTEM IN FOR SMALL AND
MARGINAL FARMERS
Why we are unable to
multiply the success stories?
NIAS, April 7, 2017
Dr. Venkatesh Dutta
Coordinator – DST Centre for Policy Research,
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University
Lucknow
[email protected]
DST, Ministry of Science &
Technology, Govt. of India
BOP NEEDS – S&T PARADOX…

Many disadvantaged and economically-poor
farmers create public goods by pursuing
the most enlightened (spiritual) needs of
the civilization i.e. agriculture

Small and marginal farmers constitute around
70 per cent of India’s agricultural households
 Modern
science has neglected the needs
of the small and marginal farmers

Agriculture has registered comparatively
slow scientific and technologic change in
India
 Irrigation
has not undergone a
technological change

Poor diffusion of micro-irrigation systems
WHAT IS MISSING?
 Models
and open framework that
facilitates inclusiveness
 InIn-Ecosystem – accessible,
affordable and transparent
 Charity based diffusion – not
sustainable and scalable in the long
run
Source: CRISIL Research
*Consecutive droughts due to weak monsoon can affect the efficacy of
irrigation systems even in the states with high irrigation cover
Storages not efficient, conjunctive management
missing
Review of the regional watershed projects on
inclusion
Parameters to assess inclusive development
criteria in the project
Variables
Share of
projects
Cost-benefit analysis included in the project design
CBA
34%
Promote employment of poor
EMPL
40%
Build capacities for livelihoods
CAPACITY
35%
Objective verifiable indicators of achievements developed IMPACT
12%
Realistic external assumptions and risk factors included
RISK
5%
Established communication channels with the
beneficiary/community
COMMN
Negligible
Post-project actions to address stakeholders‟ interests
PPA
4%
Replicable
REP
16%
Sustainable beyond project funding
SUSTAIN
No
Meets local specific research criteria (technology
appropriate to local needs)
APP TECH
43%
Encourage collaborative efforts across institutions
NETWORK
Negligible
Crop Productivity: BAU vs STI Scenario
PI
IS
SNM
BHT
Why we are unable to
multiply the success stories?
We need to find ways to ‘distribute’ technologies that can attract the majority
The innovations developed in
scattered enclaves are
emulated and improved by
early adopters, but for greater
market share they must serve
the larger ‘public-interests’
Direction of R&D
and innovation
pathways
Mobilise capacity
Pool innovators
Create ecosystem
Access to S&T benefits have
been uneven
• S&T benefits not spread across all layers
of the society (large base of the
pyramid)
o around 20% in the country are reasonably well off,
with access to modern technology
technologies don’t become ‘tools’ for human
development everywhere on its own –
bottlenecks
Common synthesis from field
studies
• Lack of appropriate institutions
• Restructuring of Institutions required
Institutions
Programs
Local Specific
Technologies
Awareness &
Knowledge for
Policy Resources
•
•
New programs needed
Review of existing programs and redesign of
delivery
• Need based solutions by encouraging private
sectors
• Encourage Universities/IIT/NITs through
Incubation Centres
• Provide instructional and research facilities
• Provide appropriate courses
PRECISION IRRIGATION: WHAT FARMERS
NEED
Fast and simple to install, operate, and store
 Foolproof jointing
 Corrosion proof
 Wide range of pressure ratings
 Resistant to shock
 Exceptional durability
 Lowest lifetime cost

Value based cost engineering
Community involvement
Open source design
Responsible innovation
Quality of life - considerations
Precise drip irrigation system
Drip irrigation: Banana with onion
Photo credit: KSNM
Chilly field with drip tape technology. Drip Tape is having
holes at predefined spaces which is decided by farmers based on
the type of crop (Source: Madeswaran V., KSNM, Coimbatore)
Drip irrigation
in Sugarcane
field
Drip irrigation for turmeric plants
Easy folding of drip tape should be possible when tiling for
the next crop
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh
 Majority of the successful innovation
initiatives are costly (commercial) that do
not meet the needs of the poor or the
marginalized – need for ‘public interest
STI’
 Missing space of ‘agenda and action’
between policy and plan
 Missing Sectoral technology roadmap
within STI framework
Four pillars for mapping STI diffusion for IG
Comparative efficiency of irrigation systems
There is an enormous loss of precious freshwater in the
traditional conveyance methods
Drip Irrigation System
Sprinkler system
Drip Lateral irrigates only near the root zone of the plant. Sprinkler sprays
water and covers the entire area. That means the entire area will become
wet. Weeding problem will be more if we cover the entire area with
water. But certain crop requires total wetting pattern.
Benefits of Micro irrigation
 Saving of water 50% to 70%
 Increase in yield from 30% to 230%
 Uniform and improved quality and early maturity
 Savings in fertilizer of 40% to 50%
 Savings on pesticides, energy and labour
 Ideal for difficult terrain & problematic soils & water
 Controls weed growth and labour costs
 Effective disease control
 Optimum use of scarce water to use larger area
 Minimum maintenance & long lasting
‚Broad Banding and networking‛ of
STI Capacities
 That poor States need only relevant technologies
is a ‘myth’
 They need the capacity and institutions to
understand and adapt BAT technologies for local
needs - Institutions, infrastructure and networks
Technology and innovation frontrunners
have
 Developed alliances/network to build capacities for the
generation, infusion and absorption of technologies
Strategic approach needed to
better mobilize S&T for IG
 Solution-driven priorities – long-termism
 not driven by priorities of the S&T community
 not confined to merely illuminating social problems
 “Co-production” of usable knowledge
 through collaboration of users and producers “in place”
 drawing on global research and innovation systems
 Incentive structures designed to
 engage the private sector in harnessing S&T for the
provision of public interest technology for BOP
 R&D pool who focus their work on urgently needed
solutions for a sustainability transition.
 Linking formal and non-formal institutions
Evolve appropriate areas of focus
 Inclusive innovation
 Inclusive entrepreneurship
 Enabling technologies
Interventional mechanisms –
manufacturing as an instrument for inclusive
and sustainable development
Innovation and entrepreneurship for inclusion
 Improving inclusive productivity and
innovation for „Base of the Pyramid‟
 Inclusive infrastructure for access and
diffusion of appropriate technologies
 Addressing existing policy bottlenecks – and
evolve enabling framework
 Creating platforms for pooling and
redistributing knowledge, innovation and
practices
Inclusive + Sustainable + scalable
 Consider how best to match the right equipment to the
cropping system
 Match factors such as how the soil, water and plants
are managed
 Don‟t ignore systematic gaps in our understanding
about farmers‟ need
 Focus not on consumerism, but overall „quality of life‟
of both subjects and objects


Subject – farmers
Object – sustainable yield
THANK YOU!
[email protected]