HIF2022 Report
The Ideathon was an experiential event that aimed to create opportunities for mutual understanding and exchange between the youth of Japan and India who will lead the next generation, as they traveled 900 km from Delhi to Varanasi. Through a range of activities along the way, participants gained insight into the differences and similarities between Japan and India in terms of history and culture, while at the same time learning about the challenges and strengths of the two countries and generating ideas for further relationship building. After reaching the final destination of the Varanasi International Cooperation and Convention Centre (VCC) after around eight days of dynamic interaction, each team made a presentation on a product or service that could solve a specific problem that they had set themselves to address. A total of 10 teams presented their ideas in the final presentation.
■ Program : Co creation the value toward 2040 through 900km venture based ideathon “Hack The Innovative Future”
■ Period : September 16-24, 2022
■ Number of applicants : 628 from Japan, 4,270 from India
■ Number of participants (selected) : 20 from Japan, 20 from India
■ Number of participating teams : 10 teams (total of 10 teams consisting of 2 members from Japan and 2 members from India, with a total of 4 members per team)
Report Movie
Itinerary
DAY 0
DELHI
Opening Ceremony
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was held at the Dia Park Hotel in Gurugram Greetings from the organizers and a workshop was held to reaffirm the purpose of this project and to break the ice, preparing the participants for the trip ahead.
Greetings from the organizers
Greetings were delivered by the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan in India, who is a member of the Steering Committee, as well as and the Chairman of the event. It was an opportunity to understand the purpose of the project once again, and all participants were full of hope and excitement for the journey ahead.
Workshop
The workshop was an opportunity to learn how to reflect on the day-to-day activities and how to come up with new ideas, as well as an opportunity to get to know each other by getting a glimpse of the individual personalities of the teammates. Each team was assigned a mentor staff member to follow up on communication and provide support until the presentation on the final day.
DAY 1
DELHI
Experiencing the state-of-the-art in the capital city of India, the world's fifth largest economy in terms of GDP
Experiencing the state-of-the-art inthe capital city of India, the world's fifth largest economy in terms of GDP
The participants visited and toured four companies to learn about the initiatives of companies from Japan and dynamic Indian companies. Lectures and Q&A sessions were held at each company. At the site visit to Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI), participants learned about manufacturing, which is one of Japan's strengths. At Grey Orange, an Indian startup that has expanded into the U.S. and Japan, they observed the automation of logistics using robotics. The tour also included a visit to the 5G Lab of Tata Consultancy Services, a global IT company that provides services across India, Europe, and the United States. The final visit was to the offices of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), where NEC Technologies India is building a traffic monitoring system and a citywide monitoring system to create a smart city using cutting-edge technology. After the company visits, a workshop was held to reflect on the experience. Participants seemed to have absorbed a great deal of information, with a variety of output coming out of the workshop.The workshop also included a hands-on experience with UPI, which allows bank account transactions to be completed digitally and instantly.
Tour of the Honda Motorcycle &Scooter India (HMSI) two-wheeler plant
At HMSI, one of India's top two-wheeler brands, the participants received a lecture on the Indian two-wheeler market, HMSI's business profile, and future prospects. At the factory, they witnessed the actual manufacturing process and learned about the technological strength of monozukuri (manufacturing), which has greatly contributed to the economic growth of Japan.
Learnings at Tata Consultancy Services
Participants visited the state-of-the-art 5G technology research lab of Tata Consultancy Services, an international Indian IT company that provides services across nearly 50 countries. It provided a valuable opportunity to learn not only how to deploy technology but also how to manage a multinational organization at a global scale.
A glimpse of cutting-edge technology atGrey Orange
Participants visited Grey Orange, an Indian startup company that is developing supply chain automation globally. The participants observed actual robots that operate automatically and experienced how IT and AI technologies can solve warehouse management and operation issues at the company, which serves a number of international clients including IKEA and Nitori.
Visit to the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority office
The participants visited GMDA, the government agency responsible for the development and maintenance of Gurugram city. They toured the control center where NEC Technologies India, NEC's local subsidiary in India, provides traffic monitoring systems and where traffic monitoring is conducted. The visit provided an opportunity to learn about Japanese technology and India's efforts to create smart cities.
Learning about India's UPI (UnifiedPayments Interface) system
Participants had the opportunity to experience UPI (Unified Payments Interface), a government-led service that makes it easy to make payments and send money via smartphones. UPI allows users to easily make payments and send money from their smartphones using QR codes and one-time passwords (OTP) sent by SMS. UPI is a popular payment system used by many Indian citizens. Participants experienced India's DX (Digital Transformation) through actual use of services using UPI, where everything from ordering a meal to making a payment can be completed seamlessly and digitally.
