Wonder Grass: Three months in its infancy

The New Year, we await the coming year with lot of enthusiasm and eagerness.

Wonder Grass, practically 3 months old now. We started operating from the office at NS Raghavan Center, IIM-Bangalore on 2nd October, so we can consider it as our Foundation day.

These three months have been full of activities, crammed schedules and running around to get our fledgling operations in some stable shape, but as with all start-ups the anxiety and work-pressure never seems to cease.

But there have been some good achievements and milestones for Wonder Grass in these three months into its working, Beginning of a new year could be a good time to sum-up what we have done so far and also to visualize and lay our road map for the year to come.

October saw two critical moments, one the selection of our company 'Wonder Grass' for incubation support by NS Raghavan center for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) at IIM-Bangalore and second award from BiD India challenge for innovative business plan.

We also bagged first order to supply treated -graded bamboo for Ar. Surya Kakani's project for a school 'Anand Niketan' at Ahmedabad.

November; We started the registration process for Wonder Grass. We proposed to organize a seminar under the theme 'Bamboo and Building Industry; Prospoects and Potentials', which was eagerly accepted by Dr. Kalyani Gandhi and she even got the venue finalized. It was due to the support from NSRCEL, that we got the boost to pursue the work on Seminar. Data compilation for invitees, sending emails, calling concerned people.

Running short of manpower and resources, but we kept persisting. Enjoying the experience to organize and conduct a full fledged seminar.


December; All our energies were concentrated on making the event a success. To generate enough curiosity amongst invitees we even tried to get some articles about bamboo and its building applications in leading newspapers, without success.

Keeping the date of the seminar our deadline, we could put together our communication-material together,

1. Visiting Card and Logo
2. Banners for the seminar,
3. Brochures
4. Website

The communication material has come out really good. Brochure designed by Jaai, has come out really wonderful. It lives you with the comprehensive idea about the venture.
Our printer Mr. Subramnay did a good job and that too on time. He works really hard.

Chandrima and Prashant were really patient with all my constant pestering to complete the website, and upload it. Prashant literaly worked two nights to finally upload the site. ALl those who have seen it have appreciated the website.

Chandrima has come up with an interesting logo, which people have liked a lot.

The seminar was a great success, much more than what we had anticipated or expected. It has generated a good awareness about bamboo for building applications in general. Some stake-holders from mainstream construction industry have already approached us to see if we can start providing them services.

Wonder Grass, has been featured in two regional dailies namely 'Vijaya Karnatak' and 'Prajavani', this has taken our name far and wide.

People from across Karnataka have been calling to see if we can provide them with the building-soluiton using bamboo.

To sum it up;

• We have made the beginning and launched Wonder Grass into the operations.
• We have, if not completed but put together some kind of 'identity' for the company, which is represented by our visual communication materials,
• We have received a lot of inquiries and we are working on three interesting and large projects for now. it is in the initial stages of discussion, we will know for sure about our role towards the middle of January-2008.

Bamboo and Building Industry Seminar

Seminar 'Bamboo and Building Industry' has given us necessary impetus to take further the work we have initiated in bringing bamboo-based building systems in the mainstream of construction industry.

It is due to the efforts and support provided by the NS Raghavan center for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL), at IIM-Bangalore that this task was made easier and enjoyable.

It is for the center and prof. Kalyani Gandhi that we could put forth the issue of sustainable building systems and role of bamboo in future of building industry from the platform and podium of the premier business institute of management in world like IIM-Bangalore.

The platform such as this ensures that business community and key stake-holders in the mainstream building industry will take a note of the emerging trends of bamboo based building systems. Professionals and organizations tend to listen and understand you with patience if you talk from this platform.

Seminar went on well. Speakers provided us with insights and perspectives of this sector from various viewpoints.

Ashwin Mahesh, founder-director of Mapunity was kind enough to agree to moderate the discussion during the course of the seminar. As it always happens there was a last minute hitch, Er. Vilas Gore, who was coming from Mumbai could not make it to the venue as the flight was cancelled.

Seminar as was planned happened in three segments, first segment 'Market Prospects' was very well put forth by Mr. C Hariharan, CEO, BCIL. Arguably the largest Sustainable Building Entreprise in India today.

He provided an all round perspective on what future lies for the sustainable and green building systems, and what are the avenues one can explore. He provided inputs from the experiences of what BCIL has been offering and doing for last 10 years or so.

