Co-creating innovation ecosystems in contexts of absolute uncertainty: The case of low-cost heart valves in India

 Abstract

The development of innovations aimed at tackling grand challenges requires the support of an appropriate innovation ecosystem. However, there is a limited understanding of how such innovation ecosystems emerge in contexts of absolute uncertainty. We addressed this gap by examining the boundary work carried out by key actors in the creation of the biomedical innovation ecosystem in India that supported the development of a successful low-cost heart valve over the 1976–1995 period. We developed a process model demonstrating how the ecosystem leader co-created the innovation ecosystem that led to the development of a low-cost heart valve by engaging in three types of configuration boundary work: establishing ecosystem configuration, modeling ecosystem configuration, and expanding ecosystem configuration. Our study contributes to the literature on innovations for grand challenges, innovation ecosystems, and boundary work.

Read the paper-
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpim.12715

Simple Yoga Protocol to stay healthy

 

Down load- https://yoga.ayush.gov.in/api/uploads/assets/cyp/Common%20Yoga%20Protocol%20Book-English.pdf

Top inventor Ayush Nigam- Profile 19/100 (2025)

 

The UDP (Urea Deep Placement) technology is a simple, farmer-friendly technology with two key elements (i) a large-sized fertilizer particle of 1-3 grams by weight, referred to as a urea super granule (USG) or briquette, and (ii) point placement of the briquette at 7-10cm depth near the root zone. Through the UDP technology, the avenues for N losses are reduced, and improved N uptake by the plant is possible. Studies have shown that the UDP technology is a highly effective soil nutrient management strategy, enabling farmers to achieve higher crop yields (25-50%) with lower use of fertilizers (15-25%), reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emission (30-85%) by inhibiting nitrification up to seven weeks.

Despite documented agronomic superiority and socio-economic benefits of UDP, the adoption has been stagnant in the developing countries due to additional field operation to hand-press UDP in soil in absence of  suitable machinery for which labor, time and human energy are required. Secondly, the UDP was managing the single plant nutrient (N), whereas other plant nutrients were still being broadcast on the soil surface. IFDC along with the national agriculture research system in India has conducted more than 2000 farmer participatory research trials in different agro-ecologies to evaluate the mechanized FDP in rice, mustard, tomato and brinjal crops, using ZT-FDP and PT-FDP machines.

https://ifdc.org/2023/04/18/innovations-in-the-mechanization-of-fertilizer-

deep-placement/

Innovation

Distinct Horizon has patented DH Vriddhi, a tool that helps farmers place

fertilizers deep into the soil, using the Urea Deep Placement (UDP) technique

thereby reducing the use of fertilizers by 30-40 percent while increasing

crop productivity. They developed an applicator, a machine that would place

fertilizers deep into the soil. To develop the overall product, it also worked

with IDEO.org for designing and manufacturing the machine. With a

factory in Lucknow, DH Vriddhi, is designed in a way that can be integrated

with tractors and power-tillers. The design also allows the machine to place

fertilizer pellets at a depth of three inches below the soil and cover an acre in

30-45 minutes and is 60 times more efficient than conventional methods.

Patent(s)

Briquette placement machine, WO2016203496A1 (2016) Inventor-Ayush

NIGAM,Swapnil KUMAR , Arpit DHUPAR ,Rishabh AWASTHI

Deep agricultural implantation device, WO2021019317A1,

(2020), Inventor -Ayush NIGAM ,Santosh Kumar, Vishal Jain, Bheem

Kumar,JAISWAL, Shiv Chandra VERMA

Fertilizer/seeds placement machine, WO2017179074A1 (2016)

Inventor -Ayush NIGAM, Arpit DHUPAR, Swapnil KUMAR, Santosh

Kumar, Vidur VIJ

Deep placement applicator, WO2022034618A1 (2021), Inventor-

Ayush NIGAM, Vishal Jain, Santosh Kumar, Bheem Kumar JAISWAL

,Shiv Chandra VERMA

Commercialisation

After working with farmers across six states for four years, the team learnt

that in order to convince farmers to shift to a much superior practice,

demonstrations must be conducted locally.

https://www.distincthorizon.net/productsGROWiT, Saurabh Agarwal (Mulch film) Sur

Farmer Capitalists of Andhra build capital city Amaravati

In April 2026, the Parliament of India formally granted legal status to Amaravati as the sole permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh, aiming to provide statutory, long-term stability and end years of legal, political, and developmental uncertainty. The roots of farmers sacrifice has long tradion.

The farmer-capitalists of coastal Andhra Pradesh. Economic and Political Weekly 23 (27& 28): 1376–82, 1433–42, 1988. Carol Boyak Upadhya 

The author traces the rise of a new class of businessman out of the class of capitalist farmers in coastal Andhra Pradesh and explores some of its social and economic characteristics. The research project consists of in depth interviews with about 50 businessmen in Vizag who came from landowning and cultivating families of coastal Andhra. These businessmen are engaged in a wide variety of activities. The largest number are small industrialists followed by contractors, trawler operators and traders. Almost all entrepreneurs started out as small businessmen and their business constituted as partnership firm. All business activities by this class started after 1950. They tended to invest in non-industrial and low capital types of business. Most did not have sufficient capital in the beginning to start industries larger than small scale but those who have made money in other businesses particularly trade and contracting do look for better opportunities for industrial investment. Much of the capital comes from agricultural land. Agricultural profit is reinvested in business but sale of land is not uncommon.

