Base of the Pyramid (BoP) Programme @ Manipal University 

Over the past four years, Manipal University (MU) and Philips having been working together, to acquire a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities in addressing the needs of the "Emerging Consumer" or the "Base of the Pyramid". This ambition is to creates an ecosystem, built around "Open Innovation” that will ultimately meet the aspirations of the emerging consumers. The programme mainly aims at promoting idea generation, concept development, research, community development, rural linkages and student exchange programmes.

This programme is coordinated by the BoP Chair setup at Manipal University along with representatives from the partner industries.

Philips has deputed a programme manager to coordinate this activity along with BoP Chair at Manipal. Manipal BoP Chair has a team consisting of coordinators from each institution of the Manipal University. The respective institutional coordinators carry out the activities as per the BoP guidelines in their institutions in coordination with the BoP Chair at Manipal University.

The main activities in the BoP programme are:
1. Idea Generation
2. Concept Development
3. Market Analysis and BoP Knowledge Development

1. Idea Generation (Avishkara)

Over a period of time, the BoP team at Manipal University has developed a platform which helps people in idea submission electronically. This helps people to submit their ideas at ease. A BoP Server automatically provides them with authentication by generating a number so that, these ideas can always be referred by this number in future. The evaluation and short listing of the ideas is done by group of experts in their chosen field of domain, technology, business potential and relevance. This programme has a cross disciplinary team consisting of students and staff from various disciplines such as health science, engineering and management. So far more than 220 ideas in the areas of healthcare, lifestyle, education, energy, nutrition, community development etc. have been generated under this programme; the good ideas will be supported for the development for “proof of the concept” by the BoP.

2. Concept Development / proof of concept (Ankura)

Development of "proof of concept" projects involves knowledge integration through "multi-disciplinary customer centric innovation" by resources supported by industry. The tasks focuses on concept enrichment based on user needs analysis, design, technology development and patent. More than 20 concepts have been developed through multi¬disciplinary teams comprising medical, technology and management students during the year 2008.

3. Market Analysis and BoP Knowledge Development (Arpana)

This activity helps to develop an understanding of the needs of the BoP community and providing solutions at the grassroots level. It involves carrying out user research study for designing solutions for the BoP, and market survey & analysis to understand the felt needs at the grass root level.

Presently the BoP programme has many partners from the academia, industry, NGOs and government organisations. This has resulted in other organisations such as M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), PSG College of technology Science and Technology entrepreneur Park (PSG-STEP), kTwo Technology Solutions, Texas Instruments, Nokia and Electrocare Systems joining this programme. Participation of these organisations makes the programme a sustainable model for the university to build a knowledge network for the benefit of community.

Faculty interested in participating in this programme can contact Manipal BoP Office, IV Floor Innovation Centre, MIT, Manipal for further information.

However the information about BoP activities is also available in the following web links:
http://www.grassrootinnovations.org
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=8gEJ3LRPaKs (Bopchair Manipal University)
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=I8J3LtSnvWs (Voice of Students)
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=Lotl8chpKgg (e-RMCWH- Rural Healthcare)

BoP partners