When I first came across ‘Spark the Rise’, it seemed like a typical CSR campaign.Mahindra is already a well known entity in the philanthropy and volunteering space in India, primarily through the activities of the KC Mahindra Trust, which has notably worked on literacy as well as vocational education in India,and is known for their Project Nanhi Kali (which supports the education of over 50,000 underprivileged girls) and Mahindra Hariyali (a 1 million tree planting campaign). Their Employee Social Options Plans is similarly an exemplary program through which over 35000 Mahindra employees plan and lead their own service projects every year.

But Spark the Rise is different.

Mahindra has created a digital platform for individuals, groups and organisations to submit project plans online at www.sparktherise.com. Visitors to the site can view projects to offer advice or get involved by volunteering or donating money and equipment. Spark the Rise is thus a platform where ‘Sparks’ can start projects and ‘Volunteers’ can get involved in them to help people to Rise.

From Aug 2011-Mar 2012, the initiative awarded eight winning ‘Sparks’ with monthly financial grants of Rs. 4 lakh each. Of these, five were chosen by public vote and three by an expert jury. In April 2012, the top two winners from each month by public vote and six entries chosen by an expert jury – became a part of the Grand Finale, with three of the winners taking home Rs. 20 Lakh each and one receiving a grant of Rs. 40 Lakh.

But the funding is just a small component of the impact of this movement. Mahindra has realised that Indians all across are to taking charge, and are realising their own understanding of Rise. They are thus not merely touting their own horn or initiating a small project or two in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility. They are instead choosing to identify, aggregate and empower others who have taken the responsibility on themselves.

Innovators, entrepreneurs and change agents are now able to showcase their work and connect with like-minded people to amplify their efforts. Spark the Rise has become a community of >250,000 people working together to drive positive change in India. Thousands of people from all across India submitted >6,000 projects, of which 1,346 have been showcased on www.sparktherise.com, and 48 projects have received a grant from Mahindra. These projects have now found new fans and followers in the form of the hundreds of people that have connected with them to volunteer, donate, and advise the project champions.

This is indeed a milestone in corporate citizenship in India. Rupee for rupee, the social impact of this initiative is disproportionate as compared to most other CSR efforts by Indian corporations of recent. In fact, for once the term ‘CSR’ seems misfit, and it can be said that it is corporate social innovation that has seen dawn in India.

Spark the Rise is thus promoting a rich culture of initiative and innovation by bringing people together to work for change. All ‘Sparks’ – not just the ones who have received grants – have thus utilised this unique platform to promote ideas, motivate volunteers and raise funds for their projects aimed at building a better India.

I was in attendance at the Grand Finale held at the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai last month as a panel moderator, and shall be writing about the event and about the idea of ‘Rise’ in the coming weeks. Now that the initiative has embarked on its second year, it’ll be interesting to see how it evolves and uses its learning from the first edition as it seeks to answer: What is Rise?

This article was originally posted on Shrey Goyal’s blog, shreygoyal.com.

About the author

Shrey Goyal, a graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, works in the social innovation and global development spaces. As a college student, he initiated a rural clean energy project, Urja, which has been deemed an Ashoka’s Youth Venture, and won the Oxford Youth Business Development Challenge. He also founded AnaGenesis, a Delhi and Boston-based social enterprise that provides research-based solutions and top University talent in the financial inclusion space.

Previously, Shrey has worked with iDiscoveri Education, Unitus, World Bank (Delhi), NCERT, Social Venture Exchange (Toronto), Villgro Innovations Foundation, and First Energy (Pune). He can be found on twitter at @ShreyGoyal and blogs at shreygoyal.com

The views expressed above are those of the author, and not necessarily representative of the views of the Mahindra Group.

Human engineering is about getting around the numerous obstacles that come our way. There is nothing that cannot be tamed or won. But to do this, we need the right attitude, patience and perseverance.  Attitude matters. It helps to correct the right thought patterns that often go wrong because of the baggage we carry, our experiences, our environment and our past.

Before we create a better future, we need to come to terms with our past. We must willingly allow the pains of the past to leave us and to not cling on to painful memories. Otherwise, they will always interfere with our present and future. We need to let them go so that we can move on. It may not seem easy, but all we have to do is talk to ourselves about the need to shed the memories of the past that are the stumbling blocks of our lives. Even if we want to, we cannot repair our broken past, and so it makes sense to concentrate on the present and the future as that is where we are going to make an impact and enjoy the life we have been blessed with.

