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Anil K. Gupta

 an independent thinker, activist for the cause of creative communities and individuals at grassroots, tech institutions and in any other walk of life committed to make this world a more creative and  collaborative place 

Visiting Faculty, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad [after teaching at IIMA for 36 years, 1981-2017]

Distinguished Visiting faculty, IITB and Founder, Honey Bee Network, SRISTI, GIAN and NIF

CSIR Bhatnagar Fellow [2018-2021], Member, National Innovation Council, Chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister (2009-2012); Fellow, The World Academy of Art and Science, California 2001, Fellow, NAAS, INSA, ACSIR Professor; Executive Vice Chair, National Innovation Foundation (2000-2018)

Email: anilg@gian.org , anilgb@gmail.com anilg@iima.ac.in 

http://www.sristi.org ,

http://www.gian.org ,

http://www.nifindia.org

 

Academic:

Ph.D., Management, M.Sc.(Genetics), B.Sc.(Hons), Agri.

Research and Action Interests:

Research and Action Interests:

 

Expanding global, national and local space for grassroots inventors and innovators, link ideas in informal and formal sector to ensure recognition, respect and reward for them; protection of their Intellectual Property Rights; creating knowledge networks for augmenting innovations and unfolding creative potential of individuals, institutions and societies through frugal, flexible and friendly empathetic open innovations; blending excellence in formal and informal science; ethical issues in conservation and prospecting of biodiversity; linking innovations, investments and enterprise; creating Knowledge Network at different levels for augmenting grassroots green innovations and technological innovations by youth to build a global value chain to get the creativity its due; support to Honey Bee Network including about 200,000 ideas, innovations and examples (not all unique) of traditional knowledge  from various parts of the country (nifindia.org) and rest of  the world on farm and non-farm sustainable technologies, and more than 200,000 projects of students of engineering and related disciplines through techpedia.in of sristi.org

 

Have been walking for a week or more every summer, autumn and winter for over three decades [covering around 6000 kms. so far] as a part of Shodhyatra (journey on foot) to celebrate creativity at grassroots, to learn from grassroots teachers and share creativity of communities encountered so far, including Shodhyatra walking course for IIMA students in Himalayan region.  With the help of Honey Bee Network Volunteers, SRISTI and GIAN,  volunteers, able to complete 45 Shodhyatras open for all and about 20 for IIMA students.

Facilitated Festival of Innovation (FOIN) and later Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) through NIFindia.org, hosted by the office of President of India at The Presidents House (2015-2018)

 

Lectured on unleashing innovation potential at IIMB, IIMK, IIMI, IIML, IIMC, IITD, IITB, IITKH, IITM, Viacom, Intuit, JCB, DHL, CISCO, HP, GE Research Centre, Siemens, Volvo, Biocon Bristol-Myers Squibb Research Center, Dr Reddy’s Lab, Zydus Cadilla Pharmaceuticals, JSW, D E Shaw investment firm etc., apart from numerous top academic and public policy institutions including MIT, Harvard, UCB, Duke, Cornell, Said Buisness school, Oxford etc.

Helped to set up Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship [CIIE] in 2008 at IIMA

Helped set up Prayaas.  In 2003, a group of IIM A students joined hands  to provide quality education and a wholesome childhood to socially unprivileged kids living in slums around IIM A. 

Helped set up Smiles [Student Managed Initiative for Learning to Excel] in association with a private company  and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, for the benefit of underprivileged students.

Helped set up BIRAC, DBT, New Delhi through a IIMA report submitted in 2007.

Helped establish NIF (National Innovation Foundation, India), February/March 2000 to help India become an innovative and creative society and a global leader in sustainable technologies by scouting and sustaining grassroots innovations supported by Ministry of Finance and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

 

Delivered a TED talk on “India's hidden hotbeds of invention” TED India 2009

https://www.ted.com/talks/anil_gupta_india_s_hidden_hotbeds_of_invention?language=en

 

Helped set up the National Micro Venture Innovation Fund, the first of its kind at NIF with the support of SIDBI on October 1, 2003 in collaboration with SIDBI and NIF and later at GIAN, 2019.

 

Set up SRISTI in 1993 to give backup support to Honey Bee Network founded in 1988-89 and GIAN (Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network) Society and Trust (1997) to scale up grassroots innovations and convert these into viable products or services with appropriate benefit sharing arrangements in collaboration with Gujarat Government; SRISTI, IIMA 1997,

 

Facilitated collaborative agreement of NIF with CSIR, ICMR, and several other research institutions;

 

Worked on a three-year Pew Conservation Scholar Award of US $150,000 (1993‑1996) for Biodiversity Conservation and Environment at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor to ten outstanding scholars around the world.

 

Positions :

    • Kasturbhai Lalbhai Chair in Entrepreneurship, IIMA (2003-2008)

 

    • Executive Vice Chair, National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad (2000-2018)

 

    • President, SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Insti¬tutions) and Editor, Honey Bee, a quarterly newsletter on indigenous innovations (1993)

 

    • Chairperson, Ravi J Matthai Centre for Educational Innovation, Indian Institute of Management, 1993 1994

 

    • Chairperson, Research and Publications, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, 1990-92

 

    • Professor, Centre for Management in Agriculture, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, 1981 -2017.

