As the Global Sankalp Summit 2015 changes gears with a move to New Delhi this year with a focus on furthering an inclusive innovation economy. Innovation is at the heart of India’s resurgence as the fastest-growing economy of the world and India’s unique differentiation in the global innovation landscape is because its innovations work at scale and are frugal.
Continuing its partnership with The Lemelson Foundation and Villgro, the Summit will bring a special focus on Impact Inventing and the support that invention-based enterprises need to scale. The Lemelson Foundation and Villgro have long been working together on what is called “the invention pathway” – a process that helps transform nascent ideas into tangible, life-improving products, and successful industries that stimulate the economy. The Foundation inspires, educates and incubates inventors all over the world, while Villgro works with entrepreneurs in India to help build impactful for-profit businesses. Together, the two organizations believe that the world’s biggest problems need lasting, sustainable solutions.
“The Lemelson Foundation is focused on inventions that yield impact—projects like sanitation systems for the developing world, cost-effective medical devices, and more efficient, affordable sources of renewable energy. Rather than investing in invention for invention’s sake, we are focused on what we call Impact Inventing. This approach results in products that have positive social impact, are environmentally responsible, and become financially self-sustaining,” said Carol Dahl, Executive Director, The Lemelson Foundation.
This vision will be spotlighted at the Global Sankalp Summit 2015, being held at the Vigyan Bhawan on April 9-10, 2015, with the theme ‘Fueling the Innovation Economy: Role of Government, Private Sector and Capital’. Taking this “systems-view” of innovation is important for any industry, but more so for those focusing on low income and underserved communities.
India completely eradicated polio in a span of 4 years. This happened not because vaccine was available but because of a persistent social campaign that changed the vaccine seeking behavior of parents. Rotavirus disease annually infects 140 million and kills 440,000 people in developing countries. Less than a month back, Bharat Biotech India announced the development of a rotavirus vaccine priced at US$ 1, the cheapest in the world. At this price point, the vaccine becomes affordable to those who need it the most. At the summit we bring you many such eclectic individuals and groups of innovators, and industry thought-leaders to decipher the drivers of innovation and innovations at scale.
Through several sessions, our partners, The Lemelson Foundation will expand on its concept of impact inventing and how it can solve big problems and transform lives and Villgro will complement this with its on-the-ground perspective through sessions that talk about successful models and the ecosystem available for inventors and entrepreneurs in India.
“The Summit is a good platform for Villgro to bring these themes to a global stage, particularly with the potential for greater government and corporate sector engagement this year. We are also seeking to balance the big-picture views with practical perspectives on how entrepreneurs in India can build impactful businesses,” said PR Ganapathy, President (India), Villgro.
“Villgro and the Lemelson Foundation have been fantastic partners for us over the past few years. It is great to work with organizations who don’t just back our ambition to take Indian entrepreneurs and voices to the global stage but also bring in their regional and global networks into the Summit, and contribute intellectually to making the dialog richer,” said Aparajita Agrawal, Director – Sankalp Forum at Intellecap
