Designing a Vision for India's Future

The government of India’s #MakeinIndia initiative can encourage us to design and build India to the next level but we still need innovation and a design spotlight to be effective. We need to remember that we are not looking at solutions for the 1.4 billion people in India but for the next 7 billion. This may sound very crude but realistically the shift from poverty to the middle class will happen in the next decade and we need to face this.  To effectively drive India into the future, we need a comprehensive understanding of its unique challenges and opportunities. These include:

 

Demographic Dividend: India's young population presents a significant opportunity for economic growth and innovation.
Technological Advancements: Leveraging advancements in AI, IoT, and renewable energy can propel India's development.
Infrastructure Gaps: Addressing transportation, healthcare, and education infrastructure deficits is crucial for sustainable growth.
Social Inequalities: Bridging the gap between rural and urban areas, as well as addressing gender and caste inequalities, is essential for inclusive development.

 

Key Areas for Focus:

Given the challenges, we need to first look into the primary 6 areas to strengthen ourselves. If you think design and innovation have nothing to do with all or any of these, then you are hugely mistaken or living under a rock!

Education and Skill Development:

Quality Education: Invest in early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary education to ensure a skilled workforce.
Vocational Training: Promote vocational training programs to meet industry demands and create employment opportunities.
Digital Literacy: Ensure widespread access to digital technology and training to bridge the digital divide.

 

Healthcare:

Affordable Healthcare: Expand access to affordable healthcare services, especially in rural areas.
Preventive Care: Promote preventive healthcare measures to reduce disease burden and improve overall health.
Telemedicine: Leverage technology to improve healthcare delivery in remote areas.

 

Infrastructure:

Smart Cities: Develop sustainable and smart cities with advanced infrastructure, renewable energy, and efficient transportation systems.
Rural Development: Invest in rural infrastructure, including roads, irrigation, and electricity, to improve living standards.
Digital Connectivity: Expand broadband connectivity to rural areas to facilitate economic activities and access to information.

 

Agriculture and Food Security:

Modern Agriculture: Promote modern agricultural practices, including precision agriculture, to increase productivity and reduce water consumption.
Food Processing: Develop the food processing industry to reduce food wastage and create value-added products.
Agri-Tech: Encourage innovation in agri-tech to address challenges such as climate change and soil erosion.

 

Renewable Energy:

Solar and Wind Power: Invest in solar and wind energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and promote clean energy.
Energy Efficiency: Implement energy-efficient practices in industries, households, and transportation to reduce energy consumption.

 

Innovation and Entrepreneurship:

Research and Development: Foster research and development in emerging technologies to drive innovation.
Startup Ecosystem: Support startups and entrepreneurs through funding, mentorship, and incubation programs.
Intellectual Property Protection: Strengthen intellectual property protection to encourage innovation and investment.

 

A Holistic Approach:

 

To achieve a sustainable and equitable future, India needs a holistic approach that addresses the interconnectedness of these areas. By investing in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, renewable energy, and innovation, India can create a prosperous and inclusive society for future generations. Once this is tackled, you need to look at the holistic approach from the tertiary perspective of the ‘fast world’. Take this example. Ritesh Aggarwal of OYO has more room inventory than the premier hotels like ITC, Taj, Oberoi and others put together. While these hotels took 100 years to achieve success, Ritesh did it in 5 years. The lesson from this is that the digital aspect of design and innovation also adds a new layer to how we look at design success and innovation craftsmanship. The bottomline is that the technology can be a great opportunistic leveraging tool for us towards a better solution-centric future.