Manager - Grassroots Innovations

JOB DESCRIPTION – Manager, Grassroots Innovations

Department : Strategic Initiatives & Impact

Location : Amaravati (Hub) with statewide travel

Reports to : Lead – Strategic Initiatives & Impact

Entity : Ratan Tata Innovation Hub (RTIH)

1. Role Summary

The Manager – Grassroots Innovations will build, strengthen, and manage RTIH’s outreach to grassroots innovators, rural entrepreneurs, NGOs, livelihoods organisations, and community-based institutions across Andhra Pradesh. The role aims to identify promising frugal innovations, enable their validation and growth, and integrate grassroots innovators into RTIH’s incubation, prototyping, and challenge programmes.

The role will serve as RTIH’s primary interface with the grassroots innovation ecosystem and ensure equitable, inclusive participation from rural and tribal communities across the state.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Grassroots Innovator Identification & Scouting

• Design and run statewide scouting programmes across villages, mandals, districts, and tribal regions.
• Work with universities, ITIs, polytechnics, rural makerspaces, FabLabs, and community institutions to identify frugal solutions and local innovations.
• Conduct field visits to validate innovations and document use-cases and impact stories.

B. Partnership Development

o Grassroots innovation (e.G., Palle Srujana, NIF partners)

o Livelihoods & rural enterprise development

o Women Self-Help Groups (SHGs)

o Tribal development organisations

C. Programme Design & Execution

o Innovation scouting drives

o Rural innovation camps

o Village-level demo days

o Thematic challenges in agriculture, crafts, climate, livelihoods, and rural problems

D. Support for Innovators

o FabLabs

o Technical universities

o Mentors

o Domain experts

o Technology refinement

o Pilot deployments in villages

o Field testing with relevant govt. departments

E. Coordination with Hub & Spokes

F. Monitoring, Documentation & Reporting

3. Qualifications & Experience

Essential

preference for social sciences, rural development, engineering, or equivalent.

o Grassroots innovation

o Rural livelihoods

o NGO partnerships

o CSR implementation

o Community development programmes

Preferred

ability to travel extensively.

4. Skills & Competencies

5. KPIs (First 12 Months)

6. Compensation : ₹ 10-12 LPA CTC based on interview & experience.