Dominant caste and territory in South India: The case of the Kammas of Andhra Pradesh, Dalel Benbabaali (https://www.scribd.com/document/321971646/Princeton-Talk-on-Kamma-Caste)

Kammas are widely perceived as the new business class though trading is not their caste profession. Kammas’ early history is associated with buddhism, which was very influential in the Krishna valley in the 3rd century. According to epigraphical records, the Krishna delta area at that time was known as Kammanadu, and the main farming community living there was called Kamma. But it is only after the 10th century that the name Kamma started referring to a specific Hindu agrarian caste. Most Kammas were small farmers, but some of them worked as soldiers for the Kakatiya kings of Warangal. During the Vijayanagar empire, more and more Kamma farmers were employed as soldiers, and even as army commanders, to participate in the conquest of the Tamil country. At that time, war was the main migration factor, and this explains the presence today of a large Kamma community in Tamil Nadu, which is the consequence of military migrations from the 15th century onwards. In times of peace, the Kamma settlers engaged in agricultural activities on the conquered territories of South India. The commercialisation of agriculture in Coastal Andhra led to the development of transportation infrastructures, urban growth and industrialisation. The small town of Vijayawada became a thriving commercial market and an important railway junction. Kamma farmers diversified their activities by migrating to urban areas while keeping land in their villages. They used their agricultural surplus to invest in bus companies or in food processing industries like rice mills and sugar factories. They also started commercialising their own agricultural production and became moneylenders, thus bypassing the traditional merchant castes and business communities. This process of capital accumulation by the rich Kamma farmers led to an increased polarisation of the agrarian social structure, with the emergence of a class of Kulaks within the Andhra peasantry. 

The development of an entrepreneur class is not a function merely of economic forces but also of social and political history of the region and particularly of the dominant landowning castes. They played an important role in the emergence of the new business class. For many coastal – Andhra framers the type of trade in which they engaged is more likely a capitalist enterprise than traditional bazar trading.

Read the book-https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329040206_Andhra_Entrepreneurs_Past_Present_and_Future

Top Innovator Mano Kumar Rupa- profile 18/100 (2025)

 

Co-founded by Manoj Kumar Rupa, Gavaskar Jayakanthan and Priti

Khalkho, Capsber Agriscience focuses on redefining farming with nature-

based, science-driven solutions. With expertise in microbial engineering,

product development and bio efficacy, the team is pioneering innovations

that enhance productivity while protecting the environment.

 Technology

The Indian Soil Microbiome Project was founded by the Indian Council

of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Bureau of Agriculturally

Important Microorganisms (NBAIM). Microorganisms of agricultural

relevance from various agro ecology regions are the focus of the Bureau’s

efforts to isolate, characterize, and preserve them. The Bureau maintains

more than 8,000 microbial accessions from around the country in

its National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection

(NAIMCC). In accordance with the Biodiversity Act of 2002. The

National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has recognized the NAIMCC as

a repository for microbial diversity. The NAIMCC is an affiliate of the WFCC. Under the Budapest Treaty of WIPO, the Bureau was designated

as an IDA (international depository authority).

https://agrimicrotech.com/s_technology.php

         Innovation

The company developed BiointelX™, its proprietary Microbial Intelligence

Platform, which boasts over 24,000 beneficial microbes. This platform

deciphers nature’s hidden intelligence, identifying microbial actions

and the metabolites responsible for them. Capsber’s flagship products—

FERTI- MAN™, SONAAR™ and CAPSNEMA™—are innovations

born from this platform. The company’s proprietary CapsulX™

microencapsulation technology enables pharma-grade formulations with

enhanced stability, extended shelf life and superior efficacy.

 

Patent(s)

COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR ENHANCING THE SHELF LIFE

OF PERISHABLE CLIMACTERIC FRUITS, IN202341046415, (2023),

Inventors Gavaskar Jayakanthan, Dr Manjunath Girigowda, Dr Prabu

Pandian, Dr Priti Khalkho, Manoj Kumar Rupa

Commercialisation

Key offerings include:

Next-Generation Biostimulants: FERTIMAN™ enhances plant growth,

stress resilience, and nutrient efficiency.

Advanced Biofertilizers & Microbial Solutions: SONAAR™ promotes soil

microbiome health and sustainable nutrient management.

Biological Crop Protection: CAPSRAKSH™ acts as a biological fungicide,

while CAPSNEMA™ controls nematodes. Precision Seed Coating

Technologies: CAPSTISEED™ improves seed performance and early-stage

vigor.

