Bright Spots

A large segment of the country’s population continues to live in challenging circumstances. The Gini coefficient that measures the degree of inequality in a nation has risen from 45 in 1990 to 51 in 2013. That’s a damning statistic for a nation that is home to some of the wealthiest people on the planet. Though the government has introduced several social security schemes and programmes, there is a lot still to be done. It’s against this backdrop that a whole host of entrepreneurs with a social objective in mind have come to the fore in recent years. 

Outlook Business for the past seven years has been chronicling their tale of grit and determination. We have covered close to 200 social enterprises, across the length and breadth of the country, which are making a difference in the lives of the underserved. And, in doing so, they are also creating a profitable enterprise. This year’s edition takes a look at 10 such enterprises, which have come up since 2009, aided by a vibrant ecosystem comprising angel and early-stage investors. 

What’s interesting about the list is that a majority of the entrepreneurs are involved in the agri space and that’s not without reason. Despite 70% of the country’s population being dependent on agriculture as their primary source of income, it continues to be the most inefficient sector of the economy. Power shortage, rudimentary method of farming, and an overburdened inept local administration are all proving to be a bane for agriculture. Given the sector’s vast untapped potential and scope for profit, these social entrepreneurs are covering the entire value chain right from soil to irrigation to plantation. The good thing is their initiatives are not only improving productivity but also the income of rural households. 

The other entrepreneurs in the issue have identified a niche: be it healthcare, improving computer literacy, providing access to a bigger market for handloom, empowering the unskilled or making the most of discarded footwear! A common thread though among the ten is that each of them has relied on technology to make a wider impact.