 

    • Adviser (Farming Systems Research), Bangladesh Agri. Research Council & Bangladesh Agri. Research Institute, October 1985 to November 1986.

 

  • Management Specialist (Rural Development), Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi, Action Research Project on District Project Planning in six drought prone districts of the country, 1978 1981.

  • Farm Representative/Agri. Finance Officer, Syndicate Bank a nationalised commercial bank 1974 1978.

     

Member of Jury :

  • AArohan Social Innovation Awards, Infosys Foundation
  • National Awards on e-Governance, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, New Delhi, 2013-14
  • Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award, Pune, 2013-19
  •         Jury, oikos-ASHOKA global SE case writing competition 2009-10 
    • “Develop Leaders! Talents in Supply Chain Management ” 2009 Awards, Supply Chain Management Institute, European Business School, Wiesbaden, Germany
    • Oikos Global Case Competition 2009, Harvard UniversityTop Ten Climate innovations of Sweden, Global Focus, WWF, Sweden, 2008
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    • Tata Innovation Awards, 2008
    • Inter-American Development Bank, High-Level Scientific Committee on the Initiative “Innovation for Inclusive Development”, Miami, contest for innovations in latin America

 

    • Business Bazigar, a reality show by Zee TV to scout and reward outside entrepreneurial idea, 2005-2006

 

    • Asian Innovation Awards, FER, and Wall Street Journal, 2001-2008

 

    • Youth Employment Systems (YES) Fund Award, Cambridge, (www.yesweb.org), 2008

 

    • Dataquest e-Gov Champion Award, 2007

 

  • The Manthan Award, 2007

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Honors :

IIMA has built a common water tap facility for the benefit of the pedestrians/road side vendors, etc., crossing the Institute to quench their thirst as a gesture of kindness in honour of Prof. Gupta on the day of his retirement.

  • Dahan Memorial Lecture on inclusive and grassroots innovations for sustainable development at University of Carlton, and University of British Columbia, Canada, march 2020,
  • Delivered Convocation lecture, Baster University, Feb 21, 2020
  • Best Business Book of the year Award at Tata Lit Live festival, Nov 20, 2016; 
  • Received Best Researcher award at IIMA, 2015,
  • Humanistic Management Lifetime Achievement Award by the Humanistic Management Network, at the 73rd Annual meeting of the Academy of Management, USA, August 2013
  • David Hopper Memorial Lecture in October 2014 at University of Guelph and Winnipeg, Canada
  • P.N. Srivastava Endowment Lecture delivered at JNU, New Delhi,  11th April 2013, Diamond Jubilee Lecture at CSIR-NBRI, Lucknow, August 19, 2013, 5th J.C. Bose Memorial Lecture, foundation day of NIPGR, New Delhi, India, December 10, 2013, Prof. B P Pal Memorial Lecture, May 24, 2008, IARI, New,  Pandit Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar Lecture from the Asiatic Society, Kolkata, August, 2007
  • Honorary doctorate from University of St. Martin de Porres, Peru, 2013 and
  • Doctor of Letters from Central University, Koraput, Odisha, 2012
  • Humanistic Management Lifetime Achievement Award, Orlando, August 2013
  • Hermes Award for Innovation 2012, Paris, European Institute for Creative Strategies and Innovation
  • Honorary Professorship at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, Tianjin, China, June, 2007
  • Recipient of Bharat Asmita Acharya Shrestha National Award 2006 in recognition as the Best Management Teacher
  • Awarded distinguished the Indian National Science Academy- B.D.Tilak Memorial Lecture on science and society, 2005
  • Padma Shri National Award given by the Hon’ble President of India on the eve of Republic Day 26 January 2004 for distinguished achievements in the field of management education
  • Joint recipient of Science-in-Society Award instituted by The Indian Science Congress Association, 2004
  • Adjudged as one of the fifty most influential people in the field of intellectual property rights around the world in 2003, Managing Intellectual Property (July-August 2003, Issue 131).
  • Adjudged as one of the Star Personalities of Asia among the fifty leaders at the forefront of change by Business Week, New York.- Business Week, Asian Edition, July 2, 2001, businessweekasia.com
  • Nominated for World Technology Award, (Environment) 2001 UK, and currently member of jury for these awards; Nominated for Stockholm Challenge Award, 2000
  • Received Asian Innovation Award Gold from Far Eastern Economic Review (Oct 26, 2000) for coordinating SRISTI and Honey Bee Network feer.com and served as judge for the same and Asian Young Inventors award, 2001 -2008
  • Fellow, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Pew Conservation Scholar, 1993‑96; Best Teacher Award in IIMA by students (1982, 1985) and by Association of Indian Management Schools, (1996).