DAY 2
AGRA
Through sessions and visits to world heritage sites, participants deepened their understanding of Japan and India from historical and cultural perspective.
Through sessions and visits to world heritage sites, participants deepened their understanding of Japan and India from historical and cultural perspective.
The history session consisted of two parts: a seminar by the mentors and presentation presentations by all 10 participant teams. Each team researched the scope of history assigned to them and gave a short presentation. Through the presentations by all the teams, participants were able to learn about the historical arcs of both countries. The visit to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal provided a deeper understanding of the political history of the rise and fall of the Taj and the background to modern history through first-hand experience.
History Session
The first part of the two-part session consisted of a seminar by the mentors on the history of the two countries, focusing on the geopolitical significance of Japan and India, which are located at the two ends of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and the importance of strengthening cooperation in the future. The second part consisted of presentations by each team on the history of their country. The teams were assigned to be in charge of different periods of history, such as ancient times, medieval times, industrial revolution period, modern times, and contemporary times, providing an opportunity to follow the flow of history and understand the historical, geographical, and cultural similarities and differences between the two countries.
Agra Fort, a symbol of the Mughal Empire in all its glory days
The tour took participants to the Agra Fort, which was completed in 1573. The fortress was the residence of successive Mughal emperors, and our guide gave us a detailed account of the majesty and glory of the Mughal Empire, which lasted for 300 years, giving visitors an opportunity to deepen their understanding of history.
Visit to the Taj Mahal
At the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan over a period of 17 years to mourn the death of Queen Mumtaz Mahal, visitors learned about the historical background and the culture visible in the structure, including the all-marble architectural structure that is a stellar example of Islamic architecture, and heard about secret stories between the emperor and queen and their family members.
DAY 3
LUCKNOW
Experiencing the contrast between old and new cityscapes, and seeing the scale and speed of development in India's regional cities.
Experiencing the contrast between old and new cityscapes, and seeing the scale and speed of development in India's regional cities.
At the office of Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE), a real estate company, the participants attended a lecture on the features and development of malls in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. UP is the largest and also the most populous state in India. During a visit to the British Residency, which contains gardens and ruins from the days of the British Indian Empire, the participants experienced the history of the city's development and came into contact with the scars of war. They also visited a high-class shopping mall and witnessed the high standard of living in Lucknow in the modern era.
Lecture by Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE)
The world's largest commercial real estate services firm, CBRE, gave a lecture on Lucknow's urban landscape and development. The lecture provided an insight into Lucknow's position as a city in India from various perspectives, including its economy and the shopping malls that the group visited later in the day.
Visit to the British Residency
The British Residency, which was the residence of the British Governor at the time, includes a hall, mosque, andgardens. While the structure bears the scars of the 1857 Indian War of Independence, the miraculously undamaged buildings have been preserved as a site that tells the story of India's independence movement. By learning the details of the British colonial period, participants were able to learn more about the background of India's fight for independence.
Experiencing the reality of the affluent class' lifestyle at a huge, high-end mall
Phoenix Palassio, which is an elite shopping mall, differs from teh scale of Japanese shopping malls in terms of its vast size and the number of stores etc. It was an opportunity for participants to experience the lifestyle of the rising middle and upper classes of India, who are the driving force behind India's economic development.
DAY 4
PRAYAGRAJ
Visit to Makino School, which is working to promote organic agriculture of Japan
Visit to Makino School, which is working to promote organic agriculture of Japan
Participants visited the Makino School of Continuing and Non-Formal Education, which has been promoting Japanese organic agriculture and Japanese food processing technology at Allahabad Agricultural University since 1974. Participants learned about the agricultural environment in India, the significance and challenges of introducing organic farming using Japanese technology in rural villages in India, and the self-reliance of small-scale farmers and women. Through observation of workscenes and communication with farmers, the participants learned the meaning of development of agriculture in rural areas.
Lecture by Dean Miura
Participants attended a lecture by Dr.Teruo Miura, Dean of Makino School on agricultural issues and sustainable rural development. In addition to the actual state of agriculture in India, such as the work styles of Indian part-time farmers and issues faced by small-scale farmers, such as the lack of successors, the students learned about the MakinoSchool's initiatives and contributions to the local community, such as value-adding of products through production and manufacturing of Japanese foods at the Makino School, sale of such manufactured Japanese foods within India, and providing workplace support for women. The participants thus learned about the Makino School's various initiatives and contributions to the local community.
