Social entrepreneurship: A silent revolution

As a Nudge Centre for Social Innovation volunteer-partner, I have been fortunate to witness a silent revolution unfolding in India. This revolution is characterised by young entrepreneurs’ quiet determination and innovative spirit to lead social change. These entrepreneurs are not just creating jobs and skilling people, they are also redrawing the socio-economic landscape of India, one innovative solution at a time.

These entrepreneurs are brilliant, honest, caring, and brave. They are willing to sacrifice for a better India, driven by a vision that transcends personal gain. Their passion and commitment are infectious, and I have learned immensely from them, their organisations, and their target audiences.

One of the most inspiring aspects of this silent revolution is the diversity of the issues these entrepreneurs tackle. They address various social and environmental challenges.

For instance, some organisations are working on ‘Ethical Data’ to ensure sustainable wages for data-generation and annotation. This is a critical issue in the digital age, where data-gathering and preparation is 80% of any AI solution. These organisations promote a more equitable digital economy by ensuring fair wages for data-generation.

Another set of organisations is focusing on the safety of truck drivers, using digital companions to reduce accidents and improve working conditions. This is a significant contribution to a sector that is often overlooked, despite its critical economic role. Other organisations are democratising technology as an example for teachers to produce and distribute multimedia learning material.

In the agriculture sector, innovative entrepreneurs are looking at collecting and using agricultural waste to prevent burning and the resultant winter-smog in Delhi and surrounding regions. This addresses a major environmental issue, and creates additional income sources for farmers.

Some organisations are functioning as finishing schools for rural women, equipping them with the skills and confidence to participate more fully in the economy. This is crucial to gender equality and women’s empowerment in rural India.

Some entrepreneurs are creating jobs around managing ocean waste, turning a major environmental problem into an opportunity for economic development. Others are using technology to bring artisans to the markets, preserving traditional crafts while providing artisans with a sustainable livelihood.

These are just a few examples of the incredible work being done by social entrepreneurs in India. I am awed by the people I have interacted with, and I am convinced that India will be so much better because of these highly qualified and dedicated individuals. There are Stanford graduates, some ex-Googlers, some farmers, and some truckers, and all are awesome!

The target audience for social entrepreneurship is those who are not the customers served by traditional corporations and where the government programmes are yet to make impact. I have interacted with the beneficiaries through various programmes, and they rock! Confident, cheerful, and energetic, they are way ahead of their mainstream counterparts in many ways.

Our social entrepreneurs’ challenges include hiring a sustainable workforce in tier-2 cities and rural areas, understanding regulatory aspects, including the intricacies of hybrid for-profit and not-for-profit set-ups, securing funding, building long-term financial sustainability, and scaling from local relevance to national deployment.

I see these social entrepreneurs as super-heated steam – with the latent heat to move India forward more inclusively. They do need the involvement and support of the corporations, the government, academia, and from all of us! The CSR programmes from profitable companies do reach large NGOs. Social start-ups do not have it easy. The Unicorns will do their bit and get a lot of attention. Let us hear it for social entrepreneurs, too!