Rural and Social Innovation: India Japan Collaboration

This chapter examines rural innovation in India through the Suzuki Innovation Centre (SIC), a collaborative platform initiated by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad and Suzuki Motor Corporation in 2022. Despite the rural population ratio having constantly decreased in the world, the actual number of rural populations has surged, indicating a need for innovations to enhance rural life. SIC’s activities, symbolized “Engage, Exchange, and Innovate”, involve short-term projects to accumulate diverse experiences and address social issues in an agile manner. This approach positions SIC as a complementary force in the broader open innovation landscape. SIC uniquely views India as a source of untapped inspiration rather than merely a vast market. While rigorous evaluations are the future tasks, SIC has gained insights into rural society dynamics through real-world projects, establishing a broad network. The chapter presents SIC as a promising initiative contributing to the evolving perspectives of rural innovation and Indo-Japan collaboration.