Possibility spaces for citizen-driven innovations? Classification and functions of urban makerspaces in Bengaluru, India

Makerspaces are shared workshops for the public to design, innovate and prototype. These spaces are primarily located in the urban regions and provide access to 'high-tech' and traditional low-tech tools needed for innovation design. Though makerspaces are a western phenomenon, their emergence in India can be traced to the early decade of the 2010s. In this paper, we study the urban makerspaces in Bengaluru, India, to explore its distinctions from the western conceptualisation. The city of Bengaluru is regarded as the technology and innovation capital of India and is also home to several makerspaces. We employ a qualitative research design and collect data through primary and secondary means. The findings point out the complexities and multifaceted nature of makerspaces in terms of their mode of operation, location and profile of actors/members, motives of operating and functions performed. The makerspaces in Bengaluru are predominantly informal spaces of innovation nested within or financed by formal institutions, such as enterprises, universities and government funding agencies.