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  • BBC gave a wide coverage of activities being carried out by SRISTI and Honey Bee Network in support of grassroots innovators and telecast a film on our work viz., ‘Patently Obvious’ and broadcast the same in the month of June 2001, also a world Radio broadcast a program on grassroots innovators in June 2001 and again on March 23, 2002 in Business Today program. Latest on Honey Bee network was on Jan 11, 2006 in the same program (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4603108.stm).

  • Nominated for World Technology Award, (Environment) 2001 UK, and currently member of jury for these awards; Nominated for Stockholm Challenge Award, 2000

  • Received Asian Innovation Award Gold from Far Eastern Economic Review (Oct 26, 2000) for coordinating SRISTI and Honey Bee Network www.feer.com and served as judge for the same and Asian Young Inventors award in 2001.

  • The Economist, London reviewed the work of SRISTI and Honey Bee Network in a special article on Innovation and Intellectual Property, June 2001; again in may 2009, invited by International Herald Tribune to write a special article on Riches of Poor (International Herald Tribune, October 11, 2001, sustsci.harvard.edu/ists/TWAS_0202/gupta_111001.pdf)

  • Fellow, National Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Pew Conservation Scholar, 1993 96; Best Teacher Award in IIMA by students (1982, 1985) and by Association of Indian Management Schools, (1996). Teach Shodh Yatra, a second year course, which is one of the most popular courses at IIMA for last six years.

Courses taught:

Institutions, social innovation, knowledge systems at Grassroots ( ISIKG), new course taught at IIMA along with prof Navdeep Mathur, and prof Anamaika Dey at IIMA, 2020-21;  Public Policy for Inclusive Development of India [PPIDI] with Late Shri. Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India as guest faculty; Globalising and Resurgent India through Innovative Transformation (GRIT) with Bharat Ratna late Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, former President of India (2008-09 and will teach this year too), Indian Social and Political Environment (ISPE, 1995-2007), Shodhyatra (learning walk in Himalayan region), Design and Development of Development Organizations (DDDO), Creativity, Innovation, Knowledge Network and Entrepreneurship (CINE), Institution Building (IB), Strategic Management of Intellectual Property Rights (SMIPR), Economic Environment and Policy, ( 1981 –1994), Doctoral course Agri Management (AM II), Shodh Yatra, a second year course, which is second most popular course at IIMA for last eight years. Have guided FPM (doctoral) theses on Ecological Movement, Incorporating Farmers’ Interests in Biotech¬nology Input Development and Endogenous Innovations for Sustainable Pest Management, besides being member of several other FPM committees on Trade and environment, organizational change, risk and uncertainty in agriculture, Gender issues in formal and informal sector, etc.

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Policy impact at the National and International levels :

District Innovation Fund of rupees one crore allocated to every district based on the recommendation of 13th Finance Commission; made the policy note

Facilitated the exhibition of grassroots innovations hosted by the office of the Hon’ble President of India at Moghul Garden, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, by NIF for last five years, latest on March 7 – 13, 2014

IGNITE award function where former President of India, Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam honoured  the creative students in recognition of their outstanding innovations, IIMA, since 2009, after his death, late Shri Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India gace away the awards till 2019. now these awards are given by the HOney Bee Network jointly by SRISTI and GIAN as Dr A P J Abdul Kalam IGnitedmind children creativioty and innovation awards. 

HBN also gives away the global HBNCRIIA award for all adults coordinated through GIAN since 2020.

Hon’ble President of India gives away National grassroots innovation awards by NIF biennially since 2002.

 

Dr. R.A.Mashelkar, Chairperson, NIF gives away Gandhian Young Technological Innovation awards for the most outstanding technological projects by students through techpedia.in, SRISTI at IIMA every year since 2012.

 

Contributed to setting up on BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council), DBT, by having consultation and preparing background paper for DPR for the same, 2008

 

Helped develop a portal of 200,000 technology student projects at  www.techpedia.in by SRISTI  to link the needs of informal sector and small and cottage industry with the young technology students besides increasing Innovation Quotient of the country (by preventing students from doing a repetitive project) to promote collaborative research.

 

In June 2002, the Commonwealth Science Council adopted the goals of the NIF, India, and the Honey Bee Network, as the direction of its future mission. The Commonwealth Science Council decided to become a Common Wealth Innovation Network (though the move did not go very far due to aid politics).

 

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Biographical Summary:

