Book Review: Making Breakthrough Innovations Happen

Have started reading books after a very long hiatus from last year and its been a mixed bag.

I ensure that the book I pick up for reading is completed. Then again there are challenges wherein I have found difficult to finish books. I literally have and had to give up on them. It happened back to back and I wondered if I lost my touch with reading.

Thankfully, I was wrong and got back in the reading mode with "Making Breakthrough Innovations Happen" by Porus Munshi, published by Collins Business.

India is known for its "Jugaad" and this book attempts to explore few of them who were in a position to make life altering changes for the organization/people they worked with.

It takes us through these case studies or should I say orbit shifting moments as the author  Porus Munshi likes to call it.

The book covers 11 personalities from different walks of life, who despite their challenges overcomes them through their sheer innovation, persistence & perseverance.

It was Govindappa Venkataswamy stubbornness to cure needless blindness that led to the creation of Aravind Eve Hospital. Known for its high quality, high volume, low-cost service delivery model all of which was learned by observing McDonald's service efficiency. It certainly makes a fascinating read if you have not heard about it.

 The Trichy police case study showed the way wherein community policing had a larger impact on combating crime and other issues. To such an extent that the crime rates dipped to the lowest as compared to the ratio of cop to people.

Similarly there are other case studies which includes Cavinkare, ITC;s E-choupal, Bosch India, Titan Edge & Surat city transformation.

The author has kept kept them light-hearted and  easy to comprehend. He has made sure not to go into the nitty-gritty and kept it simple for readers understanding.

I liked the case studies of E-choupal, Trichy community policing, Surat city transformation, Aarvind eye hospital, Su Kam & Shanta Biotech.

They show the grit & resolve of these individuals who have risen above the challenges with their innovative ways breaking the barriers of societal thoughts. Paving the way for path breaking products, processes & ideas into use.

The book makes an interesting read if you like to read about ways the Indian jugaad works.

It's certainly worth a read.

P.S. You can buy the book at Amazon on https://amzn.to/38OQrvH

Dreams Do Come True

Sudhir was taking a piss in his toilet with the door open. When a women in her mid thirties appeared in a black sari with red border, her hair open and a red big bindi on the forehead staring at him.

He turns around and there is no one. He thinks about it being weird and all and goes back to sleep.

The next night he gets woken up in middle of his sleep, seeing the women again standing in front of him, next to him sitting on top of him. This continues for a few nights.

He gets up in the middle of the night, looks around and there is nothing. It shook him so much that he dreaded to fall asleep.

His performance at work slumped, sleeping at work, low productivity to such an extent that he was told to take a few days off to get things in order.

Sudhir being an atheist, thought maybe taking a break was not a bad idea. Lying on his bed, he wondered about the women in his dreams, Was she a figment of imagination or did she really existed? He could not recall seeing her ever. Answers eluded him.

He switched off the lights of his room, hoping to catch up on his lost sleep. Though on the back of his mind the thoughts of the women in sari wont go away.

The next day people were coming in and out of his flat, as Sudhir's body was carried out into the ambulance. Police presence was there making inquires. 

Murmurs were heard that he probably passed away in his sleep. The landlord informing the police that over five years ago a women had died in a similar manner.

A colleague overheard the conversation to whom Sudhir had confided into about seeing the women. He wondered if only Sudhir had paid attention to his dreams from coming true.

Surrender: The Conclusion

Read the first part on this link

The sound of the water droplet falling on the base of the window was making its presence felt like a echo. Girish was sitting across Prasad in his cabin, when Prasad said "Mr. Kamat, as you are aware we dug the place you mentioned, we could not find the bodies as it was decomposed. We did though found belongings which helped identify their identities and corroborated it with their family members".

"Kamat Sir, why did you do it? Why come and confess after thirty years? You are in your seventies, you could have kept this as your secret and died peacefully as a good samaritan. We did a background check of yours and everyone only has good things to say about you. Why give up on all that? Prasad asked him as he looked at him trying to unravel the puzzle.

"I needed to answer myself. I am guilty of killing three people. I am sure their families must be looking for them. I needed closure and they did too". Kamat replied.

"Why kill them? They had paid for their crimes". Prasad asked him. "Not enough. When they tried to do it again." He replied "Again?" Prasad questioned. Girish replies in affirmative.

"Can you let me know what happened?". Girish took out this spectacles and moved his right hand fingers between his eyes and pressed his nose and removed them.

"Even post completing their jail term, they never got reformed. They began haunting my family. My wife, my kids and me. I did what an ordinary citizen would do, file a complaint with the police station and they would get away. Until they got to her. I knew I had to take things in my own hands now".

"My wife was a strong women, She rebuild herself from the tatters she was left with. She had been an independent women, a loving wife and a good mother. She was back into her shell, scared wondering if it was going to happen again. They almost got hold of her the other day but got saved from getting raped."

"I killed them and life has been a bliss thereafter especially my wife who recovered and died peacefully,seeing our children grown up, well settled. We were living happily in our own world and somehow found ourselves under this situation. What was I suppose to do, sit around and wait till they harm my family? I was not going to let it happen."

"One has to take matters into their own hands when the system fails to give you justice". Girish thundered. "Mr. Kamat, I can only sympathies with what you have gone through, but taking matters in your hand is certainly I wont recommend. I know the system failed you, but  that does not happen all the time." Prasad said trying to make his point.

Girish looked at him with stern eyes and said "Do you know about the infamous Priyadarshini Mattoo Case?" Prasad nodded yes. "You also must be knowing that his death sentence was converted to life sentence. Have you wondered about the girl who lost her life at the young age of 25. Don't you think she had her own aspirations? her family dreams for her. How do you think they would respond that the killer of their daughter is still alive, got married, had a child, becomes an advocate and it took 10 years to deliver justice. Numerous written complaints filed but yet the killer got away. Had the system worked, today she would have been alive instead of getting murdered and raped gruesomely".

Prasad was left speechless. He got up from his seat, moved towards Kamat and said "Sir, I know the system failed but we need to keep trying. Not everyone is a bad apple. I will have to arrest you for the crimes you committed and would be kept in jail till the court hearing comes up and gives its verdict" he said.

"You please do your job" Girish said. Prasad called out to Gaitonde to take Girish away. 

As Mr. Kamat was taken away from his cabin, Prasad looked at him wondering if justice has been truly served given the nature of the case. He moved towards the window and opened it as it stopped raining outside.

P.S. This short story is actually inspired by an old 2001 Sri Lankan movie Aswesuma story plot. I have only read about it, not seen yet it made me think...

Finally, I have some closure.