Only in India

No road? Well, go off roading on the river bed. No petrol? Take a horse. Jugaad is something which is exclusive only to Indians.

While the year ender traffic rush in Himachal Pradesh led one guy driving a Thar to drive over the river bed to escape the chaos, the latest in the long list of jugaad was the Zomato delivery guy who left behind his two wheeler due to the chaos at petrol bunks and took a horse to deliver food ! According to the oxford dictionary, jugaad is defined as “involving the use of skill and imagination to find an easy solution to a problem or to fix or make someth-ing using cheap, basic items.”

Business magnate and the Chairman of & Mahindra Group Anand Mahindra recently took to his X account and posted a video in which a man can be seen driving a rural cot or ‘chaarpai’. “I must have received this video from at least ten friends. I didn’t RT it because it seemed more like a prank jugaad to get attention & also violates most regulations. But to be honest, I never thought about the application you have referred to. Yes, who knows, it could turn out to be a lifesaver in extraordinary situations in remote areas.”

Why is jugaad so exclusive to Indians? It’s an attitude that has been embraced by Indians as a way of life and has been used as a management strategy in the corporate sector.

‘Used kurta as a dance outfit’

Jugaad can refer to anything from upcycling saris to designing new clothing to adorning old beer bottles with fairy lights. “I recently executed my own version of a classical jugaad in Oslo as my luggage failed to arrive amid the event,” says Shinjini Kulkarni, an Indian classical dancer and actress. “For the performance, I wore my kurta as a dancing attire, borrowed a pair of ghunghroo from the local bhajan mandali, and applied blusher, eyeshadow, with lipstick for a cosmetics appearance. I performed my dance with this short jugaad, which was warmly welcomed by everyone. In addition, my magnificent and stylish anarkali costume, which added to the wonderful experience, as well as my most recent classical jugaad, earned compliments,” says Shinjini.

‘Tied shoes with rubber bands’

“It happened that I was visiting Japan for a meeting,” recalls Vasudev Murthy, author, violinist and animal rights activist. “My right shoe’s sole had just fallen off half an hour before! Complete panic! What should I do? I was dressed formally and appeared serious enough. But how could I ever attend a meeting barefoot? So, thinking quickly, I borrowed some rubber bands, tied up the sole and the shoe, concealed the bands, and went to the meeting, where I did just fine. In terms of music, it just so happened that a string cracked while I was playing somewhere. I promptly transferred all of my playing to a different string. Nobody knew I’d done a jugaad!”

The great Indian jugaad

Gautaam Borah, corporate honcho, author and spiritual activist says, “Even in my business life, I’ve seen numerous cases of someone coming up with an out-of-the-box solution or a Juggad. Or you go to a village and find a farmer to help you make a desi Jugaad for ploughing his land.”

Jugaad — to Indians, it is more than just life-hacks.

“Our Vedas promote questioning, experimenting, and the discovery of novel answers to issues. The gurukul system emphasised hands-on learning, critical thinking, and challenging conventional wisdom. For ages, India’s rich history and different perspectives have encouraged innovation in the most natural way,” says Gautaam.

‘White sauce with naan dough’

“U keep learning. Was eating in a small Vietnamese restaurant by the wayside. Observe them@drying the crockery after they are washed and wiped. Good way to ensure that they are dry and ready to use. Often we see in our restaurants crockery or@cutlery coming to you at times with water droplets.a good insight for all@ restaurateurs,” posted Chef turned entrepreneur Shankar Krishnamurthy on his insta.

Adding a fascinating story, he says, “Jugaad also means being quick on your feet and thinking on your feet to solve a problem. I recall making vegetable au gratin while catering in a distant region some time ago. The milk used to make the white sauce burned. One of my team’s chefs swiftly assessed the situation and noticed we had naan dough on hand. He diluted it down with warm water to a sauce consistency, added cheese and fresh herbs, and we had our cheese sauce for au gratin ready. The naan dough contains the same elements as white sauce — milk and flour. His jugaad rescued us from embarrassment, and the food was delicious.”