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Anil Kumar Gupta
Anil Kumar Gupta
Anil Kumar Gupta
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Gupta addressing at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

Anil Kumar Gupta is an Indian scholar in the area of grassroots innovations.[1] He is the founder of the Honey Bee Network. He retired as a full-time professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in 2017, where he served for about 36 years.[2][3]

He was a member of the governing board at the National Innovation Foundation.[4] He is also a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science.[5] He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004 for his contributions to management education.[6][7]

Gupta has developed courses for students at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. One of his most popular courses included Shodh Yatra, (meaning 'research walk'), under which he took management students to different parts of the country to learn from local communities and study their knowledge systems.[8] This course was derived from his larger concept of walking through the length and breadth of the country, interacting with farmers, traditional knowledge holders, grassroots innovators, innovative students, etc. It started in May 1998 in the western Indian province of Gujarat.[9]

Education

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Upon finishing his bachelor's degree (Hons) in Agriculture, he went on to complete his Masters in Sciences (Biochemical Genetics) from Haryana Agricultural University in 1974. In 1986, he earned a Ph.D. in Management from the Kurukshetra University.[citation needed]

Research

[edit]

He is a Co-Ordinator of SRISTI (Society for Research and Initiative for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions).[10] He was a speaker at TED India in November 2009.[11] Since 2011, he is an advisor on issues pertaining to innovation, environment, and sustainability to Fair Observer, an online magazine covering global issues.[12]

Awards and honours

[edit]
Year of award or honor Name of award or honor Awarding organization
2004 Padma Shri National Award (management education) Government of India
2004 Science-in-Society Award Indian Science Congress Association
2000 Asian Innovation Award Gold Far Eastern Economic Review
1993 - 96 Pew Conservation Scholar Award University of Michigan, USA.

References

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[edit]
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Anil Kumar Gupta

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Anil Kumar Gupta (born April 24, 1952) is an Indian academic, innovator, and advocate for grassroots knowledge systems, best known as the founder of the Honey Bee Network, a platform that scouts, documents, and promotes innovations from rural and marginalized communities in and beyond. A retired professor from the (IIM-A), where he served for 36 years until 2017, Gupta has bridged traditional indigenous knowledge with modern management practices, emphasizing and rights for the underprivileged. His work has mobilized thousands of volunteers and scouted and documented over 350,000 innovations and practices, fostering eco-entrepreneurship and through collaborative networks. Gupta's academic journey began with a B.Sc. in , followed by an M.Sc. in from Haryana Agricultural University, and culminated in a Ph.D. in Management from in 1986. He joined IIM-A in 1981 as a faculty member at the Centre for Management in , where he taught courses on innovation, technology management, and , rising to become a key figure in integrating perspectives into business strategy. After retirement, he continued as a visiting at IIM-A, , and other institutions, while leading initiatives to globalize local innovations. In 1988–1989, Gupta established the Honey Bee Network to address the systemic neglect of informal innovators, drawing inspiration from the collaborative ethos of honey bees to connect knowledge-rich communities with supportive institutions. This led to the founding of several organizations, including the Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) in 1993, the Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network (GIAN) in 1997, and the (NIF) in 1996, where he served as executive vice-chair. Through these entities, Gupta has organized over 50 shodhyatras (knowledge expeditions) covering thousands of kilometers, launched the newsletter distributed in 75 countries, and facilitated the patenting and commercialization of indigenous solutions in areas like , healthcare, and water management. Gupta's contributions have earned him prestigious recognitions, including the award in 2004 for excellence in management education and science promotion, the Pew Marine Fellowship in 1993 for conserving , and the CSIR Bhatnagar Fellowship from 2018 to 2021 for advancing scientific research. He has also received an honorary Ph.D. from Universidad de San Martín de Porres in 2015 and fellowships from the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the World Academy of Art and Science. His efforts continue to influence global policies on inclusive innovation, emphasizing ethical scouting and value addition for knowledge holders. As of 2025, he remains active, coordinating international conferences and participating in events on grassroots innovation.

Early Life and Education

Early Life

Anil K. Gupta was born in in 1952.

Education

Anil Kumar Gupta completed his in Agriculture from Agricultural University in 1972. He advanced his studies with a in from Agricultural University in 1974. Gupta later obtained his Ph.D. in from in 1986.

