Title: The process of technological innovations in small enterprises: the Indian way

Authors: M.H. Bala Subrahmanya

Addresses: Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India

Abstract: This paper probes how two small foundries in Belgaum, Karnataka State, India, have achieved technological innovations successfully based on their technological capability and customer needs, enabling them to sail through the competitive environment. This study brought out that technically qualified entrepreneurs of both the foundries have carried out technological innovations, mainly due to their self-motivation and self-efforts. Changing product designs, as desired or directed by the customers, cost reduction, quality improvement and import substitution through reverse engineering are the characteristics of these technological innovations. These incremental innovations have enabled the entrepreneurs of the two foundries to enhance competitiveness, grow in the domestic market and penetrate the international market and grow in size over time.

Keywords: technological innovation; small firms; foundry industry; case study; competition; Belgaum; Karnataka; India; technological capability; customer needs; reverse engineering; product design; cost reduction; quality improvement; entrepreneurship.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2007.013502

International Journal of Technology Management, 2007 Vol.39 No.3/4, pp.396 - 411

Published online: 02 May 2007 *

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