SVM Monthly Newsletter – February 2023

In This Issue

Smart Village Movement India Roadshow 2023 | SVM Partners with OSAAT for Meghalaya Schools | Media Article: Building Smart Villages on Innovation | Blog: The Relevance of Smart Cities Vs. Smart Villages

Dear Friends,

What does it take to build a smart village? A movement that is based on innovation and led by a vision to strengthen the otherwise neglected rural pockets. At a time when the country is busy building smart cities, SVM Meghalaya has joined hands with an expert team from the University of California, Berkeley, to strengthen at least four verticals — healthcare, agriculture, education, and household. Read more about our model in the article highlighted by the Meghalaya Mirror below, "Building Smart Villages on Innovation."

With several successful pilots now in scaling mode, we are taking on new challenges and initiatives in drone technology, housing, Preventive Healthcare, and Agri-Processing.

Stay tuned for good things and new developments in 2023!
Thank you for your support and participation!

The SVM USA team visited project sites in Meghalaya where our open-innovation methodologies are deployed to successfully tackle the challenges faced by rural communities. During the visit, the team held productive deliberations with government officials and leaders of various organizations, obtaining invaluable insights that will shape the blueprint of future project plans. Furthermore, the team delineated the project's scope, which involved introducing research studies for drones among other iterations.

The UC Berkeley team from the Center for Growth Markets also visited some of the project sites and interacted with the project managers and beneficiaries. They sought more opportunities to collaborate, with the aim of introducing a Business Innovation Program that would equip students with practical experience in finding viable solutions for rural challenges. Lastly, the team charted out fresh open innovation strategies that will nurture a culture of innovation and collaboration among all stakeholders involved.

Smart Village Movement promises to improve quality of life in Meghalaya's rural pockets - Meghalaya Monitor.

What does it take to build a smart village? A movement that is based on innovation and led by a vision to strengthen the otherwise neglected rural pockets. At a time when the country is busy building smart cities, Meghalaya has joined hands with an expert team from the University of California, Berkeley, to strengthen at least four verticals — healthcare, agriculture, education, and household.

The Smart Village Movement (SVM) started as a pilot in 50 villages of East Khasi Hills in August 2020 and is being expanded in other parts of the state. The project is based on open innovation, a new-age concept where innovative ideas are not restricted to the implementing team but are adopted from external sources too. While the Berkeley team is supporting the state government with ideas, there are several implementing partners. In the case of healthcare, Apollo Hospitals and Gramin Healthcare have set up five and 21 digital dispensaries, respectively. Read More

Previously Published on October 1, 2020, on LinkedIn.
Author: Solomon Darwin, Executive Director Garwood Center of Growth Markets, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business.

Recently at the TIEcon 2020 Global Summit, I was asked to moderate a panel of impressive global managers of Smart Cities to lead the discussion on Smart Cities of the Future.

Having taught the first Smart Cities class at UC Berkeley in 2015 and having my students develop smart city frameworks for the cities of San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, and Berkeley, I have learned much. My students were also invited by Prime Minister Modi’s administration to develop frameworks for three Smart Cities in India - Ajmer, Allahabad, and Visakhapatnam – under the US-India 3-agreement pack under President Obama. Yet the technology embedded in smart cities becomes obsolete very quickly. Like all knowledge assets, their value evaporates very fast. It is a high-maintenance job and comes at a high cost. However, as humans, we cannot do without them - we fell into the technology trap in our hunger for knowledge in search of a comfortable life.Read More

To learn more about all our projects, please visit our Website and join our SVM Platform

SVM is a not-for-profit society with 80(G) certification and is also registered as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. The tax-deductible contributions go directly to fund rural development and empowerment of village livelihoods in pilot areas.

What is the SVM Platform?

The Smart Village Movement platform provides a digital platform for Governments, Educational Institutions, Business Organizations, and Village Entrepreneurs to come together in a collaborative effort to find innovative solutions in rural communities and build 'Smart Villages'.

Please sign up and access our platform engage with our movement and help us with creative & innovative solutions. Together we are all 'smarter'.

Visit SVM Platform

Visit our new website and connect with us on our Social Media to learn more about us

www.smartvillagemovement.org

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