To succeed, we need to build a mindset that will work towards it. We need to recall even the small successes we have had in the past and then use them to remind ourselves that we can achieve the goals we want. We must have the courage to dream big. Powerful dreams always inspire as they compel us to work consistently to make them a reality.

Anything is possible. The dreams that we unconsciously push back will happen only if we seriously want them. We need to accept the fact that we have the potential to create a better life.  However, just thinking of change will not work.  We need to take action systematically and deliberately. Walking alone may feel good, but it is not such a great idea. Two minds are always better than one. That is why inspiring the teams that work with us to do well and succeed is as important.

We need to constantly raise our standards and expect more out of ourselves. We must make it a habit to accept nothing less than the absolute best in all that we do and never settle for the second best.

It is a good idea to set aside 30 minutes each night before retiring to review our day and plan for the next. It is a simple way to add control to our lives.

It is important to have the courage to take responsibility for everything that we do. We also do not end up blaming others for the faults that are essentially ours. It is also one way of telling ourselves that we are in control of what we do.  When we take ownership of our actions, we end up responsible, careful and assertive.  We also consciously take advantage of all the opportunities that life offers.  We suddenly see that it is so inspiring to build our life and future as only we can guarantee ourselves a better life.

Many of us play the role of a victim to perfection. We wallow in self-pity. It is a waste of time. Victims get lost in their unfortunate stories. No one is interested in losers. We all gravitate towards successful people with inspiring stories of leadership and achievement.

Time is precious. We must grab each and every moment before they vapourise forever. We all have moments in our life when everything is going right, when we are at our best. We must utilise those opportunities to create magic moments every day.

About the author:

Ramesh Menon, 56, is an author, journalist, educator, film maker and corporate trainer. Recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for Exellence in Journalism, Ramesh began his 34-year career with The Times of India as a reporter and has since worked for as associate editor of India Today, executive producer at Business India Television and TV Today, Roving Editor at rediff.com, and columnist with DNA. He has directed and scripted numerous documentaries on environment and social issues.

He recently co-authored “Whatever the Odds” with KP Singh and Raman Swamy. It was published by Harper Collins India in November 2011.

The views expressed above are those of the author, and not necessarily representative of the views of the Mahindra Group.

More than 90% of rural India is living on less than USD 4 per day. If we add number of urban poor to it, it would be safe to assume that the number of poor in India can easily cross 800 million. This population with an average daily expenditure of USD 2-3 has a potential market size of USD 900 billion. Even then, this segment is largely un-catered to and neglected by large corporations. The Indian government is also struggling to provide basic infrastructure for services such as – food, water, energy, health services & education to the low-income population.

The Opportunity

As the government and large corporations fail to adequately address to these needs, many young enterprises have taken on the challenge to bring innovative yet affordable products and services to cater to this segment. These enterprises, sometimes referred to as social enterprises, create a win-win situation by offering innovative solutions for the poor at an affordable price point while generating profits for shareholders.

For instance, B2R technologies, a rural BPO, is setting up clusters of rural BPO service delivery centers to provide business support services to global clients. Rural India has formerly only been seen as a supplier of labor to urban India, but B2R is changing that by providing rural educated, unemployed youth with the opportunity to earn a viable livelihood. This also contributes to reverse the forced migration to the cities as well as provide opportunities to those who cannot migrate. Their goal is to set up 70 centers employing more than 6000 youth over the next 5 years.

These enterprises have a strong affinity to create solutions which have a positive social as well as environmental impact. This impact brings long term sustainability to the society and the environment at large.

The Funding Gap

Entrance of social enterprises, has also attracted some level of attention from Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists (VCs) in the space. But “Social Investing” still being an evolving asset class, investors have followed a fairly risk averse approach – i.e. they are likely to invest in companies who have displayed proof of concept or proof of market.

This leads to a classic chicken-and-egg problem. Entrepreneurs need capital to build prototypes, acquire customers and reach a critical mass in the market. But, VCs will not invest in before the product and the business model is proven. The fact is financial support is most needed when the enterprise is prototyping its product or running a pilot for its service and is yet to generate revenues. Because of lack of financial backing at early stage, most of the highly innovative and game-changing ideas fail to prosper.

Early Stage Impact Investing

Early Stage Impact Investors are investors who have realized this problem of the Funding Gap and are willing to take a higher risks than VCs. Thus, these investors are willing to take on the market risk, technology risk and many-a-times business model risk.

It is with the support of such investors that social enterprises can actually move to the next level and begin to make an impact. In the recent years, early stage impact investors such as First Light Ventures, Aavishkaar,  Unitus Seed Fund, Ennovent Impact Investment Holding among others have emerged to back such enterprises.

