WiCamp Gurgaon: The theme revolved around innovation, with what the big guys have done to become big, and what they do to remain big. The buzz words were: innovation, creativity, and efficiency…

A great start, with me being slightly late thanks to the ‘awesome’ number allocation of plots at Udyog Vihar.

The start was from Shailesh Mehta, he being the one who has hit the road, with the aim of becoming the next-door Google by deeper penetration into our local ecosystem. A Search engine for providing the local search, this would be a content distributor along with being a content creator. The concept of providing a space for users to write their reviews might actually help in making the search better, and more intuitive. Although there are several other players in the market, the claim stood that it is the user community will make the venture perform better in the market in due course of time. Check this link out at: http://www.onyomo.com/ they call it ‘on your move‘ <- personal note: I have used Sulekha for long, thinking of trying my luck on each of them (got something to work on over the week-end  - >

This whole thing seemed just like another lecture until David from The Innovation WorkGroup came up and organized the group into a single discussion. Now is what we call ‘the shape for discussion’. It was only then that the minds began to think and mouths began to pour.

Next on the list: Two individuals have finally removed the N from non reliable indians NRI and have come back to their nation, to fill colors of prosperity with their venture called RangDe.org, these were Smita Ram and Ram NK. A cool name inspired by the Bollywood blockbuster hit Rang De Basanti - RDB. A peer2peer non-profit micro-finance company with the aim of providing small amounts in the multiples of 1000 to the needy. The deviation from the normal track has been to promote women of the villages as moneylenders. The philosophy driving them is: ‘women are more proactive in returning the investment’, I would add ‘more often’ and make is subtler for the men. So they often lend money to the women, which in turn shall distribute it further. A great awakener for us as youngsters who have put their benchmarks for life as packages, in Rs. a.k.a $, and not as ‘change’ in the society a.k.a innovation. My fi’e for the couple for this social innovation

The brain storming session comprised of loads of statements of what innovation is and what is means to companies big and small. I for innovation and innovation for I, a quote by Pavan from Wipro provoked each one of us. The adrenaline for innovation comes from the need for it. The need in the individual to get recognition. The need for the company to earn more. The need creates and the need drives. The thought was opened by Anand from Wipro and towards the end it was unanimously agreed upon. I would like to add, that for eras man has innovated to improve his way of living, and is constantly doing just that. <–(boring though, try something new. something which is just the opposite. like much more of bioweapons, missiles….)–>. Dissatisfaction for the current situation, mentions a need for change and a change is innovation. And as a lady mentioned it can either sustaining or a breakthrough innovation.

The debate between creativity and efficiency was the one I loved more. We believe that both efficiency and creativity need to go hand in hand for an organization to survive. I concluded with the mention that: creativity is a galloping horse, with the reigns of efficiency controlling it. The rider falls off due to bad ROI (Return on Investment) if the efficiency levels are not reached.

Big-brotherly treatment of the bosses are great killers of innovation, cited with an example of the man who proposed first aid kits for Maruti cars back in 1980′s was suppressed for the idea. Today he has a venture which supplies these kits to several automobile manufacturers, mentioned Pavan from Wipro. Illiteracy was cited as another good cause. But it was the society, which was killing it much before it could mushroom out. And was killing it for good, said a gentleman. Since birth we are asked to act Good, a Good son, a Good brother, a good husband (daughter, sister, wife). And we are asked to be on the track, and if we just walk on the track, we follow. By following there is no new track, no innovation. A great conclusion indeed.

I just forgot to mention the new media devices from Vmedia which might as be a great way to watch movies. These are blue-ray optical disks smaller than a credit card, perhaps the smallest optical drive. And this drive fits nicely into a mobile phone. Plug in and Plug out into a HD experience with the latest blockbusters on the move. This was Anuraj from Vmedia.

Innovation was becoming such a cliché in these 4 hours.  With all these high-end statements. I found this last real life narration quite joyous. A node-network was setup in a matter of 5 months at this engineering Institute, by few IIIrd year students with old computers (PI, PII and 386′s) along with old hubs and switches. Linux was the savior of these garbage boxes, who saw the light of the day in a ‘server’ room. The room soon became a high profile dare-not-enter area, mentioned Sanat from IIT Delhi

It was filled with old junk and great minds, ‘beware we bite’

The morning of 28th started with a bang, the tussle of making the right kinda document with Acrobat Pro. Its a really tough job getting it in the way you want it to be, in just the first shot. After the task was some what handled, it was time to leave for gurgaon- the IT mainland of North India.

After some six hours of traveling from one corner of Gurgaon to the other to wind off the work, it was time to wait at the City Centre. The Wait was an experience of not being part of the war.

At 5:30 pm, a war was on, a tussle is on, in each one of the souls who have left their office to go back to their home. A tussle to fight for their own existence, to gather space, that they could call their own. It was the time when they had to forget about the worries of their office, as it was the dawn of a new set of problems. The problems of their own homes.

It seemed all these beings were lost in their own thoughts. For them smiling at a passerby seemed merely a waste of time.

The swarms of cabs had arrived, people rushing to settle in their own. The irony was that all of them were in a hurry to get relaxed. They wanted to get into their cars and sit, waiting for the others to come. Please some one tell me is waiting what you do to relax(I am very Impatient). Meanwhile, each  one spent their time looking out of the window, mesmerized in own thoughts. The idea of talking to their fellow passenger seemed another job to them. ‘Talking’ surely is an effort, especially when you have to get a false smile on one’s face, when you are yourself low.

I could visualize my self on top of a building, when all these cars would seem like ants and these humans like food. The ants would come, swallow these beings, and set off for their way.

At the Toll Gate, I was a witness to the perspective of these ants going through a narrow channel out into an urban jungle.

Even tragedy at road, would have moved a few, while others would mostly pouring out their emotions blaming the situation as a mere time waste. (Read more…)