Professional Career

Academic Positions

Gupta began his academic career with a three-year role at the (IIPA) in , focusing on management and education, following his MSc in from Haryana Agricultural University in 1974. He then joined the (IIMA) in 1981 as a faculty member in the Centre for Management in Agriculture (CMA), where he contributed to teaching and research in agricultural management and innovation. Over his 36-year tenure at IIMA until his retirement in 2017, Gupta advanced to the position of , bridging with agricultural practices. During this period, he also held key administrative roles, including the Chair in from 2003 to 2008 and Chairperson of the Centre for Educational Innovation in 1993–1994. Following retirement, Gupta continued his academic engagement as a visiting faculty at IIMA, a position he has held since 2017, and as Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay during 2017–2018. He remains active in these capacities as of 2025, extending his influence in management and innovation education at institutions like the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, (NIPER-A).

Key Institutional Roles

Anil Kumar Gupta founded the Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) in 1993 and continues to serve as its coordinator, guiding its efforts to promote sustainable technologies and grassroots institutional innovations. His long-standing academic career at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad provided a foundation for his broader institutional leadership in innovation ecosystems. Gupta co-founded the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) - India in 2000 under the Government of India and held the position of Executive Vice Chair from 2000 to 2018, after which he remained a member of its governing board to support ongoing policy and network development. Gupta was elected as a of the World Academy of Art and Science in 2001, contributing to global dialogues on interdisciplinary advancements in science, , and societal progress. Since 2011, he has served as an advisor to Fair Observer, providing expertise on , environment, and issues for the global affairs platform. In the post-2017 period, Gupta maintained active involvement in the governance of SRISTI and NIF, while also holding international advisory roles such as membership on the of the Future Innovation Forum in from 2016 to 2019.

Grassroots Innovation Work

Honey Bee Network

The Honey Bee Network was founded in 1988 by Anil K. Gupta along with a diverse group of volunteers, including students, teachers, farmers, artisans, and others, as an informal platform to scout, document, and connect innovators in rural with scientists, entrepreneurs, and supportive institutions. This initiative emerged from observations of the untapped creativity among marginalized communities, aiming to bridge the gap between local systems and formal ecosystems without exploiting the sources of such . Over the decades, it has evolved into a decentralized, volunteer-led collective that emphasizes ethical sharing, with Shodh Yatras serving as one key method for on-ground scouting. At its core, the Network operates through a decentralized model that relies on local scouts, volunteers, and community networks to collect, verify, and disseminate innovations and from farmers, artisans, women, and other rural practitioners across . Central to this is the newsletter, a quarterly publication launched in the early and now available in seven Indian languages, which shares stories of ingenuity and reaches audiences in over 75 countries to foster global reciprocity in knowledge exchange. Complementing the newsletter is a comprehensive database that has documented tens of thousands of grassroots innovations and practices, with estimates exceeding 100,000 as of the early 2020s, making them accessible in local languages via digital platforms, print materials, and community events to promote lateral learning and adaptation. Guided by principles of reciprocity—ensuring knowledge sharing benefits the originators without impoverishing their communities—inclusivity by prioritizing voices from women and underserved groups, and ethical safeguards like avoiding patents on to prevent biopiracy, the Network maintains a focus on sustainable, community-driven development. Post-2017, it has undergone significant digital expansion, including online multi-media databases for innovations and , enhanced volunteer-driven scouting through apps and , and initiatives like the Ignited Minds Awards, with activities continuing actively into 2025 to scale inclusive innovation globally. The Shodh Yatra, initiated by Anil Kumar Gupta in May 1998 starting in , consists of annual research walks aimed at scouting and supporting innovations in remote villages across . These expeditions typically span 100-150 kilometers over 7-10 days, led by Gupta and involving multidisciplinary teams of volunteers, students, and experts who engage directly with local communities to identify creative solutions in areas like , healthcare, and . By November 2025, 53 Shodh Yatras have been conducted, including the 53rd from June 4-10 in , , to Chhota Udepur, , fostering interactions with thousands of rural innovators and documenting their knowledge through on-the-ground dialogues and demonstrations. These yatras emphasize learning from four key "teachers"—the self, peers, , and ordinary people—while honoring local achievers such as farmers, women, and children through felicitation events. The efforts integrate briefly with the Honey Bee Network to catalog and disseminate the scouted ideas, ensuring broader visibility and protection for creators. Complementing the yatras, related programs include innovation camps and value addition workshops that provide hands-on training to refine inventions, such as improving crop protection methods or cattle-rearing tools discovered during walks. These initiatives have scouted numerous , with events like the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship () featuring over 200 solutions supported by the National Innovation Foundation. The programs offer practical support to rural creators, including access to prototyping, guidance, and market linkages, thereby enhancing the scalability of low-cost, context-specific inventions. Recent activities underscore the ongoing momentum, including Gupta's 2023 talk at the Tata Institute of Genetics and Society (TIGS) in Bengaluru, where he drew on three decades of Honey Bee Network examples to advocate for responsible and reciprocal innovations that prioritize community reciprocity. In 2024, workshops continued to focus on nurturing creativity, aligning with the yatras' ethos of empowering marginalized innovators through collaborative learning and resource sharing, and in 2025, the Network advanced with the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ignited Minds Children Creativity & Innovation Awards.