Dr. Gupta earned his Ph.D. degree in management from Kurukshetra University (India) in 1986 after his masters in Biochemical Genetics in 1974 from Haryana Agricultural University, Haryana. He is currently a professor in the Centre for Management in Agriculture. His unique work analysing indigenous knowledge of farmers and pastoralists and building bridges to science based knowledge has led to the honour of being elected at a young age to India’s National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and recognition through Pew Conservation Scholar Award of USD 150,000, 1993 96 from University of Michigan. Biodiversity conservation through documentation, value addition and dissemination of local peoples’ innovative resource conservation practices is the thrust in future work. His desire to develop a platform to recognise, respect and reward local innovators was the stimulus behind the creation of the Honey Bee network. The name Honey Bee was chosen to reflect how innovations are collected without making the innovators poorer and how connections are created between innovators. Honey Bee network has demonstrated that by building upon a resource in which poor people are rich in, that is their knowledge, a new paradigm of development can be unleashed. To help provide support structures for grass roots innovators and link formal and informal knowledge systems, SRISTI, a global initiative and an NGO, to network local innovators was established in 1993. It provides organisational support to the Honey Bee network in over 70 countries. The key objectives of SRISTI are to strengthen the capacity of grassroots level innovators and inventors engaged in conserving biodiversity to (a) protect their intellectual property rights, (b) experiment to add value to their knowledge, and (c) enrich their cultural and institutional basis of dealing with nature and modern science. National Innovation Foundation was set up by Department of Science and Technology (DST) in 2000 to make India a Global leader in sustainable technologies. Compared to 948 entries in its first national competition, it mobilized more than 124,000 ideas, traditional knowledge practices and innovations from informal sector by march 2009. Organized an international contest for scouting innovation through IFAD Rome, and three grassroots awardees from three countries were honoured at Global Knowledge Conference held in Malaysia in March 2000. Working towards setting up Global Innovation Foundation so that India becomes a sanctuary or an incubator for green grassroots innovations from all over the world.

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Workshops :

Organised the first International Conference on Creativity and Innovation at Grassroots for sustainable natural resource management, January 11 14, 1997 at IIMA cosponsored by various national and international organisations such as World bank, commonwealth foundation and secretariat, NABARD, ICAR, CSIR, SRISTI, FAO/FTPP, etc., attended by grassroots innovators, policy makers, academics etc., from 40 countries. GIAN- a green venture promotion fund was set up as one of the follow up actions. Organised an International Conference On Criteria and Indicators of Sustainability for Rural Development sponsored by UNESCO in Feb., 1999; First National Workshop on Indian Incubator for Innovation Based Enterprises held at IIMA sponsored by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dec 1998; Coordinated four workshops on Inventors of India (1998-2008): coordinated eight executive training Workshops on Harnessing Intellectual Property for Strategic Competitive Advantage at IIMA during 2001-2009. Organized workshops on innovations for Volvo, Tata group of industries, Reliance Industries, Thermax, Walchand group of companies, Tega Industries and several educational, research and other institutions.

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Select publications on grassroots innovations, biodiversity & disaster management :

Network, Institution and movement: the case of the Honey Bee Network, published in “Farmer First Revisited: Innovation for Agricultural Research and Development” (Eds. Ian Scoones and John Thompson), London, Practical Action Publishing, 2009

 

 

 

Is a just system also fair? Traversing the domain of knowledge, institutions, culture and ethics. Published in “Who Owns Knowledge? Knowledge and the Law” (Eds. Nico Stehr and Bernd Weiler), London, Transaction Publishers, 2008, p.87 – 97

Conundrum of Creativity, compensation, conservation in India: How can intellectual property rights help grassroots innovators and traditional knowledge holders, published in Biodiversity and the Law: Intellectual Property, Biotechnology and Traditional Knowledge (Ed. Charles R.McManis), London, Earthscan, 2007, Chapter 22, p.327-353

Harnessing Community and Individual Knowledge in Plant Genetic Resources Management: Crop, Conservation, Creativity and Collaboration, Published in “Search for New Genes” (Eds. V.L.Chopra, R.P.Sharma, S.R.Bhat and B.M.Prasanna), 2007 New Delhi, Academic Foundation

Knowledge based empowerment of local bodies: Generating entrepreneurial approach to development, presented at the National Colloquium on Decentralisation in Rural Governance, organised by the Administrative Reforms Commission, 1-2 March 2007, Delhi, published in The Radical Humanist, Vol.71,No.2, May 2007, p. 15 – 17.

From Sink to Source: The Honey Bee Network documents indigenous knowledge and innovations in India, in innovations / Summer 2006, www. mitpress.mit.edu/innovations, p. 49 – 66

Making Indian Agriculture more Knowledge Intensive and Competitive: The Case of Intellectual Property Rights, published in Indian Agriculture in the New Millennium: Changing Perceptions and Development Policy, 2006 (Eds. N.A.Mujumdar and Uma Kapila), p.285 – 327

Harnessing Knowledge Bank to Spur Growth, January 9, 2006, Times of India, Ahmedabad, pp.5.

Necessity is the Mother of Innovations, January 10, 2006, Times of India, Ahmedabad, pp..3.

(With R.A.Mashelkar) Women and Formal and Informal Science, IIMA, published in History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilisation (General Editor: D.P.Chattopadhyaya), 2005, Volume IX Part 3, Women of India: Colonial and Post-colonial Periods (ed. Bharati Ray), New Delhi, Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd., Chapter 10, p. 208 – 235.