There was a brief but interesting discussion that followed his presentation. Ashwin kicked off the discussion by putting a very critical question that haunts all the sustainable and green 'systems' of the day, that is how do you scale up? what deters and blocks the 'scale-up' nature of the sustainable technologies.


Ar. Jaigopal then provided a broad overview of the projects that his office has carried out along with Vilas Gore using bamboo for building applications. His work gave a vast range of various applications for which bamboo can be used from a fence to be used as composite wall panel or flooring system.

The next session, after a small tea-break was basically to throw light on various business-possibilities that bamboo offers for entrepreneurs to look at.

During this session we had representatives from some interesting and national level organizations who presented a vast range of applications that were already into market for the people and consumers to be used. It gave a glimpse of various products and systems that are already into offering using bamboo.

Dr. Gopalan gave a fascinating talk on the huge work on bamboo-composites being carried out by RV-TIFAC composite park headed by Dr. Gopalan himself. The range of products and applications using bamboo based composite materials like boards, panels and sheets gave a new perspective of how bamboo can be used.

Mr. Ajay Kumar, who represented National Mission on Bamboo Applications, a premier body set up by Government of India under the aegis of Dept. of Science and Technology, gave an overview of the work undertaken by NMBA in the area of structural applications of bamboo, specially what is largely known as engineered bamboo. They have been very active in developing and providing solutions in the pre-fabricated and easy-to-assemble building units.

Ar. George Joel, who represented CIBART - KONBAC, presented one of the works recently completed for MSTDC (State tourism development corporation). KONBAC is an organization set up and promoted by INBAR, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, a multi-lateral organization with headquarters in China.

The Resort, basicaly developed along the lines of a Boat-houes, uses bamboo as primary building materials and its formation into interesting structural formations.

A small note for concluding remarks was presented by himself along with acknowledgments.

As a part of concluding remark, we announced that we shall initiate a network, what we call 'Friends of Bamboo', for all of those who are interested in bamboo and its applications in building industry. As a initiation of this network, we gave away a sapling of bamboo plant each to all those who were interested and asked them to water the plant twice a week and spend 10 minutes every week on thinking about bamboo and how it can used.

Bamboo and Building Industry; Prospects and Potential

Some images from seminar

Bamboo and Building Industry; Prospects and Potentials

'Bamboo and Building Industry; Prospects, Potential and Possibilities'

The seminar was supported by NSRCEL, IIM-Bangalore and organized by Wonder Grass

Venue: Main Auditorium, IIM-Bangalore
Date and Time: 15th December, Saturday. 9.00 am to 1.30 pm.

The Primary idea behind the seminar was to see three critical segments within construction industry, like Demand (Prospects in the market), Application and resource potential of the Bamboo as building material and various business prepositions that are into play or proposed, to understand the economic apsects of this industry.

To address these three different segments we had invited individuals who would provide us with some insights into these different apsects. A brief introduction about the content of the seminar and what is proposed in the seminar can be found in the attachment.

Our effort was to bring in critical stakeholders from within the larger sphere of building industry like Builders-developers, Architects, Finance institutions, Housing Banks and investors etc. Management professionals etc.

Talking from the platform of Indian Institute of Management, it is expected that the so-called mainstream would take notice and be willing to spare a moment to listen to what is being discussed.

It is been a month now for Wonder Grass formally occupying and operating from the office at NS Raghavan center, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

We must say that it indeed is an amazing place to start working from. The office provides us aa appropriate platform and a base to initiate the next set of activities for Wonder Grass.

What has been the take away for Wonder Grass, in the whole of this month. Looking back, one does not find any concrete achievement.

Let me try and put down the overall progress,

1. We have initiated work on registration of the company.
   
2. Started writing the content and development of the Website for Wonder Grass.
3. We have started working on and putting down what is largely recognized as 'Business Model', because what we have is a 'concept' an idea, which needs to be put into some form of structure, to make it into business-venture.
   

To start with,
We have proposed a Half-day seminar on 'Bamboo and Building indusrty; Prospects, potentials and Possibilities'. The seminar will be conducted at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore on 15th of December.

I shall write about the seminar in detail in the next post.

We are getting good support and direction from NS Raghavan center, in terms of encouraging the works at Wonder Grass and the activities being proposed.

Wonder Grass at NSRCEL

'Wonder Grass', a company or an enterprise that will offer an 'End-to-end' solution for bamboo based building requirements. We have prepared a complete business plan and a proposal for how we want to implement our venture.

