PI: Prof. Subodh Wagle, Centre for Technology Alternatives for Rural Areas (CTARA)

Co-PIs: Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Dept of Energy Science and Engineering and Prof. Pramod Khambete, IDC School of Design

The problem essentially involves successfully reaching to the base of the pyramid sections of society with products and services relevant for their well-being and development and ensuring sustained adoption by them. There is potential to incorporate elements that enable the journey to sustained adoption by the targeted users while innovative ideas are shaped up from ideation to concept to development. There is a need for an integrative framework that draws on theories, methods and techniques from several disciplines and that could guide this process and contribute to the success in adoption of innovations.

The core idea here is to improve efficacy, pace, and sustainability of the diffusion and adoption of innovations and, thus, enhance, their social impact of various products and services innovated for the BoP sections of society. To this end, the project will try to apply the concepts, theories, models, practices, methods, and practical insights emerging from the literature and practice built around the Diffusion of Innovation theory as well as Design Thinking, and User Centered Design and Service Design theories.