We can certainly do better – Post-tsunami disaster management: An agenda for action, The Financial Express, 1st Jan 2005

(With Vikas Chandak) Agricultural Biotechnology in India: Ethics, Business and Politics, presented at the International Workshop on Agricultural biotechnology in the Developing World: Perceptions, Politics and Policies, organized by Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich on 12th March 2004, IIMA Working Paper No.2004-07-01, July 2004, International Journal of Biotechnology, 2005, Vol 7 No 1/2/3, 212-225

Environmental Aspects of Social change: Agenda for statistical research, presented at the Workshop on Statistical Science and Environmental Policy: Possible Interactions at Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta 11 – 13 January 2000, published in Sustainable Environments: Ecological, Economic, Socio-cultural and Statistical Aspects (Eds. A.K.Ghosh, J.K.Ghosh, Barun Mukhopadhyay), 2004, ISI, Calcutta, p. 163-181.

Why is Media so Apathetic? Published in VIDURA: Journal of The Press Institute of India, New Delhi, Vol. 40, Issue No. 2 (2003), p. 8-10

Sharing Benefits with the Conservators of Diversity” Conservation and Sustainable Use of Agricultural Biodiversity: A Source Book, CIP-UPWARD, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines, Vol. 3, p. 608 – 613, March 2003

Farmers as Plant Breeders: Three cases from India Conservation and Sustainable Use of Agricultural Biodiversity: A Source Book, CIP-UPWARD, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines, Vol. 2, p. 332-336, March 2003

(With Sanjeev Saxena, Vikas Chandak, Shrabani B.Ghosh, Riya Sinha and Neeru Jain) Costs of Conservation of Agrobiodiversity in India, published in “Efficient Conservation of Crop Genetic Diversity: Theoretical Approaches and Empirical Studies” (Ed. Detlef Virchow), Berlin, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, p. 137 – 174, 2003.

Mobilizing Grassroots’ technological Innovations and Traditional Knowledge, values and institutions: Articulating Social and Ethical Capital, published in the Futures Volume 35, Issue 9, November 2003, Pages 975 – 987

(With Riya Sinha) Contested Domains, Fragmented Spaces: rights, responsibilities and rewards for conserving biodiversity and associated knowledge systems, Presented at International Conference of MAB UNESCO on Biosphere Reserve, IFRI. Dehradun, 22-25, Feb 2001, published in Traditional Ecological Knowledge for Managing Biosphere Reserves in South and Central Asia (Eds., P.S.Ramakrishnan, R.K.Rai, R.P.S.Katwal and S.Mehndiratta), Delhi, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., 2002, p. 161-181.

(With Vijay Pratap Singh Aditya) Contours of collaboration: Coping with disasters through effective inter-organisational networks, talk delivered at the seminar on “Disaster Management and the Armed Forces: A National Effort” on 11th September 2002 at the Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park, New Delhi and published later by the Army Headquarters and Institution of Engineers, New Delhi in their souvenir, p. 61 – 69, 2002

Rights for all, “Managing Intellectual Property”, June 2002, Issue 120, p.34-37

Ethics of Extraction: Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge, published in Protecting Biological Diversity under the title Blending Universal and Local Ethics: Accountability towards Nature, Perfect Strangers and Society (Eds. Catherine Potvin, Margaret Kraenzel and Gilles Seutin) , London, Ithaca, McGill-Queen’s University Press, Montreal & Kingston, p. 129-148, 2001

Sustainability Through Biodiversity: Designing Crucible of Culture, Creativity and Conscience in “Criteria and Indicators of Sustainability in Rural Development: A Natural Resource Perspective.” New Delhi and Calcutta: Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd., 2001, pp. 179 – 226.

Implications of WTO On Indian Agriculture: The Case Of Intellectual Property Rights And Emerging Biosafety Protocol, 1999; IIMA WP No.99-10-06, October 1999, published as a chapter in the book entitled, Implications of WTO Agreements for India Agriculture. Samar K Datta and Satish Y. Deodhar (Eds.). Calcutta and New Delhi, Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd., (2001), Chapter 10; pp.245-307

Grassroots Movements: Introductory Statement, published in Villages in the Future: Crops, Jobs and Livelihood (Eds. Detlef Virchow and Joachim von Braun), New York, Springer-Verlag BerlinHeidelberg, p. 93 – 95, 2001

Grassroots Globalisation: An alternative model of globalisation,” Gentleman, (June 2001), pp.47-53

The Honey Bee Network: Creativity, Conservation and Compensation, “entwicklung + landlicher raum, 2, 2001, 28-30.

Creativity Counts, “International Journal of Sustainable Development”, Vol.3.No.1, 2000, pp.95-107.

