Amongst GIAN’s (Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network’s) many achievements in the last seven years is its recent technology transfer deal struck on behalf of four grassroots innovators with Mr. Nilesh Satasiya, an entrepreneur from Ahmedabad. This agreement covers the right to manufacture and market four different types of agricultural sprayers at the national level on non-exclusive basis. This means that other entrepreneurs can also license the same technologies.
These technologies were the brainchild of grassroots innovators scouted by Society for Research Initiatives in Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) and National Innovation Foundation (NIF). Their innovations were later scaled up by GIAN, drawing on its varied and rich experience of converting innovations into enterprise. In each instance, GIAN provided its expertise for the augmentation of and value addition in innovations.
Three of the four sprayers are from Gujarat, with one having been scouted in the third Shodh Yatra in Bharuch district, and the others through a state wide contest for scouting innovations, organised through Department of Rural Development, Gujarat. In addition, three of them are SRISTI Sanman winners, and all four of them are NIF awardees.
The grassroots innovators behind the technologies are Mr Arvindbhai R Patel, Mr Khimjibhai Kanadia, Mr Gopalsinh Parakramsinh Suratia and Mr Lalit Surana. Apart from the creative spirit that drives innovation, they all share a lack of any formal education. This technology transfer does prove that ordinary people can make extraordinary products having value in the market place.
Prof Anil Gupta, Honorary Secretary, GIAN said, “It is the first time that four grassroots innovations have been simultaneously bought by the same entrepreneur. This makes the deal a remarkable achievement for GIAN and helps extend the benefits to creative people.”
Later, Prof Gupta added, “Another heartening feature of this agreement is the entrepreneur, Mr Satasiya’s decision to buy the technologies, rather than try to imitate the prototypes. We hope that this will set a trend in ethical awareness among today’s generation of entrepreneurs who will prefer to innovate and license innovations rather than imitate.”
Mr Mahesh Patel, Chief Executive Officer, GIAN informed , “We also plan to seek funds from the Micro Venture Innovation Fund set up by NIF to further assist the entrepreneur in the venture promotion phase of this initiative”.
The four mentioned technologies have been transferred to Satasiya Industries, 40, Vishnu Industrial Estate, Opp Raghunath Hindi High School, LBS Road, Bapunagar, Ahmedabad.
Satasiya Industries has paid a few lakh rupees so far, and agreed to pay a 2.5 % royalty on sales turnover for a period of five years, with the possibility of renewal of the agreement. Besides getting half the share of the license fee, an almost equivalent amount has been contributed by them to Western Indian Grassroots Innovators Alliance for Nurturing Creativity (WIGIAN). As if that was not enough, each of them would be donating Rs 5000 to community welfare and environmental conservation related activities in their regions.
WIGIAN was formed for small innovators who do not easily obtain financial assistance from formal government schemes. WIGIAN will be shortly registered as a society under the ambit of the Honey Bee Network. A unique feature of this organization will be that its Board Members will comprise seven innovators, who will also play the role of decision makers.
About GIAN: GIAN (Gujarat Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network , now called GIAN West) was established in March 1997 with the support of Government of Gujarat, Society for Research Initiatives in Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA). GIAN scales up and spawns grassroots innovations, aiding the development of successful enterprises. It provides innovators with linkages to modern science and technology, market research, design institutions and funding organizations. The ultimate objective of GIAN is to generate new models of poverty alleviation, rural development, employment generation and conservation of natural resources without impairing the ecological balance.
GIAN builds on the philosophy of the Honey Bee Network established at IIMA. The Network has been involved in the documentation, dissemination, experimentation, and value addition processes of grassroots innovations developed through individual initiative.