The news that the rescue operations at the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi of Uttarakhand state was to a large extent made possible by local improvisations and innovations speaks a lot for the ‘Jugaad’ that we Indians are famous for.
Despite the advanced Made-in-USA equipment brought in, and the presence of international experts, as well as those from within India too - this mission’s success truly showed what India’s ‘Jugaad’ is capable of.
“How when nothing was working, challenges piled up, Indians switched on their creative light to innovate and invent throughout this process.” (Anchor Pooja Shali, India Today)
As the whole world watched, Indians triumphed against all odds to script a rescue mission that stunned the world.
This brings back memories of mining Engineer Jaswant Singh Gill’s ‘Jugaad’ that helped save 61 miners from a flooded coal mine at Mahabir colliery in Raniganj in November 1989.
Of course, ‘Capsule Gill’ and his heroic tale followed another storyline! But it was the great Indian ‘Jugadd’ in evidence nevertheless!
Wikipedia describes ‘Jugaad’ as a colloquial word which refers to a non-conventional, frugal innovation, often termed a ‘hack’. It could also refer to an innovative fix or a simple work-around, a solution that bends the rules, or a resource that can be used in such a way.
To simplify the description, Jugaad means something that is made to serve a purpose on a temporary basis and most often makes use of waste materials.
In searching for what exactly the term ‘Jugaad’ conveys, I chanced upon a lot of definitions that went on to describe what this ‘Indian concept’ is all about.
In essence, ‘Jugaad’ describes a mentality or approach that seeks solutions in adversity, describing how the world is negotiated by improvisation and ingenuity.
The word also refers to the practise of bending rules and thinking laterally to making something work. ‘Jugaad’ is not just a word which depicts a whole new way of cooking up constructive and innovative ideas; it is ingenuity and cleverness in action.
“Maxwell Scott Travel” carried a blog on this unique aspect of Indian ‘originality’ referring to ‘Jugaad’ as Indian style ingenuity, a can-do attitude driven by necessity.
“Ingenuity and inventiveness have always been seen in evidence on the streets in India. Often the people there manage to make things work with very little resources, making the most of what is available. Nothing goes to waste and everything appears to get used in some way or another.”
“This unique way of thinking and acting in response to challenges is known in India as ‘Jugaad’. This is a colloquial Hindi word widely used in India and Pakistan meaning an innovative fix or work-around; an improved solution used because of a lack of resources.”
“Improvisation, ingenuity, using resources and materials in a completely unexpected way, finding ways to solve problems, ‘Jugaad’ is seen endlessly at work in India.”
During my extensive travels across the country, I have seen some simple innovations where items of daily use were used to create things for utility purposes.
Prominent more so in the northern region of the country, it would astonish one to know that the ‘Jugaad’ style of functioning is very popular with the defence forces as well.
There are several instances where ‘Jugaad’ has effectively helped the armed forces overcome difficult situations during war and in peace time as well. It has served to make life easy under various inhospitable conditions for the troops.
‘The Indian Express’ carried an article some years back which mentioned how Israeli help and Indian ‘Jugaad’ played a major role in the recapture of Tiger Hill, decisively turning the course of the Kargil conflict in 1999.
“You could always trust the Indian armed forces for creating magic using the most basic props! The results may be crude and unsophisticated, however they always deliver when it matters,” so read a comment on the use of ‘Jugaad’ by the defence forces.
Please allow me to take a few excerpts from an article by Sanjay Pande which was published in ‘Centre for Land warfare Studies’ in 2012.
“Although logistics of our defence forces are relentlessly working for supporting the field force, it is in remote areas where even eagles do not dare that the real value of ‘Jugaad’ comes into play. “
“The Indian soldier guards such desolate and forbidding places around the year, be it snow-clad mountains, thick forests or the harsh desert sands. Here the soldiers use ‘Juggad’ to remain ever ready for mission.”
Our armed forces need to be praised for their ability to make do with what they have and yet deliver optimum results.
Moving over from defence, it is interesting to note how ‘Jugaad’ works even in Indian homes. Kitchen and other domestic appliances regularly find ‘innovations’ the moment some part becomes defective or is damaged.
With resourcefulness that could amaze the best of scientists, Indians with their ‘Jugaad’ have been able to give ‘value-added extensions’ to discoveries and extensions that took years before conceptualizations turned into realities.
Recycling is a mantra that aptly serves all ‘Jugaads’. Old sarees cut and transformed into ‘designer’ quilts place Indian housewives in that class of entrepreneurs who don’t like to see things go to waste.
A recent ‘Kitchen Jugaad’ video which has gone viral shows how chapatis could be made in equally fast time by using a discarded mobile charger.
‘Kabad se Jugaad’, a YouTube video, which translates to mean ‘Jugaad’ from waste, gives helpful tips to housewives on how to reuse and recycle junk materials lying around in the house and turning them into useful applications.
There are umpteen such instances where thinking out of the box has produced astounding results.
‘Jugaad’ has definitely become ‘the Indian way of innovation’ that management gurus advise the West to emulate.
As much as the Taj Mahal and the other world heritage sites in the country, ‘Jugaad’ is to be seen as a rare wonder, a characteristic typical to India.
