From grassroots to mainstream

: reverse innovation in medical technology in India

Abstract

Reverse innovation is a novel innovation theory that challenges the conventional understandings ofinnovation. It is a phenomenon in which innovation originates in resource-constrained countries andthen trickles up to developed markets. India’s favorable local conditions paired with itsenvironmental, social and cultural constraints provide a fertile breeding ground for reverseinnovations, especially in medical technology.This work investigates the reverse innovation process both in the Indian healthcare industry and ingeneral, and examines how and to what extent the Indian example of reverse innovation in medicaltechnology can translate to developed markets.The study concludes that finding new solutions to prevalent healthcare challenges in India drivesinnovation and is vital for improving the healthcare system. Engineering medical devices from scratchand re-evaluating healthcare processes while disregarding existing notions, form the foundation for amore advanced and more accessible Indian healthcare industry.Moreover, the results provided viable indications that successfully integrated reverse innovationshave potential to reduce the ballooning costs of healthcare in many developed countries, makingprocesses more efficient, and healthcare systems less fragmented.However, a high cognitive barrier, nationalism and political fear-mongering may limit reverseinnovation’s future success in developed countries.

Date of Award	28 Jan 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Peter Rajsingh (Supervisor)