Let your ideas take flight with GSEC

The search for the most innovative social entrepreneurs and their path-breaking business plans has crossed national frontiers.

Past winners : GSEC

Kalpavriksha recognises the efforts of Foster Business School, the proponents of the 9^th annual Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC). GSEC is a widely popular platform for the budding social entrepreneurs of the world with their B-Plans, get mentored by stalwarts from reputed schools and receive seed funding for implementation of their projects.

GSEC had partnered with IIM Indore and Kalpavriksha to provide an opportunity for the winners of Kalpavriksha-2008 to receive a wildcard entry in the semi-finals of the competition. Team Ahaar eventually went on to win the GSEC, which went on to show the amazing entrepreneurial spirit that Kalpavriksha cultivates.

The GSEC application deadline is November 8, 2012. Any enrolled university student – in any field, at any level of study- is eligible to apply. GSEC business ideas may focus on any subject area and must address a problem of poverty in developing countries.

Great news for 2013 :
·         GSEC will select 15-20 teams to participate in GSEC Week ( Feb 25 – Mar 1 2012)
·     For the 2^nd year, travel scholarships will be given to international teams, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation
·      GSEC expects to award at least $30,000 in prizes, including a global health and an Information & Communications Technology (ICT) prize! 

All you need now is an idea…quite literally!!

We have been iterating the fact that social entrepreneurship goes beyond trying to make a world a better place. It is important to be revolutionary, it is equally important to be sustainable. Most social products are not repeat buys. One has to build and maintain consumer appeal and that too working on a restrictive capital. It is therefore very important to have one’s financials in place before cannon-balling into this self-fulfilling journey.

Most young entrepreneurs however may baulk at the complexity of the financials, and waste valuable time trying to crunch data to be able to digest the information it contains.

Kalpavriksha, which has always promoted the practice of a thoroughly substantiated b-plan, understands that it is often difficult for budding brains to wrap their heads around the nitty-gritty’s of finance.

It is about time we come to your rescue with Liveplan software. 50 years of technical proficiency have gone into making this one of the most intuitive, accurate, and user friendly financial helpers today.

All it takes is objective answers to a few questions to come up with error-free financials. The software also illustrates your reports with easy-to-comprehend graphs and images, creates both long-term and short-term plans, allows you to factor in best and worst case projections, and of course provide you with a globally relevant business plan.

LivePlan : By Palo Alto software

The software not only comes with a number of sample business plans for your reference, it also provides you expert advice and guidance with its “anywhere access” philosophy. It gives you the flexibility to track your progress across different stages of your planning and implementation, as well as collaborate on the same software platform as a team. Even with such flexibility of access, LivePlan ensures that your financials are safe and secure.

Palo Alto software’s LivePlan comes together with Kalpavriksha-2012 to empower our participants make smarter plans. After all, once you see the bold dream of change, the rest should necessarily fall into place.

India Inc. is booming… Are you?

An effort undertaken, a step initiated or an idea implemented always involves a trade-off. Something economists call an opportunity cost always creeps in. The efforts and resources invested in pulling off an entrepreneurial venture in a country like India, where rates of fruition are still unsatisfactory, can always be used to earn interest and be put into a more profitable business. So why do some of the most brilliant minds in the country take to social entrepreneurship?

Well, the reason is the scope India provides as a canvas. With S&P downgrading India’s GDP growth forecast to 5.5%, the unemployment figure of 3.8% looms bigger. It is a pretty big number, considering the recent hits that companies took during the infamous recession, the aversion to hiring again and of course the lack of employable labour in the country.

So what is in it for an entrepreneur you might ask! Well, there is the gap between supply of labour and demand for it which needs to be plugged. India is a country which is in a sweet spot due to its burgeoning demographic dividend which can be leveraged. A sizable population of the country is in the employable/productive range of age i.e. 20-35 years. But there is nowhere to go. What a social entrepreneur can do is; therefore, open up sunshine sectors to investment. Hire more, produce more, and concentrate on a solid triple bottom line. Or if you cannot hire, why not try training labour which can be used to increase productivity across other verticals?

 As we heard from Mr. Rajesh Mane and Mr. Rajeev Kumar, who have been associated with Kalpavriksha earlier, social entrepreneurship does not entail charity. A successful venture is always a sustainable venture, and you need profits to sustain.

It has become imperative to think outside the box now. With conglomerates entering India at a rapid pace, the economy opening up, and newer business ideas being rolled up, social entrepreneurship for the greater good has to remain agile and intelligent to be able to tap the potential in the newer sectors that India Inc. brings out.

Its much more than Passion…Mr. Rajeev Kumar tells you how..

All the budding social entrepreneurs, we bring to you the thoughts and advice of Mr. Rajeev Kumar, a serial entrepreneur, mentor, an Angel investor and the judge of Kalpavriksha 2010 and 2011.

Mr. Rajeev Kumar is globally known for his social initiatives- Project Agastya, The sixth International Ecocity Conference, The Cleaner Production initiative and the Rajeev Kumar Foundation.

Mr. Rajeev is a recipient of several awards and recognitions and was a Bangalore Finalist at the “Lead India” by ‘Times Of India’-Bangalore, India – an initiative to identify Young apolitical leaders to lead India into her future (September 2007).

We asked Mr. Rajeev if passion for improvement in society was the most important thing in setting up a social enterprise and these were his pearls of wisdom:

Passion to create a change is important. But being passionate is abstract and is certainly not the most important thing. Social enterprise is a business and not a charity. One must evaluate the market like a businessman to know opportunities and challenges and then apply  one’s mind to come up with unique solutions that are sustainable. It is important to collaborate, improve and learn on the way. One must be different and efficient to be a successful social entrepreneur.

He highlights the need for social entrepreneurial initiatives rather than charity by narrating an incident in Karnataka. In Karnataka, one unit of 1000 litres of water costed Rs. 6 to 7. However, it was charged at Rs. 2 for the poorer section of the society. While interacting with the poor people regarding this initiative, he found that they were more than willing to pay Rs. 6-7 for reliable and safe drinking supplies. They wanted regular dependable supply of resources and not cheaper irregular supply. Social enterprises are the answer to such problems as they are focused on creating opportunities and making available resources to those who are greatly in need for them.

And finally, what could be most useful to all those who wish to apply for Kalpavriksha or are set to march the path of social entrepreneurship, we asked him ‘ What makes a successful entrepreneur? On what basis does he judge the candidates?’ and this is what we got from him:

He believes that a good candidate for a successful social entrepreneur should have clear understanding of the difference between a business, a social enterprise and charity. He should understand the market potential, opportunities and challenges. He should come up with innovative and feasible solutions. He should have an open mind and be willing to seek advice. He should look forward to collaborate rather than compete. Innovation, feasibility of his business idea and attitude are the most important facets of a successful social entrepreneur.

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?