[PhotoSparks] The train for change: meet the social entrepreneurs at the Jagriti Enterprise Mela

PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation.In this photo essay, we feature the social entrepreneurs exhibiting at the Jagriti Enterprise Mela in Bengaluru!

In the earlier 115 posts, we brought you a wide range of creative photographs from an art fair, world music festival, painting fair, telecom expo, art museum, mobile showcase, math museum, social hackathon, bookstore, co-working space, sensorium, international design week, flower show, outdoor ads, startup roadshow, computer museum, startup T-shirts, business cards, art therapy, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, Vesak, jazz festival, modern art gallery, ecopreneurs, painter-poets, health activists, eNGOs and digital innovators.

While many are making plans for year-end parties, 480 social entrepreneurs are part of the ninth annual Jagriti Yatra. The 15-day 8,000-kilometre train journey takes aspiring changemakers across 12 cities in India for 15 days, from December 24, 2016 to January 8, 2017. They took a break in Bengaluru on December 27 and joined over 65 local social enterprises for a day of exhibitions, discussion and conference sessions.

In this photo showcase, we feature some of the activists and founders working for socio-economic development through their startups (see our earlier coverage here). A wide range of products and initiatives were on display: safe foods, agri tools, rainwater harvesting, rural handicrafts, solar solutions, upcycled products, cycling and recycling programmes, eco tourism, crowd activism, mobile skill labs, wearables, and IoT toolkits.

They were showcased by social enterprises such as Daily Dump, Ant Creations, Let's Endorse, Greenway Appliances, Buzz India, Keen Kite, Jivabhumi, Kamal Kisan, Green Duniya, Sankalpa, Aao Hostels, Green Path, Hand Over Heart, Vismaya, Graama Seva Sangha, Meghshala, Eco Soch, CardioTrack, Loop Reality, Krishi Naturals, Enable India, Ampere Technologies, Eco-Femme, Boondh Cup, EduSports, Digital Empowerment Foundation and Kisan Raja.

We wish all the ‘yatripreneurs’ all the best for 2017 and beyond, and looking forward to the next Jagriti Enterprise Mela already!

Got a creative photograph to share? Email us at [email protected]!

See also the YourStory pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups,’ accessible as apps for Apple and Android devices.