Indus Motor Company and Pakistan Innovation Foundation announce launch of National Innovation Grand Challenge 2013-14

Karachi, November 07, 2013 (PPI-OT): Indus Motor Company (IMC) and Pakistan Innovation Foundation (PIF) have announced the launch of National Innovation Grand Challenge (NIGC) 2013-14.

A year‐long ‘Open Innovation’ competition, NICG encourages Pakistani Innovators, youth, students, professionals, entrepreneurs and citizens to innovate to solve Pakistan’s development challenge in four main areas of Agriculture, Energy, Sanitation and Manufacturing.

IMC, being the founding partner of PIF, is sponsoring the award for best innovation in the manufacturing sector, titled the Toyota Manufacturing Innovation Challenge (TMIC).

The award is worth Rs. 1,000,000 for the best Innovation and will be judged by a jury based on specific criteria. Details of these criteria can be viewed at the PIF website www.pif.org.pk.

The challenge invites creative minds from all over Pakistan to come up with unique and innovative ideas in two critical domains. The first challenge is to develop a replicable, scalable and marketable product or process that enhances productivity, reduces energy requirement or reduces industrial waste by at least 33%.

The second challenge is to develop an innovative product, service, or tool that complements or enhances the utility of a manufactured product and has a compelling market potential and cost-performance profile for rapid commercialization in Pakistan.

Faisal Muneeb Khan, Senior General Manager HR, Administration and Corporate Social Responsibility, Indus Motor Company, said: “There is paramount need to grow our local industry and nurture human capital in order to develop our economy. ‘Kaizen’, or continuous search for a better way, is a way of life at IMC. By encouraging our employees to practice ‘Kaizen’, we are in effect encouraging them to innovate. We believe that our success and the success of Pakistan lies in finding much needed innovative solutions that are home grown.

It’s time we looked inwards for answers to our question. The National Innovation Grand Challenge provides a great opportunity to the talent available in Pakistan to come forward and showcase their creative ideas and bring them to life.”

For more information, contact:
Indus Motor Company Limited
Tel #: (92-21) 34388569, 34521639, 34528342
Fax #: (92-21) 34543105.