Visit to a farm products processing plant
The tour included a visit to a processing plant equipped to process agricultural products harvested in India into Japanese foods products such as tofu and soy sauce. The tour included a question-and-answer session on food processing technology and equipment operation methods to deepen the participants' understanding of the initiatives being undertaken.
Q&A session with agricultural workers
To provide an opportunity to learn about real issues and current conditions, farmers were invited to participate in an interactive session with the visiting participants. Many students were interested in agriculture, and a lively discussion ensued.
DAY 5
varanasi
Experiencing the depth of ties between the two countries by understanding the culture and ventures of both India and Japan
Experiencing the depth of ties between the two countries by understanding the culture and ventures of both India and Japan
In Varanasi, the world's oldest city with a history of over 3,000 years, participants had the opportunity to visit Sarnath, one of the four key Buddhist sites in the city. This was followed by a lecture on the Varanasi Water Purification Project undertaken by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). After that, it was time to come up with ideas for the presentations. A workshop was held to generate output on the issues they had experienced and felt during the visits so far, and each team then began to prepare for their final presentation.
Sarnath- one of the most holy sites of Indian Buddhism, and the place where the Buddha gave the first discourse to set in motion the “Wheel of Dharma.”
Participants visited Sarnath, the site where the Buddha first preached, and the related archaeological museum. Visiting the ruins while listening to detailed historical and cultural information provided an opportunity to the students to gain a sense of the historical and cultural ties between Japan and India.
Lecture by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
JICA gave a lecture on the Water Quality Management Plan for Ganga River. Varanasi is home to a water purification plant built with the cooperation of JICA, which is making a significant contribution to improving the quality of the water. The participants thus learned about one example of a Japan-India joint project.
Final workshop
Before starting the ideathon, we held a workshop to share perspectives necessary for idea generation. Each team was split and asked to output their own ideas and hold discussions to determine the issues to be addressed and the ideas to be developed. Discussions went on until late into the night, with participants inspiring each other to develop their ideas through dialogue and discussion.
DAY 6-8
ideathon & presentation
The youth of India and Japan create the future of 2040 at a new symbolic venue for Japan-India exchange
The youth of India and Japan create thefuture of 2040 at a new symbolic venue for Japan-India exchange
The final presentation of the Ideathon was held at the Varanasi International Cooperation and Convention Center, which was constructed with the support of the Japanese government as a "token of Japan-India friendship." In a venue filled with the aspirations of Japan and India, teams tackled various aspects from theme selection to commercialization of ideas, and created presentations that addressed issues that exist in both countries, utilizing the strengths of both countries.
Ideathon
From idea generation to presentation, each team worked as a unit. The teams consulted with entrepreneurs and investors who participated as external mentors on current conditions and issues. By incorporating perspectives from their wealth of experience, they were able to refine their ideas to a higher level of precision. Each team thought through to the last minute and prepared for the creation and presentation of ideas that would lead to solutions to issues in both countries.
Presentations
All teams gave their wholehearted effort for the presentations. The first place went to MIRAI, a "Digital Matching Company" and "India-Japan IT Online Hub" that bridges the supply and demand of IT talent in India with Japanese requirement. At the second place was "JIJIVISHA("meaning 'joie de vivre”)", an application that enables optimal healthcare choices by establishing a chain of command for medical institutions and reflecting preferences by income bracket. At the third place was SAKURASAHAY, a bulletin board service to solve land subdivision problems and improve farmer incomes. All teams had compelling content, and the results were very close.
End of Program
On the morning of the last day, the participants all went for a walk along the ghats of the Ganges River. After admiring the beautiful sunrise at the holy river, the participants left for home from Varanasi, bringing the 900-kilometer Hack The Innovative Future program to a close. After the program, the students continued to be active on social networking services and at Japan-India events, and are anticipated to become future leaders of Japan-India relations.
Participants' Report
MIRAI
A business idea to bridge the gap between the depleted digital human resources in Japan and the abundant and underutilized digital human resources in India, while also solving the problem of adapting to the Japanese culture and language.
Digital matching platform to connect Indian IT professionals and Japanese companies by adjusting demand and supply
ISSUE
In our business model, we focused on the issue of unemployment in India and decreasing working population. There was lack of proper channels to connect Unemployed IT workers in India, to desired companies. There was also the issue i.e. Lack of workforce in Japan. In our conclusion, we proposed a solution to fill this gap by human resource exchange, which will help in building promising future between India and Japan.
