Jugaad... Hacks... Whatever you call them, have become a way of life that is now generating great interest from all over the world. Large companies have their own versions of corporate jugaad because it saves a great deal of money and resources.
The sound of Jugaad touches a nerve like no other. Like the sound of a motor springing to life after not having worked for over 20 years, the cry of hundreds of people who either can’t afford and hence resorting to jugaad or think they are on the verge of a breakthrough invention that might win a Nobel, a cool deal with a manufacturing company or just a 100,000 likes on facebook or you tube. It is the rhythm of life in most parts of India. And it’s pretty cool.
Jugaad: The great Indian ability to make things work or rather make-do with readily available material and resources. It is hard not to admire the ingenuity of some of these crude yet complex inventions. The act of jugaad, is roughly translated as a ‘hack’ in some parts of the world. Other names for it like ‘frugal innovation’ . Look at this way, it is a little like a cheat code. It might not be the prettiest thing, but it is an art, really.
So, why jugaad? Most of us, and I mean those of us who work hard to earn enough to pay our taxes and then live off the leftovers. Like, seriously…raise your hand if you have had a meal at that fancy restaurant and then got the bill with tax amount equalling or who knows—sometime in the near future—will be more than that fancy cuppa coffee you ordered. Well, that discussion is for another time, but Jugaad is usually born out of a need to save money or the lack thereof. Because, in India jugaad is, like most other things, an economic, social and creative class issue.
So, there are those who have the money to replace something when it is broken and those who think they can make that damn broken thing live a little bit longer. To them, there is nothing a little tape, a few plastic bottles and maybe a few random pipes and wires won’t fix. Not to forget, a touch of graffiti thrown in for art’s sake or to distract the viewer from the un-pretty parts of something born out of Jugaad.
Is it something only the poor and needy resort to? Well, mostly yes. But then again, in India and elsewhere—creative hacks in whatever form—are gathering quite a following and DIY is not a dying art and craft form. In fact, reuse your junk, well you know…trash and voila, you have junk art. Which might land up on pinterest or wherever, and shared or liked a few thousand times. Make junk art useful, say …put a motor on it, throw in a few wheels, glue some chairs on and offer free rides to a few hawkers, and you are officially a Jugaadian. If you are lucky, a few onlookers will launch you and your contraption on social media, get shared furiously like an epidemic, get likes, get LOL’ed at, maybe trolled or memed like there is no tomorrow. Of course, you can’t beat Trump at this game. Deal with that
jugaad serves a brilliant purpose. People do all sorts of things with jugaad and even get tons of attention for it. Just take a look at this guy. (maze)
Few years back the Supreme Court ruled that stores are not allowed to sell alcohol within 500m of a highway. This meant that a large number of shops were forced to close and those who could afford to could re-open their shops elsewhere did so. This guy, however, just jugaaded all over the place. He created a maze in front of the entrance to his store. So, his store is now, successfully, over 500m away from the national highway. Never mind the drunk people trying to get home late at night. It is absolutely genius.
There is little anyone can do to refute it and he hasn’t moved his store an inch.
Jugaad... Hacks... Whatever you call them, have become a way of life that is now generating great interest from all over the world. Large companies have their own versions of corporate jugaad because it saves a great deal of money and resources. Businesses are always looking for people who think differently and jugaad fits in too. global leaders also seem to really like the idea., Like Reuven Rivlin, know who he is? He is the President of Israel and this is what he had to say: “During my visit to India, I learned a new word called ‘jugaad’. Jugaad means -- a clever solution born out of trouble. If you know Israel and Israelis, you can guess how quickly I fell in love with this word”.
So, jugaad can be, as we see every day, terrific. But there are certain sections of the population who will not and if you ask me should not try jugaad, at least when it concerns the lives, health and safety of people. I’m talking about people like doctors, engineers and most of all, the government. Somehow, the common man has kept this machine running through and dealt with the repercussions of cost-cutting from the slanderers of tax payers money.
So the least they can expect is some respect, quality products, roads, bridges and security without skimping on basic amenities and resources instead of allowing the money to slip into the deep dark pockets of dishonest middle men.
If there is a real need, we can DIY it and Jugaad shall be done. It is after all, like our birth right. Jugaad is about making things work or run or fly with whatever we have, add a dash of resilience, frugality, adaptability, simplicity, inclusivity, empathy, and truck loads of passion, and hey, it ends up, not so bad after all. If you ask me, ….a spark of Jugaad is quite some arsenal to boast of— if you want to compete and win in a complex world of have-it all’s and much better than having nothing at all.
Written by Sunil Mukkath (sunilmukkath@elastictree.com)
A senior researcher at Elastic Tree. Let us know what you think about this article. Submit your queries, comments, insights at info@elastictree.com.
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