Creativity Counts, “International Journal of Sustainable Development, Vol.3, No.3, 2000, 297-308

Grassroots Innovations for Survival, “LEISA India, Vol.2, No.2, (July 2000), 20-21

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Articles giving coverage of my work :

  • Grassroots Guru, Readers Digest, November 2007

  • India needs a well-articulated innovation policy, but which model should we adopt?, Business World, February 2002

  • Rich in ideas: Grassroots creativity, “International Herald Tribune, October 11, 2001

  • Riches among the poor, “Far Eastern Economic Review”, October 26, 2000
  • A hive of ideas, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4603108.stm
  • India nurturing homegrown ideas, www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationaworld/chi-inventors_goeringaug06,1,6663333.stor

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Lectures and presentations at various national and international conferences :

Pedagogical innovations for triggering social and economic entrepreneurship among youth, Foundation Day lecture at NITIE, Mumbai, March 25, 2009

Managing knowledge, creating networks and triggering innovations for sustainable agriculture, National Seminar on Agriculture Extension, 27-28 Feb 2009, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi, IIMA W.P. NO. 2009-03-05

Rethinking the Priorities for Indian Agricultural Research, Institutions and Policy: Learning from the Grassroots, Dr. B.P.Pal Memorial Lecture delivered at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi on 24th May 2008, IIMA W.P. NO. 2009-03-04

Linking Vertical and Horizontal Markets for Innovations at Grassroots: Sustainability Imperative, Keynote lecture delivered at Future of Logistics Conference, Hanover, Germany, 26th May 2008, IIMA W.P. NO. 2009-03-02

Grassroots to Global (G2G): Role of Grassroots Innovations in redefining national innovation systems for inclusive development, lecture delivered at MIT Sloan School of Management, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA on February 25, 2008

G2G – Grassroots to Global: The Knowledge Rights of Creative Communities, keynote lecture delivered at Globalization and Justice Conference, Seattle University, USA, February 21, 2008

What can we learn from green grassroots innovators: Blending reductionist and holistic perspectives for sustainability science, Lecture to be delivered at Centre for International Development, Harvard’s Sustainability Science Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA on February 25, 2008

(With Arul George) Building capacity at community level for protecting the intellectual property rights in genetic resources and associated knowledge systems and cultural expressions, presented in the roundtable on Building Community Capacity: A Roundtable on Practical Initiatives on Intellectual Property and Traditional Cultural Expressions, Traditional Knowledge and Genetic Resources, organised by WIPO, Geneva, 10-12 December 2007, Geneva

Grassroots to Global: Online Incubation of Grassroots
Innovations, keynote lecture delivered at 10th MIT $100K Global Startup Workshop in Trondheim, Norway on 28th March 2007

Innovations, institutions and involvement: Socio ecological crisis and insurgency in marginal environments, presented at the seminar on Civil Society and Democratic Space in South Asia, in Delhi on 12th January 2006

Transforming Indian villages through innovations, knowledge network and entrepreneurship: Dealing with the bottom of the pyramid or tip of the iceberg, Lecture delivered at the Convention on Transforming Villages into Vibrant and Prosperous Entities-Innovative Strategies, organized by the Lucknow Management Association, Lucknow, on 24th October 2005.

Innovations for making small enterprises competitive: Overtaking China, lecture delivered at the Ludhiana Management Association, organised by Department of Business Management, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, on 19th October 2005

Dialogue on Design, Diversity and Development: Learning from Grassroots Innovators, keynote presentation made at Philips Design Symposium in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, on 20th September 2005

Indigenous knowledge and innovations for managing resources, institutions and technologies sustainably: A case of agriculture, medicinal plants and biotechnology. Paper contributed for presentation at the Seminar on IBSA Seminar on Economic Development and Social Equity, August 2-4, 2005 at Rio, Brazil

Rewarding Conservation of Biological and Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge and Contemporary Grassroots Creativity, Published as WIPO-UNEP study on the role of intellectual property rights in the sharing of benefits arising from the use of biological resources and associated traditional knowledge, 2004

Technological innovations for revitalising small scale and tiny sector: Need for a bold initiative – A note submitted to Finance Minister for budget 2003-04

Value chain augmentation for grassroots innovations making India innovative, note submitted to Finance Minister at the pre budget consultation meeting, January 9, 2002

Rethinking priorities for Science and Technology policy for augmenting grassroots innovations: A pre-budget submission to the Finance Minister, 2001

Rewarding Traditional Knowledge and Contemporary Grassroots Creativity: The Role of Intellectual Property Protection, paper presented at a seminar at Kennedy School, Harvard University, Boston, May 2000

Transforming Developmental Options for Knowledge-rich, Economically-poor people: From Grassroots Innovations to Global Space, paper presented at the UNESCO-ACEID Conference in Bangkok during December 12-15, 2000

Financing tiny and small sector technological innovations: A pre-budget submission to the Finance Minster, 2000

Have papers in International journals like International Review of Administrative Sciences, International Journal of Sustainable Development, Agri. Systems, Capitalism, Nature and Socialism, International Studies in Management and Organisation, Indian Jr. of Social Studies, Indian Jr. of Public Administration, Vikalpa, Studies in History, Biotech¬nology Law Report (USA), Eubios (Japan), Development, Cultural Survival Quarterly, Biotechnology and Law Monitor, Diversity, etc., on Action Research, Social Effects of Rural Projects, Designing Resource Delivery Systems, Right To Resource, Household Economy in Dry regions, Biodiversity Conservation, Ethics of resource extraction, farmers’ Innovations, Intellectual property rights of people etc.

