The millennium has heralded an aggressively demanding new world fraught with market pressures that have never been experienced before. Increasing product complexity and expectations of greater product innovation, together with requirements of faster time to-market are driving new product development strategies. For successful and innovative product development, a closer collaboration between Engineering and Marketing is imperative. The ability to collaborate and efficiently deliver the right product at the right time, to satisfy the most demanding, enlightened, and knowledgeable customer would determine the success or failure of an enterprise. As the world changes more rapidly companies face the threat of new product obsolescence even before they reach the market.

Many companies target innovation to drive their growth, but few provide the necessary strategic foundation for technology, product and operational innovation. Sometimes that foundation is too narrow, and at other times it’s not sufficiently defined. Only a few companies have built their innovation strategy and aligned the organization to realize repeatable, reliable innovation. In the past, engineers have typically focused on product design and innovation through newer technologies, while marketers have focused on market and competitor intelligence and customer preferences. The time has come for an effective integration of these two focal areas for the successful launch of break-through products. With India emerging as a Knowledge Power, and global opportunities knocking at the doors, it is necessary to focus on the front-end of innovation
and new product development.

With a view to fill-in deficiencies and gain more knowledge in these emerging areas, it was decided to bring together all interested stakeholders to set the process in motion. A not-for-profit organization named Product Development & Management Association, India has now been established as a Registered Society to serve as a body to promote Innovation and New Product Development in India. This Society s also an Affiliate of the world body the “Product Development and Management Association (PDMA)” of the USA (www.pdma.org)