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.

The Social Triangle

Current-day contribution to the society is based on the three pillars of philanthropy, corporate social responsibility and social enterprises. These three are very unique and different from each other but are tied together by the common thread of betterment of society.

The first corner of the triangle is Philanthropy. Etymologically, philanthropy is ‘the love of LOVE’. It is about caring for, nourishing, nurturing, extending a helpful hand to the needy. Philanthropy is about having a big heart to contribute to the welfare of the underprivileged to make the world a better place. It is an act of magnanimity. Philanthropic individuals are individuals who pledge their time, energy, resources towards betterment of society without expecting anything in return. The various non-profit organizations run on the principles of philanthropy. They cater to the needs of various deprived segments of the society and receive funding from various individuals by way of charity.

The other corner is the corporate social responsibility or what we call CSR. CSR activities are undertaken by various profit-making companies as a way to contribute to the society. As huge corporates and influential centers, companies have a responsibility towards the society at large. They try to fulfil this responsibility by way of CSR activities like enhancing the livelihood of farmers as in case of ITC’s e-choupal. One thing to understand is that CSR activities are not a mandate on companies. The companies engage in CSR activities to contribute to the society and earn goodwill.

The last corner of our triangle is the area of social enterprises. Social enterprises are profit-making ventures unlike philanthropic institutions. Also they are different from the corporate ventures in the sense their business idea revolves around a practical solution to solving one of the various problems plaguing the society. Several social enterprises like SELCO Solar, Drishtee, Industree Foundation etc. have been spreading their wings and showing the world the new way of changing the society. These organizations are not run on philanthropy but are businesses that are making a lasting social impact. The need today is not charity but availability of resources and opportunities. These social enterprises are creating these opportunities, helping to cope complex social issues and making people self-sufficient. These new class of social reformers have the potential to change the world. 

INDUS-TREE CRAFTS : A journey as sweet as its destination

Sustainable ideas always stand the test of time. A case in point is the story of a much-known hybrid social enterprise named “Indus-Tree”. Founded in 1994 by a young visionary named Neelam Chhiber, along with social investor Gita Ram, and co-founder Poonam Bir Kasturi, this organisation channels its efforts in connecting the skilled artisans of the villages to the urban distribution system, in a bid to promote and protect the dexterity of the craftsmen.

Industree Crafts Foundation was setup in 2000 to focus on the natural fibre products, in developing the design and the technical and skill initiatives required to promote the same into the market.  The pioneering work focused on creating considerable value addition for agricultural by-products and other natural fibres in terms of product diversification, design, simplification of labour and time intensive process.

Creating a socially-aware company isn’t necessarily limited to philanthropy. In fact, in today’s era it makes perfect business sense. Industree’s success as a hybrid business enterprise bears testimony to that fact.

Industree also created a niche brand, “Mother Earth” to market its earthy products, and subsequently opened stores to stock the products. The offerings range from Natural Fashion, home furnishings, as well as health supplements. The USP of these products is that they are all made from natural raw materials and play their part in sustaining the economic growth of the backward strata of the society.

The story just goes on to prove that the innate desire to do something right, coupled with a sound business acumen, culminate in a creation that has far reaching effects throughout the years. If this was not motivation enough, the recognition for the work done always illuminates the path for many others to follow.

“The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organization of theWorld Economic Forum, in partnership with the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation announced Neelam Chhiber, Managing Director, Indus Tree Crafts Foundation (ICF), as the winner of the 2011 India Social Entrepreneur of the Year award” – indiainfoline.com, Nov 14, 2011.

You have the ideas, the desire, and the calibre. We bring to you the platform. Kalpavriksha 2012 – Creating stories of change…

Industree- A sustainable agent of change

For more details on Industree visit: http://www.industree.org.in/

ITS A BUMPY ROAD AHEAD!!

Social entrepreneurs are both visionaries and ultimate realists, concerned with the practical implementation of their vision above all.  They function as the agents of change, questioning the status quo, grabbing the new yet overlooked opportunities, and changing the world for the better. But being a change agent is not easy. There are several roadblocks on the way to reformation and change which they have to encounter. Patience and perseverance are the tools that carry these leaders and organizations through the myriad of hurdles set out on the path.

