Presentation day is finally here! We began our day at Andhra University where we attended a momentous occasion—the opening of the Open Innovation Center at Andhra University. The event marked the signing of an MOU between Andhra University, UC Berkeley, and the Andhra Pradesh department of higher education. The event was highly publicized. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, along with Miss Sumita Dawra, and other government officials participated in the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone for the center. Chief Minister’s policies and attitude towards technology have always demonstrated the scalability for smart cities and Open Innovation.
The presentation event began with speeches by Professor Darwin, Professor Beaubois from Stanford, representatives from the Andhra Pradesh government and the US embassy. Each group had the opportunity to present their models to the audience and judging panel. After each presentation, we had a Q&A session. Questions were challenging, but helpful in understanding how to best approach our models to help the city of Vizag. Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, an innovator himself, ensured us that the government of Andhra Pradesh would support our entrepreneurial endeavors. We are excited, as many of us have an opportunity to partner with people in India and develop our models further.
As I reflect on the day, I realize that everything counts. Our innovative ideas need to be as great as our cultural sensitive, because what might work in America, may not work in Vizag. It’s a challenge, and a learning curve, but worth every bit. Perhaps crossing the cultural bridge and working on innovative ideas is all part of putting Open Innovation into practice. Truly, I have gained a greater perspective of what it means to be an innovative thinker.