In attempt to scout for financial and other support for the proposed venture, we have been meeting some people and organizations. As a result of which,

Wonder Grass has been selected for incubation support at NS Raghavan center for Entrepreneurship learning, Indian Institute of Management blore. They have offered infrastructure, guidance and other support. We now have a office at the IIM campus. We have started operating from this office from 1st of this month.

We had participated in the business planm compitition organized by a netherlands based organization called Business in Development, you can visit their website at www.bidnetwork.org

We have got the second proze in the Start-up category. It is a wonderful recognition for our proposal. BiD organization in partnership with Aavishkaar india will also help in scouting for Venture capital funds onterested in investing in the venture.

If you are interested in reading the whole proposal please visit www.bidnetwork.org and look into the BiD 2007 challenge India.

Dear all,

i am enlisting some issues which i think we as a group must collectively resolve. Some of these concerns need to addressed at the urgent for all the necessary arrangement to be made and for us too, to have enough time to plan our trip in advance.
i am also supplimenting it with my view points at some places, which are open for discussion and critique.

1) THE PARTICIPANTS

It will be great if all of us willing to be a part of this, can confirm our participation by February 11, so that we can make the arrangements for stay, and the travel of the visionaries whom we plan to call for the confluence.

i have already informed the following and hopefully we would see some postings by them soon:

• Ashish Gupta ( Software engineer based in Delhi)
• Pankaj khanna ( Green Technology Innovator Currently working with Development Alternatives in Delhi)
• Menakshi Diwan ( A Social Scientist from TIS, currently pursuing her M. Phil from JNU in community health issues)
• Shivani Gaur ( An Interior Designer, working in Delhi)
• Manu Ananth ( A ceramic Designer/ innovator based in Mumbai)

We also need to find some means by which atleast the names (with brief discription) of the participants, and some other common informations is vissible to all in one page. Me and Vaibhav have not been able to find a way of doing this in this blog.Does anyone has some suggestions.


DATE AND VENUE FOR THE CONFLUENCE

Mentioned below are some possible suggestions for the venue. In terms of time, it will be important to freeze on this too, latest by February 14, if the confluence has to happen on the proposed dates.
1) Pondicherry - Vaibhav and Dipan have being pursuing it since long, so arranging stay and food doesnt seem to be a problem here.

2) The Sewagram Ashram at Wardha - One of Gandhiji's Ashram, the place has a distinct energy of it's own, and wardha is only One and a half hour drive from Nagpur, the theoritical Center of India. Vaibhav would be able to make the necessary arrangements here.

3) Hyderabad has a flavour of it's own, but we would need to find someone who could help us in arragning a place for accomodation and the confluence to take place.

4) The Gandhi Darshan Smriti and Samiti in Delhi manages the memorial at the Birla house - the place where gandhiji was assasinated. They may be able to provide us with an acoomodation, and the venue for the confluence, but again one needs to check this.

2) THE 2 DAYS OF THE CONFLUENCE

In our past discussions amongst some of us through the mails, there have been mixed opinions about the exten to which
So i believe that a certain structure will only add to the dynamic nature of the confluence.

so that the enitre act of coming together gers greater meanings for all of us.

One also questions the value that a meeting of this nature will have for each one us.
i am also quoting from one of Ashish's mail


i am enlisting some of the ideas that i have gathered over the past few months thinking about this confluence.

Bridging gaps and biases
IT will be interesting to

it will be great if we can get to understand each others understanding of this confluence.
Can innovations be a good backdrop to initiate dialogue?? Please comment
Within innovations lie the key to effective change, which we all are endevouring towards.
ACTIVITIES

can we share one innovation each from our experiences, which either has been our doing, or we relate very strongly to? It will be interesting to find topics which this diverse cross section of people will be able to relate to, and participate in the dialogue which will result therewith.
One intersting way of doing this could be to do it within a time frame of 10 minutes precisely, with a maximum of 30 slides ( max. 20 seconds perslide).

THE OUTCOME

Do we really need an articulated, pre defined outcome?? i dont know please comment.

3) THE VISIONARIES ??

As mentioned in Vaibhav's postings, we will be joined in by a group of innovators of
i am taking the liberty of calling them the visionaries for the lack of a better word, since they do have a a mass of experience of attempts to tchange the environment around them.

The importance of sharing/ dialogue with them is to be able to share a vision which is an outcome of an iteresting and an elaborate journey, and to probably get greater insights into the dynamics of innovations which foster meaningful changes.
I am taking the liberty of introducing some of them, as i have know them. please pardon the biases of my vision in their discription.

