Exploring the dark side of innovation

This chapter explores the dark side of frugal innovation (FI). It highlights several unfavourable aspects relative to FI mindset, process, and products. “FI helps in repositioning the poor from passive recipients of donations to active consumers”. A majority of the FI literature conceptualises FI as the innovation for the poor and developing countries, and some of its customers have been described as the poorest of the poor. The association of FI with the poor and developing countries in a way differentiates between innovations that are tailored for developing countries and the poor and those that are meant for the developed countries and the higher socio-economic populations. Aboboyaa is used for carting of goods, transportation of passengers, for purposes of sanitation and waste collection, and recently it is used to provide ambulance services. The FI philosophy and practice is not limited to emerging economies, but there is a growing trend of application in developed Western economies.