The HIVE is the brainchild of the founders of ‘ayzh’, Habib Anwar and Zubaida Bai. They quit their careers 5 years ago to marry their strengths in product development and corporate operations/finance in order to bring frugal/appropriate technologies to the market in the developing world for the benefit of the poor. Having seen the success of their first venture together, and with their valuable on
-the-ground experience, the couple determined that the path for passionate and dedicated entrepreneur/innovators should not be the struggle it has been for them. The HIVE is stand-alone non-profit organization in Chennai, India, with focus on providing a space for innovations to come to life and thrive. The HIVE will be a one-stop shop for Innovators giving them access to knowledge, expert advice, market information, and networks. With the Chennai center being the hub, The HIVE will facilitate the creation, maintenance, and operation of information and research centers, individually or through partnership with other research institutions and universities, thus forming spokes out from the hub. The spokes will operate on guiding principles set forth by The HIVE to improve economic development and the lives of discrete segments of rural people; youth, women, etc. This will in turn develop an increasing number of competent and skilled local resources that can assist in developing innovations in the vicinity. OBJECTIVE
The HIVE aims to create a network of academic institutions, grass roots innovators, industrialists, domain experts, non-governmental organizations, established entrepreneurs and government agencies. Through such a network, it is proposed to proactively address the basic human needs and social development needs of rural and economically under developed segments, by mentoring deserving individuals towards innovation and enterprise creation. Create an ecosystem across the country to spur innovation and entrepreneurship. This will be done by Investing in and supporting innovators/entrepreneurs though networks, funding and on the ground and lab support either in house or though partners
2. Organize events that will help in disseminating information and involve people both nationally and internationally from all walks of life to participate in building an innovation culture in India.
3. Provide consulting services to organizations wanting to work with technologies supporting India’s growth. PLANNED ACTIVITIES
Provide an inclusive environment for innovators to approach and feel comfortable
so innovative ideas can flourish by involving groups listed below
o Innovators from all walks of life ( age and education no bar)
o Academicians and Industrialists
o Organizations with deep understanding and reach within local culture and community. o Government agencies
To serve as a facilitator for local innovators and innovations to develop sustainable technologies and build local capacity to leverage innovation and creativity. Provide a workspace for innovators to build and test their ideas. Provide resources to innovators to document the process and to pen down their ideas so they can concentrate on what they are good at but also have the tools needed to convey their ideas to the external world. To kill the socio economic norm that all innovators should attract capital and build business and scale. While some ideas might definitely save millions a few might save a few hundred and giving enough room for such ideas to survive and thrive as well. Based on the experience gained from the initial few projects, understand successful and unsuccessful practices and thus develop a model for more successfully expanding the activity to other regions of the country.