The major challenge for the Indian entrepreneur is the lack of financial sources. The banks and other financial institutions avoid providing loan facilities due to the various social complications attached. This causes social entrepreneurs to take a more difficult path of approaching venture capitalists and philanthropic organizations.

Another challenge is finding and keeping the right people to run the organization. It is not easy to find efficient employees willing to work in a social organization at a humble pay compared to their counterparts. A question that needs to be answered is whether to recruit people who are extremely efficient at their work or people who truly identify with the social goal of the organization. Selco that provides solar energy based interventions to the bottom of the pyramid follows the 50/50 policy. According to this it employs 50%people who work for the social goals and  the remaining 50% is highly skilled workforce to ensure that there is no compromise on efficiency.

There is lack of support from government for social business development in India. There are no tax benefits or incentives that are currently provided to this upcoming area of social business which has the potential to create lasting change.

The Edge of Glory

Now that we are within days of throwing open the doors of the 7th edition of Kalpavriksha- The Social B-Plan contest from IIM Indore,we believe it is time to reiterate the success stories that Kalpavriksha has been penning throughout the years since its inception.

Kalpavriksha is not only a competition; it is an opportunity, a platform for the socially aware citizens to put the power of knowledge to a better use. It is time to give some answers to the questions that society had been asking for ages. It is time to find solutions to problems that have plagued our equals in the world. It is time to ideate, innovate, and implement.

But then, an idea is not usually enough, unless backed by the power to make sure it goes through completion. This is where Kalpavriksha has been instrumental in driving change. From mentoring bright b-planners, to ensuring that the initiative receives enough impetus on the national and global level, this platform bridges the gap between laudable ideas and the society.

Kalpavriksha-2012 is ready to see the light of day; the time is near when Your Bright Ideas will make our world better. It is bigger, more ambitious, and definitely more challenging. The question is, are YOU ready?

Give Me Some Sunshine...

Social entrepreneurship is the way forward for a bright and vibrant world. Several individuals have recognized this and started walking onto this path of sustainable development initiatives. One such social entrepreneur who can serve to inspire several young entrepreneurs onto this path is Mr. Sunshine- Harish Hande.

Harish Hande co-founded Selco India in 1995 to light up the lives at the bottom of the pyramid. Selco India provides solar energy solutions to the rural populace of Gujarat and Karnataka which is customized according to specific needs. It also has collaborated with several regional rural banks, credit cooperatives and commercial banks to provide easy credit to purchase the solar equipments.

Harish Hande believes that the energy needs of a pani puri walla are very different from those of a paddy field farmer. He says, "One requires a certain type of light and fuel on a daily basis, while the other requires it on an annual basis. Yet, we continue to apply standardised procedures that have worked with the 1 million haves, to the 5 million have-nots. It’s the inefficient processes that cause losses, and solar power bears the blame. SELCO helps lightning up by decentralizing the process and creating personalized solutions based on people’s different needs. Their simple but effective innovation has killed the fallacy that solar energy is expensive and impractical."

Harish Hande has been awarded the prestigious Magsaysay award in 2011, social entrepreneur of the year award by Schwab Foundation for social entrepreneurship and several other awards recognizing his contribution.

Kalpavriksha hopes that there are several other young people around the world who follow in the footsteps of such social entrepreneurs to carve out a name for themselves with their sharp wit and dedicated effort and at the same time make a positive impact on the society to make it a better place.

Kalpavriksha wishes to encourage and guide all these young minds of today to stand up and find solutions to the various problems in the society rather than just wishing for a change.
As Mahatma Gandhi put it, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”






A social entrepreneur is the combination of the mind of a manager, courage of a soldier, and heart of a social worker. Social entrepreneurs are creators of sustainable systems change.

Kalpavriksha-the social entrepreneurship B-school plan of Ahvan 2012, IIM Indore welcomes all the brilliant students and social entrepreneurs to present their sustainable social entrepreneurship plans.

Kalpavriksha-the flagship event of Ahvan is proud to host its seventh edition of nurturing, mentoring and encouraging the budding social entrepreneurs that are determined to bring a positive change to the society.