Research Contributions

Core Research Areas

Anil Kumar Gupta's scholarly work primarily centers on frugal innovations emerging from rural , where resource-constrained communities develop low-cost, context-specific solutions to everyday challenges such as , water management, and healthcare. These innovations, often born out of necessity in marginalized settings, emphasize affordability and adaptability, as exemplified by devices like bamboo-based windmills for that cost around $120. His research highlights how such transforms limitations into opportunities for sustainable progress. A key theme in Gupta's contributions is conservation through community-held knowledge systems, where traditional practices for are documented and integrated into modern conservation efforts. He advocates for recognizing indigenous methods, such as uncultivated food sourcing during droughts, to enhance in bio-diverse yet impoverished regions. This approach bridges traditional ecological wisdom with contemporary science, fostering hybrid solutions that respect local contexts while addressing global environmental issues. Complementing this, he emphasizes the role of in innovation scouting, where understanding others' hardships—such as mobility issues for the elderly—drives empathetic designs that connect informal creators with broader networks. These ideas underscore his view that true arises from compassionate, boundary-crossing engagements. Gupta's interdisciplinary framework combines management principles, agricultural sciences, and social sciences to critique and remedy failures in top-down models, promoting inclusive strategies that empower local actors. This synthesis aims to build equitable knowledge ecosystems, integrating diverse disciplines to tackle systemic inequalities in access. Since 2017, Gupta's research has increasingly explored reciprocal models, where ideas flow bidirectionally between communities and formal sectors, and corporate engagement to scale these solutions through partnerships with entities like and Tata. His works, including analyses of Indo-African collaborations for inclusive development (2019) and nurturing innovations for market viability (2021), highlight empathetic, open systems that ensure mutual benefits and responsible value chains. Recent efforts, such as 2023 discussions on leveraging community knowledge for reciprocal outcomes, continue to advocate for corporate involvement in amplifying marginal innovations.

Publications and Impact

Gupta has authored several influential books that highlight the creative potential of marginalized communities in innovation. His seminal work, Grassroots Innovation: Minds on the Margin Are Not Marginal Minds (2016), draws on decades of fieldwork to document how individuals on the fringes of develop frugal solutions to and resource scarcity. He has also contributed chapters to edited volumes on , including "Grassroots Green Innovations for Inclusive, Sustainable Development" (2010), where he examines eco-friendly practices from informal sectors to support broader environmental goals. In academic journals, Gupta has published over 170 articles, with a focus on knowledge flows in informal sectors and the formulation of policies that bridge traditional and modern economies. Key examples include "From Sink to Source: The Honey Bee Network Documents Indigenous and Innovations in " (2006), which analyzes how community-sourced ideas can reverse knowledge asymmetries in development processes. These works have accumulated over 1,400 citations, shaping scholarly discourse in by emphasizing inclusive models over top-down approaches. Beyond print, Gupta's TED Talk, "India's hidden hotbeds of invention," delivered in November 2009, spotlights unsung rural inventors and has amassed over 800,000 views, amplifying awareness of grassroots creativity worldwide. Gupta's publications have profoundly influenced policy, academia, and practice in innovation studies. Through persistent advocacy, his ideas contributed to the creation of India's National Innovation Foundation (NIF) in 2000, integrating grassroots innovations into national policy frameworks for economic inclusion. The Honey Bee newsletter, under his editorial guidance, has gained global recognition by disseminating these insights to readers in 75 countries, promoting cross-border knowledge exchange. His scholarship continues to inform development economics, with citations underscoring the value of informal sector contributions to sustainable growth. Recent outputs include editorials in Honey Bee Network publications, such as "Emerging Frontiers of Honey Bee Network: Grassroots to Global" (2023), and drafts for issues up to early 2025 that address gaps in inclusive ecosystems.

