Making frugal innovations inclusive: A gendered approach

When an innovation meets the needs of customers with low purchasing power, typically located in emerging markets, it is considered a frugal innovation (FI). While frugal innovation subserves the development objectives in any country, it could also serve as a tool for enhancing the lives of marginalized sections of any region. Prior research has been sparse in understanding the role of FIs in inclusive development. The current study attempts to explore whether the frugal innovation process has the potential to enhance the empowerment and well-being of marginalized women. It uses the framework proposed by Vossenberg (2018) to examine the contributions of FIs to the empowerment and well-being of women and the role of institutions in mitigating gender inequality. In-terviews of 25 marginalized women were conducted in various rural parts of India, which is one of the largest emerging economies and is considered the hotbed of frugal innovations. Using this primary data, we tested the Vossenberg model and have proposed a new outcome "Developing Resilience", as an extension of the model. In addition to the already existing contribution of frugal innovation to sustainability, our analysis highlights that frugal innovation directly contributes to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 5 related to Gender Equality. The study offers recommendations to industry practitioners and policymakers to make their strategies and policies more gender inclusive. It also makes a case to reconsider market assumptions about women's usage of frugal products as well as re-examine the existing governance structures to make them more encompassing and effective.