What does Indian 'juggad' or hack look like?
Elephant Rides: Innovation or Risk? A Practical Example.
In India, some innovation is often celebrated as “jugaad” — a clever and frugal hack to make the most of available resources. But does this approach always result in smart solutions? Let’s explore a real-life example.
Scenario: A leading real investment firm, valued at $15B, in a $1B joint venture with a Japanese company, is constructing a new corporate office park for foreign firms, with substantial investments in fine furniture and retail space. As part of the campus art, they’ve chosen to custom-build a herd of elephants at a premium price.
Recently, I observed the installation of this unique art project. A truck transported three enormous elephants and some baby elephants. I'm sharing a video of the process. Now, I invite you to decide for yourself:
Is it “jugaad” or smart innovation?
Is it an effective and efficient solution?
Is it potentially hazardous?
Could it be a case of labor supply exceeding demand?
Video 1 by Author: The attached video for the largest elephant was shot after it was unloaded from the truck.
Video 2: A second medium-sized wooden elephant being lowered from the truck.
All videos are unedited, allowing you to experience this unique operation's full audio and visual impact.
It’s worth noting that the designer adjusted the location of the largest elephant twice after the initial placement. How well was the project initially planned? Was the spot marked for the manual installers to set down their load correctly the first time?
There were two driveways, one nearer to the installation spot, and one further away. Why did the truckers park furthest away?
I counted 25-30 men lifting, 3 men supervising, 1 female designer finalizing the look and feel after installation.
In case you are curious, here are some international best practices for Lifting and Material Handling summarized below:
“Use mechanical means (e.g., hand trucks, pushcarts) when possible for heavier or awkward loads. Ensure proper training and authorization before using a forklift.
Plan every aspect of the lift: lifting, carrying, and setting down.
Always aim to utilize proper handholds during lifting. If an item lacks suitable handholds, consider alternative methods, such as placing it in a container with good handholds or creating a safe and proper handhold with the right tool.”
Most juggad is usually transactional, in response to a local issue, and rarely scales.
But, the quality of the herd of elephants installed: spectacular. They seem as real, transported from the forests near Gudalur (a home of elephants) where they were crafted, and set down here, grazing peacefully with their baby elephants in tow unmindful, in an urban landscape.
Travel tip: Gudalur is near a famous wildlife park, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Elephant Camp, and a hill station, Ooty. I would encourage any visitors, looking for new places to visit, if in Bangalore or Chennai, to consider Ooty during pre-monsoon season (January-May). Watching the elephants in their natural habitat is a sight for tired eyes.
Spectacular!