Genesis

About Us

Mission

Objectives

Genesis

The Honey Bee Network (an informal collective of farmers, artisans, scientist and scholars involved in the scouting and documenting of innovations and new ideas from the grassroots) felt that rewarding the grassroots people for their creativity should look beyond the mere recognition and documentation of their knowledge. It should also aim towards the commercialisation of viable innovations, so that their benefits are disseminated over a broader spectrum of the community. Also, in the process, the motivation to innovate further is sustained. To achieve this, it was felt that a nodal agency should be created that would not only scale up these innovations but also act as a clearing house of innovations by facilitating interaction among innovators, entrepreneurs and investors.

In January 1997, an International Conference on Creativity and Innovations at Grassroots (ICCIG) was held at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, organised by CMA, and co sponsored by SRISTI, FAO, World Bank, NABARD etc. The idea to set up a Green Venture Promotion Fund was mooted at ICCIG so as to support the rural innovators to link themselves to formal systems of marketing, technical and financial services. Such a fund would also prepare business plans for the innovators and would support entrepreneurs.

The idea received unanimous appreciation in the conference. Thus, Gujarat Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network (GIAN) was born. It was registered in March 1997 under the Bombay Public Charitable Act with all donations to it being exempt from Income tax under section 80G of the Income Tax Act.

About Gian

Gujarat Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network (GIAN) was set up on March 1, 1997 with support from Government of Gujarat, Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI) and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).

GIAN is registered under the Bombay Public Charitable Trust Act of 1861 as a Trust and a Society. All donations to GIAN are exempt from Income Tax under Section 80G(5) of the Income Tax Act.

GIAN West has been given the status of Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India.

Governing Board of GIAN comprises eminent academicians, policy framers and social workers. Representatives to the board are from Government of Gujarat, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Commercial Bodies such as Gujarat Venture Fund Limited and social organizations such as SEWA, SRISTI and Gopaldham (Gram Swaraj Shikshan Kendra).

GIAN's major aim is to scale up and spawn grassroots innovations and help development of successful enterprises. In this effort it provide the innovators with adequate linkages to modern science and technology, market research, design institutions and funding organizations. The ultimate objective is to generate new models of poverty alleviation, rural development, employment generation and conservation of natural resources without impairing the ecological balance.

GIAN has since its inception functioned as an incubator for such grassroots innovations and has successfully launched ten such innovations as commercial products and five as social products in the market .

GIAN hopes that the success stories of these grassroots innovators may turn them into role models for our youth and help percolate the spirit and ethic of innovation, and enterpreneurship deep down their minds. We are hopeful that our small initiative will become a revolution with your participation for making these innovators a successful lot.