A social entrepreneur recognizes problems in our society and pursues a career revolving around finding solutions for those. Fortunately, we have been blessed with some of the best social entrepreneurs in India who are fighting social evils.
What do social entrepreneurs do?
There is a fine line between business people and social entrepreneurs. While the former focuses primarily on profit-making, the latter are problem-solvers.
Sociopreneurs, further, work towards addressing social and environmental issues. Their aim is to streamline low-cost business ideas that help resolve problems for the citizens and their livelihood.
Social entrepreneurs bestow their innovative ideas towards transforming lives, improving the economy, and put an end to malpractices. Sociopreneurs often associate with non-profit organizations and work with limited funds, workforce, and resources.
Best Social Entrepreneurs in India
Let us look into some of the most incredible stories and achievements of the best social entrepreneurs in India:
1. Atul Satija
Atul Satija decided to walk in his father’s footsteps when he saw him tirelessly work day and night to fend for their extended family along with their own. He had an earlier realization about one of the most common problems in India – unemployment.
At 30, after working for Google and InMobi, Satija quit his high-paying job and started The/Nudge Foundation. The initiative is to alleviate poverty by providing quality skill development and training programs for poor and unemployed youth.
In 2017, Satija met the founder of GiveIndia, Venkat Krishnan, and discussed their mutual desire to increase capital for non-profit initiatives through tech platforms. Soon, Satija was known as ‘Founder 2.0’ of GiveIndia, as he turned into their CEO and board member.
GiveIndia focuses on bridging the gap between donors and non-profit organizations. The initiative made Satija’s #LivingMyPromise of poverty eradication come true.
2. Anshu Gupta
One of the first ways we create a perception about an individual is by looking at what they wear. Unfortunately, poor people in India are quickly identified by inadequate and filthy clothing.
After completing his education in media, Anshu Gupta was working as an intern when we explored this problem faced by the poor. After that, he founded a social enterprise called Goonj, which distributes clothes among the poor.
They collect old/used clothes from people who donate and fix those to ensure they are wearable. Next, they distribute the clothes among poor people and bring happy smiles to those who cannot afford this necessity.
Goonj actively participated in relief work during natural disasters in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat. As a result, their work is highly acknowledged across the country.
3. Jeroo Bilimoria
Jeroo Bilimoria is one of the most accomplished social entrepreneurs in the world. She laid the foundation for many international NGOs. In addition, the lady is acclaimed for initiating Childline Indian Foundation to provide health facilities and police assistance for street children.
The visionary sociopreneur had a calling for giving back to society from a very young age. She promotes self-empowerment for Indian women and their independence.
Bilimoria received the honorary Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. Her accolades also include recognition from the Ashoka Innovations for the Public and Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
4. Sumita Ghose
Sumita Ghose established Ashoka Changemakers and is the CEO of the organization. She recognized the beauty of Indian craftsmanship and the importance of reviving and retaining their talent.
Rural India has a massive artistic indulgence, often neglected due to growing urbanization and western interests. Sumita Ghose began her journey with Rangasutra, which is a retail chain associated with Fab India. Their initiative has helped more than 3,000 rural artists to make a living off their craftsmanship and retain Indian traditions.
Ghose received the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskar from the Indian President in 2016. Currently, Rangasutra sells products both nationally and internationally. Ikea is one of their prominent global customers.
5. Ria Sharma
Ria Sharma is a social activist who graduated from Leeds College of Art in the UK. She founded a rehabilitation center called Make Love Not Scars, which focuses on reviving the wellbeing of acid attack victims.
Ria managed to gain crowd-funding through social media platforms in 2016 and worked towards the upliftment of the survivors. She is one of the most inspiring female social entrepreneurs in India and the first Indian to receive UNICEF Global Goals Awards, 2017.
6. Hanumappa Sudarshan
Hanumappa Sudarshan is a tribal rights activist who started his journey in 1980 with Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra. He contributed towards the upliftment of the forest-dwelling tribes in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka.
The man founded Karuna Trust to transform badly run health institutions to enhance healthcare services. The Honorary Secretary of this trust focuses on the overall development of the livelihood of the rural people in Arunachal Pradesh and Karnataka.
Sudarshan has won several awards and accolades for his contributions to the betterment of India. He is the Indian Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014, the Right Livelihood Award, and the prestigious Padma Shri.
7. Urvashi Sahni
Urvashi Sahni is one of the strongest female social entrepreneurs in India who has inspired thousands of others. She is also a feminist activist and an educator.
Sahni founded the Study Hall Education Foundation (SHEF) that focuses on educating disadvantaged girls. The CEO of SHEF has worked in more than 900 schools and transformed the lives of over 270,000 girls (either directly or indirectly) through her program.
Sahni received the Social Entrepreneur of The Year in 2017 for her dedication towards women’s upliftment and empowerment.
8. Aarushi Batra
Aarushi is the founder of the Robin Hood Army along with three of her friends to feed the poor. She was determined not to let people go without food, and she was not happy serving a few. Fortunately, Aarushi’s team grew in no time, and they have filled plates for over 5 million people.
The Robin Hood Army includes more than 14000 ‘Robins’ across 27 cities and four countries. They are responsible for collecting surplus food from restaurants, weddings, and other events. They hygienically pack the food and distribute it among the less fortunate.
9. Ajaita Shah
Ajaita Shah is an innovative sociopreneur who focuses on empowering rural India with cheap and sustainable technological solutions. She founded Frontier Markets that supplies products that run on solar energy to make technology affordable for rural people.
Till date, the brand has catered to over 10,000 solar solutions and has helped power reach the remotest corners of the country.
10. Vineet Rai
The list that discusses the best social entrepreneurs in India is incomplete without including Vineet Rai. Rai is one of the pioneers of social entrepreneurship in India and the founder and CEO of the Aavishkaar Venture Management Service. It is a social venture that boosts the ecosystem of social entrepreneurs.
Rai has taken several initiatives towards agricultural innovations to uplift rural India economically. He is an inspiration to many sociopreneur who followed in his footsteps towards making this a sustainable career.
Concluding
So here is our list of the top Social Entrepreneurs from India that are making a difference