Cisco India (B): Bootstrapping for Innovation

Abstract

Case A describes the challenges a multinational corporation, Cisco Systems Inc., faces in an emerging market in developing new products specific to local needs. Case B describes the journey undertaken by Dr Ishwardutt Parulkar and his team in developing the Advanced Services Router (ASR) 901 - from idea to launch in 2011. The case helps to identify key success factors for new product development through a decentralized R&D model in emerging markets and to recognize the importance of the ecosystem for successful innovation. Learning objectives: 1) Identify key challenges in developing a mainstream product from concept to completion in an emerging market. 2) Understand essential factors for building subsidiary R&D capabilities for mainstream product development. 3) Introduce the Technology Champion framework, which serves to bring out innovation aspirations in a subsidiary R&D team. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/IMD834-PDF-ENG?Ntt=&itemFindingMethod=Search