Program in Business Innovation & Analytics

Program Overview 

What is the learning objective of this program?

Learn business innovation and analytics by creating business model solutions to address the pain-points of rural people in India with support from Smart Village Movement teams and participating firms. Be able to understand and implement digital transformation projects as part of these proposed solutions.

How will students benefit from the Programme?

This program helps students build skills in innovation, entrepreneurship, and data science through lectures and by completing a self-directed independent project that involves proposing a solution to and creating a business model for real-world challenges faced by villagers in rural India.

What is the total length of the program?

It is a 12-week program that consists of two weeks of lecture (ten days) and ten weeks of working on the chosen project.

What is the main assignment for students in this program?

A scalable and sustainable business model solution to already-identified challenges in one of the eight verticals: Education, Agriculture, Healthcare, Communication, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Transportation, Water & Sanitation, for rural India.

Where can I find the project challenges?

See link above

(For those who have enrolled in the program)

The project challenges are located in the https://platform.smartvillagemovement.org/.

How to sign-up on the platform

How to navigate to the project challenges (link to video)

How to sign-up for a project (link to video)

How will my Business Model Solution be assessed?

The business model solution needs to be: 

1. a) accessible, affordable, frictionless, transparent, and adaptable; 
2. b) scalable and sustainable to all villages within a state

What are the requirements to complete the program?

Attend all lectures and submit a scalable business model solution proposal.

When will students get the certification?

Students who submit a project that satisfies the required criteria will get an e-certificate two weeks after the last day of the 12-week program.

More Project Assignment FAQ

What is the expected process and outcome in working on this project?

1. Evaluate both failure and successful use cases to affirm the model that is being piloted and make suggestions.
2. Recommend alternative solutions (technologies and business models) that could be a better fit to address the villagers’ pain-points based on your research.
3. Assess the models being piloted to analyze whether it is scalable and sustainable based on data and information you have collected.
4. Suggest improvements to the current pilot process through feedback and data collected from the ground team.
5. Quantify the socio-economic impact if your suggested model is employed in all villages in the state.

Is the main project group or individual work?

Students are expected to individually submit a project proposal, but are encouraged to form their own support ecosystem of advisers and experts to seek guidance from. The support group and mentors should be diverse and may include family members, friends, and experts willing to help them with this project – this is how open innovation happens – good ideas come from unanticipated sources. 

If I’m collaborating with others, can I submit an identical business model proposal?

No. You must submit your own unique business model proposal. The students are expected to show an aspirational, entrepreneurial mindset, be self-starters, and draw knowledge and information from various sources on their own. 

Will the SVM platform contain all the necessary information needed for the project? 

No. The SVM platform contains the project background, relevant demographics, and suggested resources. It should be utilized to capture data and information as it is generated for analysis and developing models. The platform is intended to foster collaborative innovation by engaging all stakeholders across industries.

Who are the stakeholders on the platform?

The stakeholders on the platform include: villagers in pilot villages, key government officials, academics, corporate executives, startups and students from local and international universities.

What is a Business Model Canvas?

It was developed by Osterwalder and Pigneur. It provides a simplified scheme for assessing how a business executes to add value, create processes, develop customer relationships, and manage financial aspects.

In the context of emerging rural markets, it consists of 8 building blocks: 1) Customer segments and respective pain points; 2) Value creation: What are the pain relievers? 3) Customer relationships, with focus on digital relationships; 4) Value distribution; 5) Value capture with revenue sources and expenses; 6) Needed resources that contribute to the value creation; 7) Activities for value creation and which activities customers value; and 8) Partners to reduce risks & costs to create value.

What is the importance of weekly meetings?

While working on their projects, students will have access to both a weekly session with one of the program instructors, as well as to online office hours with dedicated mentors who can answer their questions and provide them with direction.

What is the purpose of a mentor?

Each vertical has an expert mentor who can guide students on their projects during weekly office hours until the final deadline of project submission. 

Are office hours mandatory?

Office hours are not mandatory, but students are encouraged to utilize this resource and time to ask questions and seek guidance from mentors for their projects.

What are the project challenges and who created them?

Project challenges are based on real data and identified pain points across all eight verticals in rural India. The challenges were developed and drafted by Smart Villages Fellows