India has not experienced the commercial value of design. We are largely a country that transposes design. If it has worked in other parts of the world, it is a good enough reason to follow the same footsteps.

From large hydel projects to institutes of higher learning, from carpets at airports (given the heat and dust) to selling the idea of ‘germ-kill’ for bathroom cleaners (in a country where street vendors abound, and a clean bathroom is good enough), we work on western constructs of what is important and frequently miss opportunities that are inherent to India.

Original thought and a belief in innovation with design thinking can open up newer opportunities. If we were to design a men’s shirt for India, we would arrive at a slightly different solution.

The most common issue for men, given the pollution, is grimy collars. That’s where shirts give way first, as scrubbing collars leads to fraying.

A replaceable inner band that protects the collar could significantly increase the life of the shirt.

Similarly, shoe cleaners are a low-engagement category today.

Given that shoe-cleaning is needed not when we leave home but when we reach our destination, having trod through dust- and dirt-filled roads, a disposable shoe-cleaning towelette might be the answer.

The lack of innovation in category after category is a great opportunity for an enterprising entrepreneur to leverage and grow faster than the market.

Whenever products or services have filled the Indian need based on an understanding of deeper cultural insights, they have succeeded. Insulated casseroles, apps for hailing taxis, food delivery at railway stations have all been such solutions tapping a very definite need. Innovations are the cheapest way to get market penetration and build market shares. Hopefully 2016 augurs many such.

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