Data-Driven Agronomic Insights: CAPSHARVEST™ provides AI-powered

tools to optimize farming practices.

https://capsber.com/

Buy the Book: 

https://www.amazon.in/Top-Indian-Innovations-Innovators-Association/dp/B0FX524XR8

India Invents featured in FeedSpot Top 90 Innovation Blogs (2026 Edition)

 Source-https://bloggers.feedspot.com/innovation_blogs/

𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲: 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐫𝐚

 

https://www.tcs.com/content/dam/global-tcs/en/pdfs/what-we-do/services/Analytics-and-Insights/tcs-cii-ai-and-ip-report.pdf

 The convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Intellectual
Property (IP) represents one of the most profound shifts in the
modern technological and legal landscape. Since 2019, AI has
evolved from a niche research topic to a catalyst for
transformation across industries, fundamentally altering how
businesses innovate, compete, and protect their creations. This
report, jointly prepared by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and
the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), seeks to illuminate the multifaceted relationship between AI and IP within the context of the Indian industry, with a particular focus on the rapidly expanding role of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs). 

 MSMEs face distinct IP challenges in AI and GenAI due to technical complexity, unclear IP ownership, and evolving legal standards. Issues include ambiguous ownership of models and outputs, uncertain patent and copyright eligibility, rapid tech
advancement making IP protection difficult, and data privacy concerns. Enforcement is tough and costly, especially with open-source and collaboration models blurring boundaries. Regulatory uncertainty adds to hesitation. MSMEs need clear
regulations, legal support, and practical IP strategies to safeguard innovation in this fast-changing field.

 AI patent filings in India surged significantly after 2018, with 83,059 patents filed between 2019 and 2025 as shown in Fig 3.1 compared to 3,931 from 2010 to 2018 as shown in Fig 3.2. • The top ten patent applicants were Samsung Electronic, Chandigarh University, Jain Deemed to be University, Qualcomm Inc, Galgotias University, Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Lovely Professional University, Sanskriti University, Tata Consultancy Service Ltd, and Chandigarh Group of Colleges.
• Generative AI patents constitute 14.51% of recent filings, whereas AI Agent patents are still nascent with 498 applications. A steady increase has been observed in patent applications filed by domestic applicants, rising from 53% in 2019 to 82% in 2024.
• Currently, 13% of AI applications have been granted, with grant rates soaring from 0.7% in 2019 to 32% in 2024, signaling strong momentum in AI innovation and adoption.

Applications invited for Accredited Carbon Verification (ACV) Agencies

 

The Central Government has established the framework for Indian Carbon Market (ICM) through the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023.The clause (9) of the scheme states that Bureau of Energy Efficiency (Bureau) in its capacity as administrator shall publish the procedure including eligibility criteria for accreditation of any agency to function as an ACV agency.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is inviting applications from agencies interested in becoming Accredited Carbon Verification (ACV) Agencies for the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme of the Indian Carbon Market. The scheme defines two mechanism – Compliance and Offset Mechanism, where under the compliance mechanism of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) the verification of GHG emissions and GHG emissions intensity of the obligated entity during the compliance years is to be undertaken by an ACV agency as per the detailed procedure for compliance mechani m. 2.3. Where, under the offset mechanism, the validation and/or verification of the project activity by the non-obligated entity for registration of the projects and subsequent issuance of the carbon credit certificates is to be undertaken by an ACV agency as per the detailed procedure for offset mechanism.

Eligibility-An ACV agency shall have minimum one full time team lead/lead verifier (meeting the criteria in section 4.4) on the company’s pay rolls for each mechanism.  An ACV agency shall have minimum two full time team members as verifiers for each mechanism, they have applied for. The lead verifier must have the following certifications: a. Accredited Energy Auditor by the Bureau and b. Lead Verifier certification for ISO 14064 1/2/3 Competency Requirements: The lead verifier shall meet the competence requirements for verifiers (as per section 5.6 of this document) and shall have demonstrated competence to lead a verification team and carry out verification activities.The team members of the ACV agency shall have the following competencies: a) Ability to apply generic verification concepts (evidence gathering, risk management, auditing techniques, application of the level of assurance). b) Knowledge and experience of energy and GHG accounting and management techniques, GHG emission sources and associated technologies, development and auditing of GHG emission factors and calculation methodologies including energy / non-energy (process) GHG emissions where applicable, statistical uncertainty analysis of GHG emission calculations and technical expertise related to monitoring and reporting of GHG emissions. c) Knowledge of relevant rules, regulations and procedures including the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022, Environment Protection Act, 1986 and Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023. d) Other business skills such as communication, analytical, statistical, and financial aspects. e) Collection of information through effective interviewing, listening, observing, and reviewing documents, records, and data. f) Knowledge on data, information, and system auditing techniques and methodologies. g) Risk assessment techniques and methodologies. h) Data and information sampling techniques and methodologies.

Link-https://beeindia.gov.in/application-form-accredited-carbon-verification-acv-agencies.php