''Jugaaḍ'' (or "Jugaaṛ") is a colloquial Indo-Aryan word, which refers to a non-conventional, frugal innovation, often termed a "

hack Hack may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * ''Hack'' (Unix video game), a 1984 roguelike video game * ''.hack'' (video game series), a series of video games by the multimedia franchise ''.hack'' Music * ''Hack'' (album), a 199 ...

". It could also refer to an innovative fix or a simple work-around, a solution that bends the rules, or a resource that can be used in such a way. It is also often used to signify creativity: to make existing things work, or to create new things with meager resources. Jugaad is increasingly accepted as a management technique and is recognized all over the world as an acceptable form of frugal engineering at peak. Companies in Southeast Asia are adopting jugaad as a practise to reduce

research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in Europe as research and technological development (RTD), is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products, and improving existi ...

costs. Jugaad also applies to any kind of creative and out-of-the-box thinking or life hacks that maximize resources for a company and its stakeholders. According to author and professor

Jaideep Prabhu Jaideep Prabhu (born 12 October 1967 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India) is the Jawaharlal Nehru professor of business and enterprise at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, England. The Professorship was established by the Gove ...

, ''jugaad'' is an "important way out of the current economic crisis in developed economies and also holds important lessons for emerging economies".

Etymology and variants

It is pronounced as ''jugaad'' or ''jugaadh'' in Hindi, while in

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

and Urdu it is pronounced as ''jugaar'', with a hard "R" sound that can be misunderstood by non-native speakers as ''jugaad''. One potential origin is ''yog(a)'' meaning "joining" or "union", a cognate of ''yoke''. In Tamil language, Tamil it is translated as உத்தரம். There are similar idioms in the Southern Indian languages (for example, ''thattikootu'' (to ‘put together’) or ''oppeeru'' (‘fixing’ or ‘getting’) in Malayalam; or ''mazhattu'' ('to distract') in Tamil). Another view is that the word originates from the Sanskrit word ''yukti'' which means "a solution (to a problem)". This view is the most likely one. The Yoga origins have no bridging words or ideas. Yukati lead to the word 'Jugat' meaning 'solution' and 'jugti' meaning 'one who can find solutions' in Punjabi. In Punjabi we can create a nonsense word to make a pair that goes together. If 'pani- pooni peo'..'drink water wooter' literally. So we say 'have you found a jugat jugad' for this problem? Jugaad roughly corresponds to do-it-yourself (DIY) in the United States, US, hacking or a bodge in the United Kingdom, UK, urawaza (裏技) in Japanese language, Japanese, tapullo in parts of Italy, ''tǔ fǎ '' (土法) in China, Trick 17 in Germany, ''gambiarra'' in Brazil, ''System D, système D.'' in France, ''jua kali'' in Kenya, or ''Number 8 wire'' in New Zealand; in addition, equivalent words within South Africa are ''’n boer maak ’n plan'' in Afrikaans, ''izenzele'' in Zulu language, Zulu, ''iketsetse'' in Sotho language, Sotho, and ''itirele'' in Tswana language, Tswana. Jugaad technology (A motorcycle pulling another one by a rope)

Jugaad technology (A motorcycle pulling another one by a rope)

Jugaad and legality

Yamini Narayanan is an animal life defender who argues that Jugaad is a key resource for progress in obstructionist environments like slow, inefficient, or corrupt bureaucracies and governance institutions, or when the activity is illegal. Depending on context, intention, and the informal political economy, jugaad can be legal, unauthorized, or even criminal. Yamini stresses that jugaad covers a broad set of complex practices, argumentation, and innovations, that have also been used in concealments in the slaughter of cows throughout India.

