So you have a social idea... Mr. Rajesh Mane on what made his idea click...

So what does it take to be a winner, a pioneer of change, a dreamer...

There is no one better to talk about it than the winner of Kalpavriksha-2011, Mr. Rajesh Mane. With a path breaking innovation which was designed to sever the communication barriers for the visually disabled, Mr. Mane and his team took the competition to an entirely different level, and emerged victorious.

The gadget, aptly named “Braille-Sense” is essentially a tutoring device which has the potential to let visually disabled people communicate with each other without the effort third person.

The inspiration for Mr. Mane to embark upon a social journey occurred during his college fest in VJTI, Mumbai, where he noticed a glaring chasm between prevalent technology, and the technology that visually challenged people can use. The idea sat strong in his entrepreneurial mind, and he started working on the same.

Thus was born, Segito Technologies. Four bold dreamers who knew that determination and a strong idea, along with lessons learnt along the way will take them to their destination. And when the determination to touch someone’s life is so strong, recognition is bound to come.

Recognition took it’s time to arrive, but when it did, it changed his life forever. Colleges like IIM Ahmedabad and NIT Tiruchirapalli invited the team to present their ideas in the annual fests, and the idea worked wonders everywhere. The team also received incubation fund from NIT Trichy, which further helped them in their mission.

The big leap, however occurred when the team decided to enter Kalpavriksha- The social B Plan competition of IIM Indore. Not only did the experience prove to be highly enriching, but the mentor they received from the competition, Mr. Rajeev Kumar, continued his association with Team Segito, and is one of their chief investors.

Post-Kalpavriksha, the team travelled to the “Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition”, where their brilliance landed them among the top 17 semifinalists.

On being asked about his experience during Kalpavriksha, Mr. Mane reminisces about the various innovative ideas, the passion of the people who presented them, and the learned suggestions that the judges put forth. The most important thing for any entrepreneur, however is the guidance that she/he receives from someone who has been in the market, and can advice on business models beyond the limits and scopes of a textbook. That is exactly where the esteemed mentors, with whom Kalpavriksha is associated, come into play.

According to Mr. Mane, one can learn the nuances of running a business only when one comes on the field and starts executing. This becomes more important when your goal is to make a social impact. People will not buy a product if you only sell it as a social or emotional product.

As a tip for future social entrepreneurs, Mr. Mane says, “To make a social idea sustainable, every business will require branding. Even though a good emotion is a prerequisite to starting a business, only a profitable business model is going to make your idea see the light of day.”

Team Kalpavriksha is really proud to see such an inspiring innovation make its mark nationally and globally, and would like to wish Segito Technologies and Mr. Mane a great future with the product.