SOLUSION
Our will matching system use personality tests for IT professionals and compare them to needs of Japanese companies who wants to hire them. We will also introduce training classes for IT workers, in this they will be introduced to the Japanese culture, language etc. It will done to ensure a more sustainable business between the two countries. Since the salaries paid by Japanese companies to Japanese IT employees are higher, this creates very favorable conditions for Indian IT employees, and also increasing the participation in the training will create a overall positive attitude. Then, as the final phase, we will introduce subscriptions for the Japanese companies to use this system i.e. shift to B2B model.
LEADER'S COMMENT
This program, was not just about for creating business ideas. India as a country, has culture, social problems, and history that cannot be understood unless you go there. This program gave us a valuable opportunity to observe it closely with our own eyes during the week, which lead up to the ideathon. Because each individual was able to clearly raise the issue, all the members were enthusiastic and worked straight towards the problem, even though their opinion sometimes clashed. In the future, we each of the 40 members from Japan and India will continue to keep in touch and will be active in their respective fields all over the world, so that we can realize many businesses related to the social issues that have been taken up this time, it felt like this is a inevitable future.
MEMBER
Tokyo
Kyoto
Haryana
Madhya Pradesh
JIJIVISHA
A proposal to address the tragicfailure to get emergency patients to the right hospitals in India during thesecond wave of the pandemic, and a solution to address the inadequate healthinsurance system in India.
An app that enables optimal medical choices by establishing a chain of command for medical institutions and reflecting preferences for each income class.
ISSUE
We focused 2 Problems. There is no centralized medical command system and emergency medical care is not provided in an optimal manner. Information such as the operating status of ambulances, the availability of hospital rooms, the number of doctors, etc. is not centrally managed, which lowers the quality of emergency medical care. In addition, in India, where traffic congestion tends to occur, it is necessary to select a medical institution after considering not only the distance to the medical institution but also traffic information. Another problem is the medical insurance system is not developed and access to medical care for the poor is not guaranteed. The medical insurance system is not developed, and the amount of medical expenses borne by individuals is high. This creates an environment in which it is difficult for low-income people to access medical care.
SOLUSION
1st Solution is Create a chain of command that connects each medical institution in order to centrally manage information such as the operating status of ambulances, the availability of hospital rooms, the number of doctors who can handle emergency medical care, etc. The dispatch of ambulances is a chain of command. , and the actual transport of patients is handled by a third party. Economic sustainability is ensured by having a third party responsible for vehicle allocation and monetization. Operating costs are covered by the patient's fee. It covers the cost of using an ambulance when choosing an ambulance, corporate advertising costs, and options for individual insurance plans. In addition, in remote areas such as rural areas, ambulances are used as mobile clinics for simple medical examinations, correcting medical disparities and Aim to improve the income of medical institutions.2nd Solution, By making it possible to select medical care according to income, the usage fee of paid service users can be used as the usage fee for the poor. The above is a business reflection of the prevailing idea in India that 'the rich help the poor'.
LEADER'S COMMENT
First of all, I would like to thank every one of the people who organized this amazing programme. At first, I had not expected to have such a deep connection between participants, and I realized it is possible to collaborate with people regardless of backgrounds. I witnessed both rapidly growing India and behind the scenes such as poverty. We discussed social issues all day long and danced, forgetting our tiredness. All the experiences were priceless for me. From now on, it is our turn to contribute to society, and I am sure with these reassuring members, we can do it.
MEMBER
Tokyo
Fukuoka
Uttar Pradesh
Delhi
Sakura Sahay
A service idea to address the issue of small-holding and inefficient agricultural practices. The proposed idea is to directly connect agricultural entrepreneurs with farmers who want to provide land and labor on a temporary basis.
"Farm-In" : A noticeboard service for solving land fragmentation and improving farmers' incomes
ISSUE
The two main issues our team focused on were land fragmentation and loss of labour to higher paying jobs. According to NSSO data on consumption expenditure survey- more than 20% of rural households with self-employment in agriculture had income less than poverty line. This has two reasons- The fluctuating farm income due to India’s seasonal cropping system and excessive loans that need to be taken out by the farmer to be able to afford implements. The inability to pay back the loans due to low income leads to a debt cycle. The number of farms in India has doubled from 71 million in 1970-71 to 145 million in 2015-16, while the average farm size halved from 2.28 hectares (ha) to 1.08ha.As Ramesh Chand and others pointed out in a 2011 Economic and Political Weekly research paper, this relationship is a reflection of India’s inheritance pattern, which leads to farms divided between multiple heirs.
