About this Book

“Open Innovation Playbook” is a humble creation by Saravana and Sundar, who are passionate Innovation practitioners. Being inspired by the power of Open Innovation (OI) and having worked extensively in the space of Corporate Innovation and Innovation Ecosystem, the authors have synthesized their first-hand insights on the dynamics of launching and institutionalizing Open Innovation in an Organizational setup. In this book, the authors take the reader on a journey filled with the following:

• Uncovering the landscape of Corporate Innovation
• Passionately enrolling every reader to appreciate the “Why & What” of Ecosystem driven Innovation
• Explaining the “How” of OI by meticulously guiding the reader through the different pillars of the Architecture of OI
• Describing what it takes to establish OI as a practice in an Organization
• Inviting every practitioner to get present to the fact that Innovation is as much about one’s Mindset as it is about Strategy, Skillset, Practices and Tools.

Staying true to their passion towards the subject, the authors invite you to consume this book to be moved by the possibilities of Open Innovation.

Acknowledgement from Ecosystem Leaders

As Authors of this Book, we are extremely grateful to our friends & well-wishers from the Ecosystem. Each of them is making a big difference through Leadership and Commitment towards making Startup led Innovation mainstream. A huge thanks and a big salute to every champion’s contribution. This Book is our dedication to the Global Innovation Ecosystem.

(Kindly note that the testimonials mentioned in the following pages are not in any specific order.)

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Saravana and Sundar’s latest “Open Innovation Playbook” is an excellent piece of work in the field of Innovation. The book testifies the authors’ interest, expertise and profound knowledge of Corporate Innovation and Innovation Ecosystem.

Open Innovation Playbook has laid bare the mandatory principles required for acceleration and cherishing Innovation as a sustainable model for today’s fast World. In a manner that engages the readers, this book beautifully expounds the role of each stakeholder in an Organization, and how to achieve optimization. Equipping the readers with an extensive body of knowledge, Saravana and Sundar have drafted a comprehensive framework that includes – a sketch of the Innovation Ecosystem, Corporate Innovation and Architecture of Open Innovation. The book is a brilliant wake-up call for all those who have a partial or distorted understanding of Innovation; it calls upon them to employ the right mindset, skills and principles if they truly wish to Innovate. – Zulfiqar Ali Butt, Secretary General, SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Pakistan.

The idea of Open Innovation is truly a win-win proposition, and this book clearly explains how to make it happen. This playbook has the necessary ingredients required to drive Organizational Innovation by partnering with Startups and other players in the Ecosystem. It’s a must read for all Innovation practitioners. – Senthil Kumar, GESCI – United Nations Founded Initiative, Nairobi, Kenya.

Open Innovation Playbook is a masterpiece of practical, actionable, and easy-to-follow steps to turn an idea into a profitable and scalable business. Authors have provided Entrepreneurs and Organization Leaders with a blueprint for building partnership, along with some excellent templates and tools that could be used during the journey. I am very impressed with the depth of the research and the honesty and sincerity with which Saravana and Sundar present their case. – Dr. Arturas Jurgelevicius, Founder, Drupe Consulting, Vilniaus Lithuania.

Saravana and Sundar demystify the bubble of Open Innovation with such prowess and ease, developing a robust framework that provides building blocks equally for novices, experts, Consultants, and Corporates. This book will stand the test of time and prove to be a milestone in taking Open Innovation to the next level. – Dr. Swetha Suresh, Head of Innovation and Startup Partnerships, Swissnex India, Consulate General of Switzerland.

Saravana and Sundar’s perspective on the importance of a proper mindset of people who drive Innovation within a company is worth emulating. Any Organisation recruiting people to drive Innovation must read this book so as to lay the right foundation for Open Innovation within their company. – Rupa K N, Trade Commissioner, Global Affairs, Canada.

A timely book from authors with hands on experience in fostering Innovation, mentoring Start-ups and with an insider view of Innovation from large Enterprises. This book will help Enterprises appreciate the importance OI to propel their next level of growth. – Gopi Shankar, Director – Trade & Industry, Global Victoria, State Government of Victoria, Australia.

Open Innovation that underpins good collaboration between Startups and large Companies is not simple. It takes careful planning and management to ensure right outcome. Open Innovation Playbook is an insightful creation by Saravana and Sundar, and it is written with passion towards the field of Innovation. – Kavitha Saravanan, Trade Officer, Israel.

In a World where co-creation and collaboration are fundamental for the sustainable development of our societies, this book helps Organizations embrace the concept of Open Innovation. A must-read for all Leaders who are ready to participate in the transformation of their Organizations, from developing a more collaborative mindset to setting up practices and measuring their impact. – Leena Radjibaly, Trade officer, Technology, Innovation and Services, Business France India, Embassy of France in India.

Saravana and Sundar have done a great job with this book. This Playbook book effectively distils the fundamental concepts of ‘Open Innovation’ that every Corporate Leader and Startup Founder will find immensely useful. – Abhinav Bhatia, Director – India & South Asia, Enterprise Ireland.

Innovation is a critical driver for the competitiveness of firms and overall Economy. This book offers a refreshingly practical and real-World view, written by People who have been there and done it. This book clearly explains the concept of Open Innovation Ecosystem, its presence and power, and the way in which companies of all sizes can become connected in order to meet the demands of the Innovation imperative. I highly recommend this book to the Business Leaders, Managers, Innovators and Industry practitioners who are rethinking their business and looking to step into the World of Open Innovation. – Dhruv Nanda, KPMG Govt. Advisory; Ex Executive Officer, KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency).

Get Rid of Silo Mentality. Even after decades Prof. Henry Chesbrough made popular the concept of Open Innovation, we are still stuck in a Silo Mentality when it comes to implementation. One possible reason for this could be the lack of practitioner’s involvement with Academia and also Publications. This exercise of Saravana & Sundar has sealed that vacuum and acts as a great catalyst to change the mindset. This is an instrumental tool and a handy Bible for Open Innovation practitioners and Business Leaders. – Prasanna Liyanage, Founder – The Training Hub Asia; Ex President – Colombo Chamber of Commerce, Srilanka.

If a company is not continuously Innovating, then it is also getting continuously outdated. Saravana and Sundar have cracked the Innovation conundrum with Open Innovation Playbook. This book is an enabling guide for Entrepreneurs to dive into the World of “Open Innovation” and discover a sustainable way to continuously Innovate and grow. – Mahim Singh, Country Representative – Startup Task Force, SAARC CCI; Community Leader – Techstars, Nepal.

The authors gather their knowledge from their academic credentials and real-life experiences. This book is highly recommended for those who seek insight into Entrepreneurship and Open Innovation. In this changing World, this book is a must read. – Mohammed T. Mosharraf, Cluster Monitoring Coordinator, Rupantar, Bangladesh.

Few decades back, Innovation had been a nice to have function in Organisations. But with today’s challenges and unprecedented events, Innovation has become a must for all Organisations. The mindset required for innovation, and how it can help Organisations to thrive and survive is discussed extensively in this Book. With their years of experience in guiding Innovators to become successful in their Innovation journey, Saravana and Sundar share how every Organisation can build an Innovation Culture and cherish Innovation as a dependable capability. If I have to briefly tell what the authors’ message is, it is Innovate or die. – Iyaz Waheed, President at Universal Foundation, Maldives.