Awards and Honors

National Awards

In 2004, Anil Kumar Gupta was awarded the , one of India's highest civilian honors, by the for his contributions to and . That same year, he received the Science-in-Society Award from the , recognizing his pioneering efforts in linking scientific advancements with societal needs, particularly in rural ecosystems. In 1990, he was awarded the Young Scientist Award by the Indian Science Congress Association. In 2012, Gupta received a Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) from the Central University of Orissa. He was elected Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences in 1992. He is also a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy. In 2015, he received the Best Researcher Award from the . Following his retirement in 2017, Gupta's ongoing impact was acknowledged nationally through his appointment as a CSIR Bhatnagar by the of Scientific and Industrial Research from 2018 to 2021, a distinguished fellowship supporting exceptional researchers in advancing indigenous knowledge and innovation. In 2024, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the FICCI Higher Education Excellence Awards by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry, celebrating his enduring legacy in fostering innovation, education, and policy contributions to national development.

International Awards

In 2000, Anil Kumar Gupta received the Gold Asian Innovation Award from the for his coordination of the Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) and the Honey Bee Network, recognizing his contributions to fostering grassroots creativity across . This accolade highlighted the cross-border potential of his efforts in linking with modern innovation systems. Gupta is a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. In 2013, he received the Humanistic Management Lifetime Achievement Award from the Humanistic Management Network, USA. In 2015, he was awarded a Ph.D. Honoris Causa from Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Peru. From 1993 to 1996, Gupta was awarded the Pew Conservation Scholar Fellowship by the through the Pew Fellows Program in Conservation and the Environment, supporting his work on documenting indigenous resource conservation practices to promote biological diversity. The three-year fellowship enabled the creation of platforms like SRISTI and the Honey Bee Network, which built the world's largest database of over 9,000 green innovations from local communities. These international honors, building on his earlier national recognitions, underscored Gupta's global influence in sustainable by 2000, with no major additional international awards reported after 2017.

References

  1. https://naas.org.in/detail.php?id=160
  2. https://www.sristi.org/about-us/anil-k-gupta/
  3. https://www.nif.org.in/
  4. https://www.nplindia.org/sites/default/files/Profile-of-Anil-K-Gupta.pdf
  5. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8811-9425
  6. https://direct.mit.edu/itgg/article-pdf/1/3/49/704088/itgg.2006.1.3.49.pdf
  7. https://www.pew.org/en/projects/marine-fellows/fellows-directory/1993/anil-gupta
  8. https://www.sristi.org/shodhyatra/
  9. https://www.instagram.com/p/DRD_72XE93y/
  10. https://www.idin.org/sites/default/files/resources/Gupta_2012.pdf
  11. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/a-grassroots-professor-in-the-ideas-market/articleshow/896089077.cms
  12. https://speakingminds.com/Speakers/Details/Anil_Kumar_Gupta
  13. https://iimahd.academia.edu/AnilGupta
  14. https://vitatales.com/anil-kumar-gupta/
  15. https://www.sixwayfinder.com/closed-duets-2
  16. https://globalearthrepairfoundation.org/anil-k-gupta/
  17. https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/206968/1/1049302001.pdf
  18. https://tcleadership.org/the-honey-bee-network/
  19. https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/honey-bee-network-voices-grassroots-innovators
  20. https://honeybee.org/aboutus.php
  21. https://www.localfutures.org/programs/global-to-local/planet-local/culture/honey-bee-network/
  22. https://honeybee.org/scout.php
  23. https://www.sristi.org/
  24. https://d-nb.info/1114594261/34
  25. https://honeybee.org/
  26. https://en.bharatpedia.org/wiki/Anil_Kumar_Gupta
  27. https://www.awakin.org/v2/talks/595/bio
  28. https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/in-search-of-grassroots-innovations-anil-guptas-shodh-yatra-passes-through-tamil-nadu-villages/article65479333.ece
  29. https://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/column-towards-an-impatient-and-agile-ecosystem-for-inclusive-innovation-2621846
  30. https://tigs.res.in/talk-by-prof-anil-gupta/
  31. https://www.forbesindia.com/article/innovation-nation/most-innovations-are-scouted-by-volunteers-anil-k-gupta/50095/1
  32. https://anilg.sristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Inclusive_innovations_for_poverty_alleviation.pdf
  33. https://www.iima.ac.in/publication/empathetic-innovations-connections-across-boundaries
  34. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254423961_Empathetic_Innovations_Connections_across_Boundaries
  35. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anil-Gupta-8
  36. https://books.google.com/books/about/Grassroots_Innovation.html?id=hRrZzQEACAAJ
  37. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9780230285477_6
  38. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24089992_From_Sink_to_Source_The_Honey_Bee_Network_Documents_Indigenous_Knowledge_and_Innovations_in_India
  39. https://www.ted.com/talks/anil_gupta_india_s_hidden_hotbeds_of_invention
  40. https://honeybee.org/editorial.php
  41. https://www.ficci.in/press_release_details/4955
  42. https://www.gdn.int/conference2018/speakerbios/plenary
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