Low-cost vehicle

''Jugaad'' can also refer to a homemade or locally made vehicle in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They are made by local mechanics using wooden planks, metal sheets and parts taken from different machines and vehicles. One type of ''jugaad'' is a quadricycle, a vehicle made of wooden planks and old Sport utility vehicle, SUV parts, variously known as ''kuddukka'' and ''Peter Rehra, peter rehra'' in North India. However, ''jugaad'' could be used as a term for any low cost vehicle which typically costs around Rs. 50,000 (about US$800). ''Jugaads'' are powered by diesel engines originally intended to power agricultural irrigation pumps. They are known for poor brakes, and cannot go faster than about 60 km/h (37 mph). The vehicle often carries more than 20 people at a time in remote locations and poor road conditions. Though no statistical data is available, it is reported that there are a number of instances of failing brakes, requiring a passenger to jump off and manually apply a wooden block as a brake. As part of research for his 2013 book, Innovation and a Global Knowledge Economy in India, Thomas Birtchnell, a lecturer of Sustainable Communities at University of Wollongong, Australia, found that of 2,139 cases of road traffic casualties in 72 hours at J N Medical College hospital in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh, 13.88% of pedestrian casualties were due to ''jugaad''. It was stated by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan that ''jugaads'' do not conform to the specifications of a Motor Vehicle under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. These vehicles hence do not have any vehicle registration plate and they are not registered with the Regional Transport Office (RTO). Hence, no road tax is paid on them, neither there exists any official count of such vehicles. ''Jugaads'' are not officially recognized as road-worthy, and despite a few proposals to regulate them, Votebank, vote-bank politics have trumped safety concerns. The improvised vehicles have now become rather popular as a means to transport all manner of burdens, from lumber to steel rods to school children. For safety reasons the Government of India has officially banned ''jugaad'' vehicles. Another type of ''jugaad'' called ''bike-rehra'' or ''motorcycle-rehri'', a motorcycle, moped or scooter modified into motorized tricycle, motorized trikes are used in Indian Punjab (India), Punjab province and its neighboring states. Another type of ''jugaad'' called ''phat-phatri rickshaw'' or ''phatphatiya rickshaw'', WWII-era Harley Davidson motorcycles modified into motorized trikes were earlier used in New Delhi. A variant of the ''jugaad'' vehicle in Tamil Nadu in South India is the ''meen body vandi.'' This roughly translates to "fish bed vehicle" because they originated among local fishermen who needed a quick and cheap transport system to transport fish. It is a motorized tri-wheeler (derived from the non-motorized variant) with a heavy-duty suspension and a motorcycle engine—typically recycled from Czech Yezdi or Royal Enfield Bullet, Enfield Bullet vehicles. Its origins are typical of other ''jugaadu'' innovations—dead fish are typically considered unhygienic, and vehicles that carry them cannot be typically used to carry anything else. Similar vehicles can be found throughout much of Southeast Asia. Another variant of the ''jugaad'' called ''chakkda rickshaw'', a motorcycle modified into a tri-wheeler with truck wheels in the rear is used in Gujarat. The variant of ''jugaad'' in Pakistan is a motorcycle made into a trike called ''chand-gari'' meaning "Moon Car" or ''chingchee'' after the Chinese company Jinan Qingqi Co. LTD who first introduced these to the market. Today, a ''jugaad'' is one of the most cost-effective transportation solutions for rural Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. File:Jugaad.jpg, ''Jugaad'' vehicle ''Peter Rehra'' powered by an agricultural water pump engine. Jugaad_engine.JPG , ''Jugaad'' engine being hand-started. File:Politicaljugaad.jpg, ''Jugaad'' vehicle ''Peter Rehra'' carrying passengers to a political rally in Agra, India. File:Motorcycle cart .jpg, ''Bike-trolley'', a ''jugaad'' trailer for motorcycles. File:ChhakdoRickshaw.jpg, ''Chakkda Rickshaw'' in Gujarat. File:Market porter pedals jugaad goods carrier tricycle in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India.jpg, A non-motorized ''Meen Body Vandi'' ''jugaad''-style improvised vehicle, in Tamil Nadu, India. File:Meen Body Vandi fish bed vehicle Jugaad tricycle trike conversion three wheeler Rajdoot TVS Tamilnadu India - மீன் பூடி வண்டி Etan Doronne www.myindiaexperience.com Wikipedia.jpg, Motorised ''Meen Body Vandi''. File:Chingchee in Pakistan.JPG, ''Chand Gari Rickshaw'' in Pakistan.

Etymology and variants

Jugaad and legality

Low-cost vehicle

See also

Notes

Further reading