#187: Telecom, ATMs, Indian Startups & Rural Development…

About this episode

How did India build affordable telecom, ATMs and technology for rural communities, and what can India’s startup ecosystem learn from that experience?In this episode of Know Time, Ashok Jhunjhunwala, one of India’s leading technology innovators and researchers, discusses the stories behind some of his most important innovations and his broader vision for using technology to solve India’s biggest development challenges.We explore the evolution of Indian telecom, the story of CorDECT and Wireless in Local Loop, and how affordable communications technology helped connect rural India. Jhunjhunwala also shares the story of GramaTeller ATMs, designed to make banking technology more affordable and accessible in villages and smaller towns.The conversation goes beyond individual technologies to examine rural development, frugal innovation, Indian startups, entrepreneurship, technology transfer, IITs, research and commercialization, and why India needs to build more technologies specifically for its own needs.What does it take to turn research into real-world impact? Why do some Indian innovations succeed while others struggle to scale? And how can India create a stronger ecosystem connecting universities, researchers, startups and industry?A wide-ranging conversation about technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and building for India.Subscribe to Know Time for long-form conversations with scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, academics and other fascinating thinkers. Ashok: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashok-jhunjhunwala-4b273b181/ SUPPORT:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/knowtimeAnchor: https://anchor.fm/knowtime/supportYoutube Membership: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ-937lA3_s2g5AxdpKQjVg/joinMerch: https://know-time-shop.fourthwall.com/ PODCAST:Anchor: https://anchor.fm/knowtimeSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2CjRJPktODLDeHavCNDLGAApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/know-time/id1535371851?uo=4 CONNECT:Youtube: Subscribe!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knowtimetofly/Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/shalajlawania/Twitter: https://twitter.com/knowtimetoflyTwitter (Personal): https://twitter.com/shalajlawaniaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/knowtimetoflyReddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/knowtimetofly/Merch: https://know-time-shop.fourthwall.comBlog: http://www.sadisticshalpy.com/ Producer & Host: Shalaj Lawania TIMELINE0:00 Trailer1:50 Introduction3:34 Ashok’s Journey & Motivation15:21 License Raj & Hindu Rate of Growth20:04 Developing Telecom for Indian Villages25:08 Meeting Sam Pitroda28:14 Developing Affordable ATMs for Indian Villages32:12 Story of IIT Madras Research Park39:44 The Problems with Incubators44:42 Are IITs Underdelivering?48:42 The Problems with IITs50:50 Vision For India56:28 Lego Interpretation1:01:51 Inspirations, Legacy & Meaning of Life #india #startupindia #startup