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Workshops, Research and Consultancies :

Have conducted national workshops on Grassroots Innovations in China, Brazil, Indonesia, and Philippines in collaboration with APCTT, New Delhi apart from conducting regional workshop on the theme for its partner institutions at IIMA in 2007.

Have conducted an International Conference on Global GIAN (Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network) with participants from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, Canada and America at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics,Tianjin, during May 31- June 2, 2007 and launched an online and offline platform to recognize, respect and reward green grassroots innovators and traditional knowledge holders.

Have been requested to carry out a performance review of Commonwealth Knowledge Network of Commonwealth Science Council, UK

Have organised sessions/workshops on indigenous innovation and intellectual property rights in various national and international conferences of natural science societies dealing with Crop Science, Agronomy, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, range management, soil and water conservation, etc.

Have been invited as keynote speaker in scores of international conferences from 1981 to till date, too many to be enumerated but including IAUES anthropological conference, rural sociology, farming systems, common property resource management, IAAE agricultural economics, AIPPI on IPRs, OECD on biodiversity, Range management, ICLARM on aquatic diversity, IFAD and EU on hunger and poverty, Universi¬ties of Arizona, Upsala, Hohenhiem, Boston, Aarhus, Mexico, TWAS, Trieste, Chili etc., in addition universities of Harvard, Duke, MIT Cornell, Indiana, Oxford, etc., have invited for seminars, meetings and presentations.

Invited talks at the International Conference on Biodiversity in Paris during 27-28 Jan, 2005; the international conference on “Can knowledge be made just?” in Essen, Germany during 21 – 23 March 2005; Meeting of the Advisory Group for the Consortium on S&T for Sustainable Development in Paris from Jan 24-26, 2004; International Workshop on Innovations in the Biosciences in Columbia University, New York during 20 – 21 May, 2004 workshop on Ethics, Globalisation and Hunger: In Search of Appropriate Policies organised by Cornell University in Ithaca during Nov. 17-19, 2004; International Conference on Social Technology during 19 – 20 Nov., 2004 in Sao Paulo; delivered keynote address at the workshop on Innovations in Technology and Government held at the Kennedy School of Government on October 30-31,2003; participated in the International Workshop on Property Rights Collective Action and Local Conservation of Genetic Resources, September 29-October 2, 2003 in Rome, jointly organised by IFPRI, CAPRI and IPGRI; Regional Stakeholders’ Workshop on the Thematic Evaluation of Local Knowledge and innovations in the Asia Region in Bangkok on 23 July 2003; Planning Group for the Consortium on S & T for Sustainable Development in Paris during 24-26 July 2003; high level forum on science, technology and innovation in the Commonwealth: Challenges and Opportunities in Johannesburg during 10-11 June 2003; ICT Development Forum during May 20-21, 2003 in Bonn, Germany; International Conference on Biotechnology and Biodiversity in St.Louis during April 4-6, 2003; Expert Workshop on Traditional Knowledge organised by Commission on IPR at Commonwealth Science Council in London (Jan 2002); Taskforce on Technology, Innovation and Society organised by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in Feb 2002; International Workshop on Science, Technology and Sustainability: Harnessing Institutional Synergies in Trieste (Feb 2002); Conference on International Patent System in Geneva organised by WIPO (March 2002); Workshop on S&T for Sustainable Development, organised by Initiative on Science and Technology for Sustainability, International Council for Science and the Third World Academy of Sciences (May 2002); Workshop on Democracy and Global Governance: Challenges for the XXI Century in Port Alegre, Brazil (Jan 2001); Policy Forum on Using Knowledge for Development at Wilton Park, London (March 2001); Multi-stakeholder Dialogue on Trade, Environment and Sustainable Development in Chiang Mai, Thailand (March 2001); Workshop on Development by Design, organised by the Media Lab, MIT, Cambridge in Washington (July 2001); II WIPO International Conference on Electronic Commerce and IP in Geneva (Sep 2001); Workshop on IPR, WTO, TRIPS Agreement and Environment, organised by UNEP in Geneva (Dec 2001); International Conference on Biotechnology in the Global Economy: Science and the Precautionary Principle at Harvard University, Boston (Sep 2000); Global Dialogue on the Role of the Village in the 21st Century: Crops, Jobs and Livelihood in Hannover, Germany (August 2000); European Science Foundation’s Workshop on Biotechnology, Agriculture and Environmental Policy in Rome (May 2000) and Second Global Knowledge Conference in Kula Lumpur (March 2000).

Coordinated a large research programme (6,50,000 CAD) 1993-2003 on Indigenous Knowledge Innovation and Network (Global) and Grassroots Incentives for Sustainable Natural Resource Management through collaboration between IIMA and SRISTI on one hand and other editors of regional language version of Honey Bee. The phase III of this project focuses on women innovators and knowledge network.

A multimedia database on Honey Bee and SRISTI’s collection on grassroots innovations was presented at the first Global Knowledge Conference, Toronto, 1997.

