Archive for Events

Eureka! is the International Business plan competition organized by IIT Bombay. It aims to create value in the ecosystem as per its belief that entrepreneurs are the ones who will take India and the world to the next level.

With a total prizes worth INR 2.4 million, legal and financial consultancy services, intensive mentoring and an online platform to provide solutions to participants’ queries, Eureka! promotes the best business ideas through various incentives. It’s not just a business plan competition, wherein people only submit their business plans and take away the prize money. It is an entrepreneur’s journey from an executive summary to an actual start-up. The competition is open to all and sees participants from different strata like working professionals, B-schools, Technological Institutes, IITs, NITs and even Medical & Law schools. » Continue reading “Eureka! Asia’s Largest Business Plan Competition”

Early on at the Sankalp Forum 2011 one of the 600-odd attendees told me that the event’s buzzword would likely be “ecosystem”. It turned out to be a  pretty apt observation. From the crowded hallways to the beanbags in the networking lounge, ecosystem creation was certainly on people’s minds.

The event kicked off with Sam Pitroda, Chairman, National Innovation Council, video-conferencing in from Chicago and continued to include panels about scale, impact investing, government and each of the five Sankalp sectors: education; technology for development; health, water and sanitation; clean energy and agriculture, food and rural business. » Continue reading “Sankalp Forum: Building the Socent Ecosystem”

To celebrate 30 years of promoting youth leadership in 2011, AIESEC India will be hosting an event in Mumbai on Saturday, April 30th. The India Youth to Business Forum brings young people and business people together to discuss global trends. This year’s theme is Building a Young and Enterprising India. » Continue reading “30 Years of AIESEC India”

By Maya Pillai

Hans Reitz, who co-founded the Grameen Creative Lab with microfinance guru Muhammad Yunus, defines a social business as a “non-loss, non-dividend company with the purpose of solving a social problem.” The Lab officially launched in India earlier this year and brought the concept to an audience already well-versed in the social enterprise space.

But is this model the best way to solve social problems?

At the launch event, Reitz explained that the company has a social goal but offers products and services at prices that are self-sustaining. The company’s investors get back only what they invested. » Continue reading “Challenging Muhammad Yunus’ “Social Business””

d.light has long been in the social enterprise spotlight and was recently named a “start-up to watch” by Forbes India. Beyond Profit was able to catch up with Managing Director Mandeep Singh at the Rural Marketing Congress India 2010, held earlier this month.

Beyond Profit: d.light seems to be the poster child for social enterprise. Does that add pressure?

Mandeep Singh: Not exactly. Doesn’t add any pressure. At the end of the day, you have an agenda. You got to do that. You got to be patient. » Continue reading “Growing Up d.light”

By Dipika Prasad

The nature, complexities and business model solutions of the BoP were the subject of a session delivered by S. Sivakumar, the Chief Executive of Agri Businesses at ITC, at iDiya 2010 last week. Beyond Profit live tweeted the discussion, which can be accessed here. We caught up with Sivakumar to learn more about his journey of innovations in rural marketing, and empowering the Indian farmer. » Continue reading “Rural Marketing: Trust is Critical”

By Deepti Chadda, Senior Associate, Intellecap

At the Villgro Unconvention Awards 2010, Villgro recognized path-breaking organizations, individuals and stakeholders in the sector. The winners were chosen based on their ability to pioneer change through social enterprise by developing and disseminating innovations that benefit society. Beyond Profit had a closer look at the impact created by some of these innovations. » Continue reading “Villgro Awards 2010: Recognizing Innovation”

By Deepti Chadda, Senior Associate, Intellecap

A few decades ago when Joe Madiath started Gram Vikas, he was labeled a “social activist,” a type of rebel. Today, he and other entrepreneurs have become lynchpins in the social enterprise sector. In the ’80s, social entrepreneurship was a concept in the making; now it’s at a pivotal point. Many entrepreneurs presented their visions of the sector’s future at the Villgro Unconvention 2010. » Continue reading “Villgro Unconvention 2010: The Future of Social Entrepreneurship”

By Dipika Prasad

Early on in the first day of UnLtd India’s Social Mashup, opening speaker Sachin Malhan of Inclusive Planet set the tone for the day by saying, “Always remember why you do what you do. Keep beauty as the cornerstone of your motivation.” Beyond Profit caught up with three entrepreneurs: Malhan; Solomon Prakash, country director at Ashoka India; and Gijs Spoor, Zameen Organic.

BP: Taking a cue from Sachin’s opening talk in the morning, why do you do what you do?

Solomon: I am at a place and time in the history of India, which has a very unique set of issues and challenges. I want to be part of that history. I don’t live on an island. I open my eyes, I look around and see an issue, and I want to respond. I want to do something beyond complaining. I want to solve the issue, be an actor. That’s where it all begins. All of us have an innate sense of justice. We look at something and say this is not fair. That sense is different from judging right and wrong. I feel unfairness and I want to respond. All of us search for this equilibrium – and we have to do unnatural things to kill it. People want to be relevant—even animals feel that. » Continue reading “Social Entrepreneur Roundtable: Social Mashup Edition”

By Molly McMahon, Gray Matters Capital

Why do we call our initiative with affordable private schools Enterprising Schools? The definition of enterprising is “Imagination, initiative, and readiness to undertake new projects[1],” and that best describes the participants who gathered for the 2^nd Annual Enterprising Schools Symposium last month in Hyderabad India.

The 100 stakeholders in the Affordable Private School (APS) sector who traveled across the globe from 66 different organizations in October are truly enterprising.  They came, by plane, train, car, auto rickshaw, and even braved the Indo-Pak border to discuss, learn about, and solve the opportunities and challenges facing the APS market.  Entrepreneurs, investors, NGOs, donors, school owners, researchers, financial institutions, teachers, and students gathered in Hyderabad with the common goals of increasing school quality and general market viability. » Continue reading “Bold New Ventures in the Low-Income Education Market”