From Jugaad to Genius: The Evolution of Indian Innovation – Jugaad Built the Spark — Systems Must Build the Fire
India’s innovation story begins with jugaad—the frugal fix that powered 195,065 DPIIT-recognized startups from garages to global stages. From the $2 clay fridge (MittiCool) to UPI’s 1 billion daily transactions, improvisation birthed brilliance. But jugaad hits a wall: 90% five-year failure rate, only 15% patents commercialized (UNESCO 2025), and $2.5 billion R&D waste yearly. The…