K B Jinan, is a designer He is a innovator. His vision as i have understood roots from a response which is fundamental to His present day focus is to change the way people think, nurture the natural ways of a childs thinking, and influence adults specially those who are Do check his website on thinking www.re-cognition.com. It also gives links to the wonderful work he has been doing with children and the craft initiativ called Kumbham in Kerala.

Ravindra Kumar Sharma ( fondly known as Guruji not because of his religious connects, but because he taught Laathi to 500 students at the age of 16, and since then the tittle has stuck.
He initiated an institution (if i may call it so) called Kala Ashram almost 15-16 years back in his native place in Andhra Pradesh. The Ashram which was established to do preserve and sustain the various folk arts & crafts of the region, has also led to an enless search and the understanding of the concept of india.
macro level understanding of the structure and working of the indian society and psyche.

in the process of this study, though working largely with the craft communitites, what has evolved is this beautiful understanding of the indian pysche, the inter realtionship of the socio-cultural -econimoic fabric of india.
foundational reinterpretations and interventions, in Indian society, and its rationale, in contemporary Indian thinking.
Combined with his story telling techniques, i am sure all of would find something to connect with all that he has to share.
One of Penguin publication called Bapu Kuti by Rajni Bakshi ( a collection of stories of people, whom the author felt are carrying the gandhian legacy) has a chapter on him.

PB SRINIVAS - an IIT-IIM graduate, who chose to not board the flight to America after graduating, but instead work
His vision and the conduct is also a bridge between two generations

ANAND KUMAR - Anand Kumar with good understanding of science policy in India in post- and pre-independence India. Widely read and traveled with insights on some gifted leaders in India from Shivaji, Vivekananda, Gandhi and Aurobindo.Krish Murali, who is based in B'lore would also join, depending upon the availability of time. He has been working on idea of Innovation and its implications, from large corporates to Grass root innovators.

SOME INTRODUCTIONS


Let me begin with a brief introduction of mine ( thoughi find it to be one of the toughest question to answer), and i hope that other joining in to make this confluence happen would also do this to help each of us develop a virtual understanding of each other before we physically get to meet in person.

Having studied enginnering and design, and not finished both, i am still a 12th pass by formal education. Currently i am working as a designer with a firm in Delhi which is extensively into designing museums. THrough my work and my experiemtns ( if i may call them so) have
a spirit which somewhere has also led me to know more of this beuatiful context of India that i am a part of

SInce we all are professional, and by profession i mean we are enganged in an activity which has has some meaning for an individual/ or a group other than us. However large or small.

As professionals, we are always working in a macro scenairo of inter realtionships with ohter professionals...
COuld the dialouge be the roles of present day professions in shaping the indian context. From engineering to art, from dance to agriculture... What is their present face? How are they related to our cultural,economical, and political fabric, and how we would like to see it changing. This might make sense specially in the wake of the interaction with people like anand kumar, srinivas etc...
some other topics ...
The Information Age -

FOR VAIBHAV, what will the visionaries comment on? they also need a backdrop to talk to us,

Few Day's ago i was in Pondicherry along with Dipan and Trupti, and we had a long discussion-argument and debate on this very topic. For and against the whole proposal itself. Dipan and Trupti are a little apprehensive of the out come of such a 'confluence'. The question is 'what woud this gathering finally deliver? what are we looking at?.
I have no clear answer. But i can sense the need and somehow we have to convince ourselves about the outcome and processes thereafter the confluence.
1. One idea or Topic of discussion could be 'Deconstructing India through Innovations'. These innovations could be in the social-work, Developmental work, education or in cultural understanding. KB Jinan in education, Ravindrkumar/ Guruji for socio-cultral thesis, Anand Kumar for Politics and leaders in India.
2. The other topic or area which could be taken up could be, Politcs-Power and Professional work, explore the links among them, to achieve larger common good.
3. Third of the topic could be, discussing some exceptional leaders India has had like Gandhi, Vivekananda, Chanakya and Shivaji. The strategic decisions and innovations employed by each one, their understanding of the particular situations, the world views evolved and the vision each one had and how it was actually implemented.

Pondicherry could b good venue but if we all think of some other possibilty we can rethink.

This whole idea of creating a common platform, on this virtual space, has finally happened as on today. I am still a novice, absolutely new,on how we shall be using this space and this platform to finally make the initiation for the confluence that we have been discussing for a couple of years now.

We hope that this would help us make the idea of confluence to turn into reality.

The idea is not to Blog, but to use this tool so that All of us finally met and share.