Coordinated a project on creating a multi language electronic database on grassroots innovations developed by Honey Bee Network and SRISTI, supported by NISSAT, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India.

Finished a research project on Harnessing Wisdom for Watershed Management partly supported by FAO, pursuing research on in situ conservation of agro biodiversity and generating incentives for the same. WIPO has sponsored international case studies on Role of IPRs in Benefit Sharing to be circulated to General Assembly of WIPO.

Has been a consultant to CGIAR/World Bank, Swiss Development Co operation, BMZ, IADS, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council and Institute, Ford Foundation, IDRC, UNESCO, ISNAR, FAO, IFAD, National Institute of Health, USA, UNDP, WIPO, UNEP, CBD, WIPO, FTPP/FAO, OECD, UNDP, besides numerous national organisations such as NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), voluntary organisations, Member, Expert Committee constituted by Government of India to revamp Khadi and Village Industries Board and launch of new programmes, Indian Council Of Agricultural Research (ICAR), MOEF, co-ordinated a joint report on Reorganisation of Indian Council of Agricultural Re¬search Headquarters (1991). Since 1993, have reduced consultancy considerably to focus all energies on local innovations.

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Membership of Research Advisory Committees and other boards :

Director, GMTAF Board, Member of Advisory Committee,WIN MCH, Member of Board of Governors of NIPER, S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali), Member of Planning Board of the Central University of Jammu, Member of Committee to review the functioning of Central Insecticides Board & Registration, Chairman of the CSIR-800 SMC committee, Member of Research Council of CSIR-NEIST, Member of Working Group on Development Agenda for New India for Science & Technology Sector, Member of Committee for Evaluation of ITRA Scheme, Member of Four committees of Artificial
Intelligence under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), Member of NAIN Selection committee meeting chaired by Principal Secretary IT, BT and S&T, GoK, Member of Advisory Committee for WIN MCH activities, Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar, Chairman, Selection Committee for Plant Genome Saviour Community Award 2015-16, Member of Screening Committee of CSIR-NMITLI IOP, Member of Selection Committee for Visitor’s Awards, 2018, Member of JBA 2018 Selection Committee meeting of Science and Technology

Member, Committee on Credit Flow of Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India, Expert Committee for the schemes STARD, STAWS,YS, TSP and SCSP under the Science and Society Programme of DST, New Delhi; Member, Selection Board for Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Centenary Award for excellence in biomedical research, instituted by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 2006-2008, New Delhi; Member, National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai; Member, Board of Studies for Masters Programme in Landscape Architecture at CEPT University, Ahmedabad; Advisory Committee of World Economic Forum on Entrepreneurship Education; Thermax Innovation Council; Member, Central Advisory Committee on Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Delhi (2006-2008); Member, Section 8 (1) committee of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata; Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI), Bhopal; Member, Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Sciences (JMAPS) published by CIMAP, Lucknow; Member, Editorial Board of IASCP (International Association for the Study of Common Property), USA; Journal of Rural Development, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad; Advisory Board of the newsletter, Business.2010, published by Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Canada; Chairperson, Committee on the formulation of Eleventh Five Year Plan Proposal in the area of Biotech-based Programmes for Societal Development; Member, Board of Directors of Dena Bank (2005-2008); Member, Board of Directors of National Research Development Corporation( 2005-2007); Member, Advisory Committee for Recruitment and Assessment Board, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Delhi ( 2004-2006) and Member Editorial Advisory Board of International Journal of Sustainable Development; Member, Advisory Board of Innovations, a quarterly journal, jointly hosted at the School of Public Policy, George Mason University and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA; Member, Research Council for National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), New Delhi; Sub Committee on Finance and Governance of Accreditation Board of ICAR, Coastal Zone Management Authority, Gujarat, National Committee to prepare twenty year plan for Forestry, MoEF; Member, Technical Advisory Group of Media Lab, Asia; Member Expert, Research Council of National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow( 2006-2007), Editorial Board Member, Int Jr of Water, and Vikalpa, IIMA journal.

 

Served on the advisory committee of an international cross country research project of International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), The Hague on On Farm Client Oriented Research;, was member External Advisory Committee, Centre For Indigenous Knowl¬edge for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa state University, USA; was member, National Land Use and Conservation Board, and working group on soil conservation for 7th and 9th Five Year plan, Rainfed agriculture and watershed planning for seventh and ninth five year plan, Sub Group on Resource Mobilisation for Indian Council of Agricultural Research, 9th FYP; Planning Commission; was regional/ country representa¬tive of International Association of Rural Sociology and International Society of Advancement in Socio Economics; International Society of Ecological Economics; life member, Gujarat Sociological associa¬tion, Gujarat Economics Society, Indian Institute of Public Administration Society, Member Board of Directors, International Association For Studies of Common Property Resources; Gujarat Institute of Development Research; and National Institute of Vocational Education, Bhopal; Member Research Advisory Committee of Biological Sciences Division of Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad; National Centre for Agricultural Policy, ICAR; Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur; Board member VIKSAT, Ahmedabad.

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