If Jugaad is the new management mantra, can Chalta Hai be far behind

India's Next Global Export: Innovation - BusinessWeek

Turns out desis have done something that until recently was exculsuive to Americans - sold a management jargon. Apparently, jugaad is "innovation" ... desi estyle. Apparently, jugaad was at work when Tata's introduced nano or swach. Yeah, right. The first time I heard jugaad mentioned as a management concept I was at Kellogg, my alma mater, listening to Prof. Mohanbir Swahney speak. I must have guessed that jugaad's stars are on the rise for Prof. Swahney made a killing during the dot.com fad. He even used to (not sure if he still has) have a vanity plate that read "Net Prof."

As far as I know the closest meaning of Jugaad is "make it work" (as Tim Gunn says in "Project Runway"). Of course, if the things that happen in the name of jugaad happen on "Project Runway", Tim would personally kick you out. Jugaad is the cause of a fair amount of issues with India. It is about short-term without any thought for the long-term. It is about self without any thought for the society. And, what years of jugaad has got India is "Chalta hai" - positive translation would be "its fine. nothing to write home about." Soon, "chalta hai" will become the next management fad.