The 'Buffalo Model'

Interested in buying a Buffalo that gives 20 litres of milk per day? Well! It’s not me asking you that question, it’s actually Indian e-commerce Web site eBay. ‘A seller had listed a “milk giving black young buffalo, 20 litres per day.” The “Item condition” was described as “Used.” Delivery would be free, by national courier. There was even a seven days' exchange offer thrown in.’

Although, eBay India did not want to talk about where the listing was posted from as the company did not want “a prohibited item to portray the rural penetration” that the Web site has made, however, the fact that awareness of e-commerce has grown to the extent that a livestock-owner somewhere in the country chose to put up his buffalo for sale on an e-commerce Web site is both amazing and indicative.

Indicative in the sense of new business models taking shape and the need to innovate in times when the going seems to be arduous and demanding. The other day Mr Kris Gopalakrishnan, Executive Co-Chairman, Infosys remarked – ‘Cloud computing, mobility, big data and analytics are new entrepreneurship models for India to pursue.’

Innovative business models require grassroots innovation. Such innovations happen through a culture of innovation that an organization creates where employees find greater engagements then there mere jobs. Google & Facebook have done it better than Yahoo; Titan has done it better than HMT; Microsoft has done it better than any other companies…

Such innovation culture shall have essentially four core elements –

1. Freedom – to think radically, to express, to differ, to experiment, to act…

2. Commitment – from the top, for planned resources; to take risks.

3. Develop – contemporary skill inventory; expertise; talent.

4. Network – for networking and facilitation; with clients/customers.

You may call it the 'Buffalo Model.'