YourStory.in and CNBC TV18 Young Turks launch Sociopreneurship India: Building Market Linkages for Social Inclusion
Monday September 20, 2010 , 3 min Read
Mission: To recognise and showcase Social Innovations and Entrepreneurs behind it in a forum that brings Social Investors, Industry Experts and the Media together. Sociopreneurship India 2010, an initiative by YourStory.in and CNBC-TV18 Young Turks, is a trendsetter in the social enterprises space. When the late C.K. Prahalad wrote the great story on wealth lying at the bottom of the pyramid in the book by that name, not many in India were betting their bucks on social enterprises. But today, social enterprises are setting the nation on a growth path by including rural folk and by conceiving novel projects with a social consciousness. With the eternal debate on whether social consciousness and social responsibility of the privileged few should take the form of profit or not-for-profit dimension, we go with Prof. Prahalad’s vision of wealth at the bottom of the pyramid -- of those untapped markets, unfulfilled needs, unseen potential at the bottom of the pyramid in India.
There is a greater opportunity to sell in rural India and the nation’s prosperity hinges on including the rural poor in development and bringing them into mainstream market. Financial inclusion to provide financial support (in form of debt) to rural population has been a runaway success and you wouldn’t disagree if we quote Muhammed Younis who showcased the possible in an undeveloped country by his Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. He has been a trendsetter of sorts and we now see a lot of activity in the microfinance space, with entrepreneurs throwing away their lucrative jobs smelling opportunity in this space.
Our initiative aims to bring sociopreneurs to limelight so that they are bestowed with opportunities of funding, branding, networking, and making their presence felt, if not known. The 15 sociopreneurs that we aim to showcase will be a proof of hope, of a new India that is emerging. Our only dream is that the small and bold steps that the entrepreneurs are taking today set in a revolution that finally broadens India’s scope in the international arena as the country that gave impetus to all-round development and wealth is not a refrain of a few but belongs to all sections of the society.
The Event
Event Outline:
o When: 23rd November 2010
o Where: Royal Orchid Hotel, Bangalore
o Who’s attending: 300 plus comprising of entrepreneurs, investors, industry experts and media
Schedule:
o 10:00 to 11:00 – Registrations
o 11:00 to 11:30 – Introduction and opening ceremony
o 11:30 to 12:30 – Panel discussion on social entrepreneurship: Opportunities and challenges for financial inclusion in India
o 12:30 to 14:00 – Networking Lunch
o 14:00 to 16:00 - Young Social Leaders 2010: Presentation by 15 selected promising social entrepreneurs (driven by entries and nominations)
o 16:00 to 16:30 – Tea break
o 16:30 to 17:30 – Panel discussion on To profit or not to profit?
o 17:30 to 18:00 – Grand finale by Shereen Bhan (Editor & Anchor – CNBC TV18)
Send us your nomination at [email protected]
