Sustainable solutions for society's problems

INDIA ECONOMIC SUMMIT 2008

One thing common to the finalists for this year's Social Entrepreneur Award is that they address bottom-of-the-pyramid markets.

The Nand and Jeet Khemka Foundation and The Schwab Foundation in collaboration with UNDP have announced the finalists for the 'Social Entrepreneur of The Year' 2008 Award. The Award recognizes individuals who offer the most innovative and sustainable solutions to society's impending social problems.

The 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year' Award is a competitive process that shortlists candidates and recognises the most deserving social entrepreneur in the country. Three finalists have been short listed: 

 

Arbind Singh, Executive Director, NIDAN. Nidan is developing sustainable businesses, cooperatives, trade unions and 'people's institutions' led by the most excluded categories of the poor in Bihar. It has promoted and built 20 independent profit-making ventures governed and owned through shares by the poor themselves. As legitimate competitors in the mainstream economy, the collectives negotiate with the government for their rights and entitlements. 
 

Brij Kothari, Founder, PlanetRead. Using the simple tool of 'Same Language Subtitling' (SLS) on popular song-based TV programmes, Brij Kothari is sharpening the literacy skills of India's 'early literates' or 'neo-literates' who, despite having attended at least primary school, have weak reading and comprehension skills. By superimposing subtitles in the 'same' language as the audio on the songs, Kothari ensures that reading becomes a by-product of entertainment watched by the audience. 
 

Prema Gopalan, Executive Director, Swayam Shikshan Prayog. SSP is launching profitable rural businesses powered by partnerships between large corporations, like BP Energy and village women in disaster-affected areas. Founded by Prema Gopalan in 1994, SSP has organized 60,000 rural women into social networks through which new retail businesses are opening up in bottom-of-the-pyramid markets. The businesses—clean energy products, organic goods, health and financial services—have led to cumulative incomes of Rs 2.3 crore for village women entrepreneurs.

Commenting on the occasion, Don Mohanlal, President and CEO, Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation said, "These finalists for the 2008 award are focused individuals with a mission to bring about large scale social impact. Each one of them has addressed social problems using innovative models, business discipline and determination."

 

The Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation seeks to recognise that philanthropic capital and entrepreneurial approaches can be best combined to create innovative solutions that benefit deserving sections of the society and serve as sustainable models for the rest of the world.

The winner of the Social Entrepreneur of The Year 2008 Award will be announced at the current summit. The winner will be selected into the Schwab Foundation's global network, facilitating attendance at the annual meeting of the WEF in Davos, Switerzland from January 28 - February 1. The winner will be eligible for a cash award of Rs 800,000 from the Khemka Foundation and will be named 'Khemka Fellow'.

The 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year' Award has risen to prominence among social entrepreneurs, with applicants immensely valuing the benefits the award brings. The steady increase in the number of nominations filed for this award is proof of its growing significance. This year nearly 140 applications were received, a 30 per cent rise from last year.