SOLUSION
To combat both of these problems, our team conceived Farm-In, a noticeboard service that directly connects agricultural corporations with farmers who want to temporarily provide land and labour. For example, the corporation can post information on land and jobs they want to collect, and farmers can work with neighbouring farmers to consolidate land for this purpose, thus creating a match. The reverse is also possible. By using this service, agro-corporations can significantly reduce the cost of farmland consolidation. Workers, on the other hand, can earn income based on contracts without intermediaries. The board service will continue to operate with user fees and intermediary fees from the companies.
LEADER'S COMMENT
Hack The Innovative Future was a life-changing experience for my team members and I. Not only did we get to explore each other's culture's and countries, but also got to work on an idea together. The week long trip around Northern India provided useful insights to the participants and helped us choose our idea in a well-informed manner. The Ideathon was an enriching and challenging experience that helped me learn many new things about myself. This was possible solely because of the effort and planning done by the organising committee and staff members, to whom I would like to extend my gratitude. I would also like to thank the sponsor companies who made the 900km venture a roaring success.
MEMBER
Gujarat
Aichi
Mie
Bihar
Motto Chalo
Car-Allocation application to reduce commuting time due to traffic congestion in urban India
Doraemon
Innovative supply chain management of agriculture industry.Using eco friendly agriculture vehicle and blockchain technology
Direction
Online English Education Service Aiming to Empower Indian Women
SATORI
Solving Waste Segregation Problem in India by Developing a Game-like App
Metro
Efficient Power generation using excess food from Commercial Establishments
Masala &Sushi
Urban farming with utilizing advanced technologies such as robots, AI, and IoT
ViNgae
Create Medical care connections through the dispatch of nursing personnel from India to Japan
Judges
Advisor (Japan)
Embassy of Japan
Mitsubishi Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. /
Chairman of the event
Chairman, JOSHI KONOIKE TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE PVT. LTD /
CEO, J CURVE VENTURES PVT LTD
%20.png)
Marubeni India Private Limited /
Chairman, Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India
MVP
selected by participants
Saurabh Joshi
Hack the innovative future is the best platform for those interested in diplomatic relations between India and japan. I learned every aspect of India & Japan. I learned and gained a lot on those 9 days-ideathon journey. I am lucky to have this HIF award and grateful to HIF for giving me unforgettable memories. As an individual in HIF you can contribute to the future projects of japan and India. THANK YOU!
Jun Ogawa
HIF was a great program where Japanese and Indians could discuss the future of our countries while sharing different values. Through the events and company visits during the program, I learned today's Japan-India relationship has been built through the efforts of Japanese companies and Japanese people in the past, as well as the cooperation of Indian people, and felt I would like to play a leading role in strengthening bilateral relations with India as its economy grows. I look forward to working with HIF participants in the future. I would like to thank all the sponsors and everyone who made endeavour to make HIF take place.
Organizers' Voice
We conducted numerous meetings with the host companies and the members on-site to track the progress and safety before the 40 Japanese and Indian students gathered in Delhi on September 16, 2022. Once the 900-km Ideathon began, the passion of the youth and those involved rendered them with excitement, smiles, and tears on the final day in Varanasi. It was the moment of birth for the core talent who will carry the future of India & Japan’s relationship. Once again, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone involved. At the India-Japan summit meeting on September 27, Prime Minister Modi made a reference to the Ideathon as a valuable initiative for the celebration of 70th anniversary of India-Japan relation. I sincerely hope that Prime Minister Modi's words will carry on the Ideathon forward and give birth to hundreds of core talents who will make the future of India and the Pacific: free, open, and full of creativity.
Chairman and Managing Director,
Mitsubishi Corporation India Pvt. Ltd. /
Yoji Taguchi
Chairman of the event
Our Journey
Media
31 OCT 2022
A special feature on Ideathon was broadcast on NHK World's English report and on the NHK World YouTube channel.
30 SEP 2022
NNA's news article featured an introduction to the Ideathon and participant comments on the event.
15 AUG 2022
16 SEP 2022
The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun introduced the project and published words from Mr. Taguchi, the chairman of the event committee, Mr. Sugino, secretary general of the JCCI, and Mr. Wakamori, president of Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in India (JCCII).
%201.png)
27 JUN 2022
〜
25 SEP 2022
The Indian media outlet Asian Community News Network published several articles on this project from the end of June during the planning stage until the end of September.
The activity report prepared by volunteers from the Japanese participants is available on the external site linked below.