As an emerging, twenty-first-century domain and framework for understanding and facilitating longer-term, multi-dimensional, and fundamental transformation processes through which established socio-technical systems shift to more sustainable modes of production and consumption, sustainability transitions have grown significantly. Despite its spectacular growth through specialized journals and active research networks, the domain has not received attention from scholars in India. This talk would argue for a shift in attention beyond mobility, energy, and urban contexts to agriculture and rural innovation. The speaker would share reflections and insights from participation at an International Sustainability Transitions conference in 2024 and attempts by IRMA and other institutions and networks to host an international conference with greater focus on the Global South and agriculture. Insights from the conference and a synthesis of the papers from a forthcoming special issue of the International Journal of Rural Management (IJRM) will be presented. Through the talk, the author seeks to build an incipient network on sustainability transitions in India through collaboration among like-minded scholars interested in sustainability and transition processes that can enable this.
Dr. C. Shambu Prasad is a Professor of Strategic Management and Social Sciences at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and is currently visiting faculty at CTARA, IIT Bombay. His research interests include science studies, social innovation and entrepreneurship, public policy, rural livelihoods and managing producer organisations and sustainability transitions in agriculture. He serves on the Boards of a few non-profits and a mentor to social enterprises.