Navi Radjou

New York

Inspirational Keynote Speaker. Bestselling author and scholar on Jugaad, Frugal Innovation, Wise Leadership. Global Top 50 Management Thinker. TED Speaker.

Articles

Decentralized political governance: the key to unlocking AI’s super(local)power

1 week ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

The new report “Governing in the Age of AI: Reimagining Local Government” by Tony Blair Institute for Global Change made my day ! I am what the French call a “Girondin”, a big believer in decentralized public governance and bottom-up solutions to local problems — in contrast with the “Jacobin” who advocates a strong, centralized government This report by Tony Blair Institute (TBI) makes a convincing case that the ONLY way the UK government can harness and realize the full potential of AI is...
Frugal innovation helps governments enhance public spending

1 week ago | weforum.org | Navi Radjou

Governments need to balance growing demand for services with the need to reduce public spending in the current economic environment. While austerity has been the main strategy used by the public sector in the past, frugal innovation can help governments deliver better services with less. This approach involves making the most of all available resources, using existing solutions and responding proactively to society's needs.
Gen Z Students: Respect *and* Break all Limits’

1 week ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

Yesterday, as I walked by the entrance of Bengaluru City University (BCU), its logo and motto caught my attention. The logo is based on the University’s motto ‘Aagu Nee Aniketana’ translated as ‘Be Boundless.’The line is from the poem ‘Vishvamanava Sandesha’ by Kuvempu, the greatest Kannada poet of the 20th century. The poem conveyed his message of universal brotherhood.
I don’t want to bridge US and French cultures. I want to embody the best in both

2 weeks ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

Yesterday, I discovered “When Cultures Collide: Leading Across Cultures” by Richard Lewis, a communication expert and social theorist. This guidebook shows how leaders can understand cultural differences and fluidly manage across multiple regional markets. Being a French-American dual citizen, one graphic in this book caught my attention, which I reproduced above.
Behind every French Success, there are Indian Brains

2 weeks ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

“Behind every FRENCH Success, there are INDIAN Brains”You will be hearing this phase more often in coming years. In late 2024, French carmaker Renault began selling R5 E-Tech, the electric version of R5, an iconic Renault brand initially launched in January 1972.
Indian startups must stop tropicalizing Western business models and build indigenous business paradigms

1 month ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

Navi Radjou·Follow2 min read·--Image: DALL-E“To tropicalize” — I first heard that expression 21 years ago. In 2004, I met the CTO of an US multinational HQ-ed in Midwest America which makes durable consumer goods. He explained to me how his Indian R&D team “tropicalized” US products. His Indian engineers took the design of US-made products and tweaked them to suit the needs and constraints of the Indian market.
Frugal innovation is not slashing ruthlessly but pruning lovingly

1 month ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

Navi Radjou·FollowJust now--This week, I gave one of my most inspiring and rewarding talks in years. Two days ago, I discussed with civil servants in Belgium how they can apply frugal innovation principles to deliver better public services with less. This was part of an Inspiration Session organized by NIDO, the innovation lab of the Belgian federal government.
India Enables Inclusive Prosperity through Cooperation

1 month ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

Navi Radjou·Follow2 min read·--The Indian government will soon launch Sahkar Taxi, a cooperative-run transport service for bike, cab, and auto rides. Sahkar Taxi will offer an alternative to proprietary platforms like Ola and Uber. Rooted in a cooperative model, Sahkar Taxi will empower taxi drivers to directly profit from their services without having to pay intermediaries. Sahkar Taxi is part of the Indian government’s largest vision called Sahkar Se Samriddhi (Prosperity through Cooperation).
European leaders are rebuffing America … intellectually

2 months ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

Navi Radjou·Follow2 min read·--This week, I am doing a presentation on frugal innovation for a group of CEOs in a European countryI created a first draft of my presentation which narrated:- how my childhood in India in the 70s and 80s shaped my first-hand experience with frugal innovation. - how living in Silicon Valley made me discover how UN-frugal America was.
From Frugal Innovation to Frugal Economy: The Next Frontier

2 months ago | naviradjou.medium.com | Navi Radjou

Navi Radjou·Follow2 min read·--In 2015 my book Frugal Innovation, coauthored with Jaideep Prabhu, was published by The Economist andProfile Books. Ten years later, in 2025, I intend to promote globally my new book The Frugal Economy, published by Wiley and Thinkers50. What are the key differences between these two books ? Rather than talk about differences, it’s best to talk about SYNERGIES among these two books.