It took ten months, but it seems that India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) is a success. This is a huge feat for India as, not only did their satellite reach Mars a mere two days after NASA’s MAVEN project, but they are also the first Asian country to reach the Red Planet on a maiden attempt. This accomplishment seems even more impressive given the time, budget and resource restraints that India faces with its space program. However, while there are many set backs and obstacles, The Hindu reports that India’s success all comes down to one word: jugaad.

Jugaad is not a set, material thing but rather a way of thinking. The term refers to getting things done through a mindset of flexibility, and making use of what you have. Jugaad is a style that places little regard on the long term in order to see results in the now. This way of thinking is at the heart of Indian innovation, and is the mindset that allowed scientists the ability to get a satellite around Mars on a budget of just seventy four million dollars. That number may seem large, but in comparison to NASA’s MAVEN budget of six hundred and seventy one million it truly is a very small amount.

Often times in India, where small budgets are a common restriction, jugaad is more of a necessity than anything else. When putting together their MOM mission, India implemented the “jugaad” style of thinking anywhere they could to save both resources and time. They did this in a number of ways, including building the final model of the orbiter from the start (something that NASA does not do), running a limited number of ground tests and using building blocks from earlier missions. Every time they hit a speed bump they implemented some form of jugaad as a way to keep their program on track and on time. Now that their satellite is orbiting Mars, those decisions have payed off.

Jugaad is something that permeates throughout Indian society and allows great feats such as the MOM project to happen. However, there are still many who oppose jugaad, stating that it will lead to more harm than good. There are merits to both sides, but what is certain is that it does have the ability to garner results. India works with what it has, and while they may not always see success, they have it right now. All thanks to jugaad.