A Classificatory Scheme of Technological Innovations in Rural Industries

Abstract

The paper presents a classificatory scheme of technological innovations in rural industries. These industries are heterogeneous and the nature of innovations varies widely such as, improvement of tools and implements of product design and quality. It takes place in the traditional industries through partial mechanization of the traditional crafts and introduction of entirely new technology based on new scientific principles. While classifying innovations, the proposed scheme uses composite criteria based on parameters, namely sources of innovation, degree of participation of artisans, enterprise size, nature of promotional bodies, characteristics of innovations and the effects of innovations. By using this scheme, six categories of innovations have been identified namely, traditional technology with improvement of product design and quality (TIDQP), traditional technology with improved tools and implements facilitating product innovations (TIIDQP), partial mechanization of traditional crafts (TPM) mechanization facilitating product innovations in traditional craft s (TPM IDQP), capital intensive modern industries that displace traditional crafts ((ROMI) , and newly introduced industries producing entirely new products (NMI). Rural and semi-urban industries in Eastern India were surveyed, and the results are analysed following the proposed criteria.