Ennovent Impact Investment Holding, for instance, partners with early stage social enterprise by providing seed stage investment of upto USD 60,000 with a follow-on investment of USD 270,000.

Ennovent also recently launched the Impact Circle i.e. an exclusive group of individual & institutional investors looking to support high potential entrepreneurs creating a sustainable impact at the base of the economic pyramid in India. The Impact Circle members look to invest in seed to profitable sustainable enterprises looking to raise financing from USD 25,000 to USD 3 million in equity, debt or quasi-equity for 5-7 years.

These investors not only provide investment but also non-financial support that adds tremendous value to these enterprises such as developing strategic partnerships, scaling-up to new markets and regions, hiring talent etc.

Conclusion

The entry of these new early stage impact investors in the Indian market augurs well for the social entrepreneurship sector. Watch out for new innovative game-changing start-ups that redefine the way businesses perceive opportunities in rural India.

About the Author

ennovent accelerates innovations creating a sustainable impact on low income people. We work with a global network of entrepreneurs, investors and experts to discover, finance and scale up the best innovations. We envision sustainable living for people at the base of the economic pyramid.

The views expressed above are those of the author, and not necessarily representative of the views of the Mahindra Group.

Food, shelter, and clothing are the three most basic human needs in civilized society. However, while there are seemingly endless organizations offering food and shelter—as well as hundreds of organizations focusing on everything from global warming to domestic violence to education—the need for clothing is often overshadowed.

GOONJ, a non-governmental organization, is hard at work creating change in rural India through the contribution of cloth (and other common household underutilized items). The organization believes that all this material from the cities can address so much more than the basic needs of people. GOONJ is using this material not only to restore the dignity of village communities but also as a tool to empower individuals and villages.

One Person’s Rags Are Another’s Necessity

GOONJ was born in 1998 informally and in 1999 formally with a background of Anshu Gupta meeting a child of a deadbody picker who said that she sleeps with the deadbody to keep herself warm. He realized that we have sheer amount of clothes in the closets of people that were going to waste each year, despite the fact that clothing in good condition can be given as it is and can change the lives of the less fortunate. Even the most tattered rags can be repurposed into hope for the poor in rural India. Anshu and his wife Meenakshi’s took out first lot of sixty-seven personal clothing items and the idea grew from there.

GOONJ’s initiatives focus on making creative and optimal use of underutilized discarded material. Although clothes remain its primary focus, it offers programs that make new use of everything from old cloth and furniture to one-side-used paper and generators. The organization’s current initiatives include:

VASTRA-SAMMAN; a nationwide movement that highlights the importance of cloth as a basic need for the poor.

Cloth for Work; provides clothes and other material not as a charity, but as a developmental resource that leads to village-level development activities, the generation of employment, and brings a strong element of dignity for the receiver.

School to School (S2S);  establishes a long term relationship between urban and rural schools by channeling supplies from one to another. This both helps children in rural communities and builds an understanding among urban children toward the needs of their rural counterparts.

Not Just a Piece of Cloth; addresses a critical need for village women by providing clean cloth sanitary napkins.

RAHAT; Highlighting ignored annual disasters like winters and floods. Reaching immediate and need based relief material to disaster hit areas all across the country.

Recycling; turning the last shreds of clothing and other things into 35 different products of daily use for urban and rural India.

Opportunity, Not Charity

GOONJ does not view itself as a charity. It offers cloth as a motivation in exchange for work on community issues. It thus doesn’t just help the individuals receiving it, it helps the community as a whole. In fact, schools have been built, wells have been dug, and bridges have been built by people under its Cloth for Work program.

Contributed material given at dropping centers which are mainly homes of volunteers, makes its way to a GOONJ processing center, where it is sorted and packed according to various criteria (age, gender, quality, type) to ensure that it goes to the most appropriate recipient. Then, based on needs identified by various partner groups, it is sent to the most remote parts of the country, where it is received and distributed by partner groups. With its extensive feedback system, GOONJ knows exactly which clothes each person in every village received. To ensure the material is reaching the needy people, the organization’s team and volunteers take personal visits to these implementation areas.

Making a Difference throughout India

Those 67 clothes that comprised the first contribution spurred a movement that now channels more than 80,000 kgs of material to parts of 21 states through more than 250 partner groups every month. Gupta is the head of the organization’s five-member governing body, assisted by hundreds of volunteers working throughout India. GOONJ houses offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai, Bangalore, Jalandhar, Hyderabad, Patna, Pune, as well as voluntary setups in others. In March 2008, GOONJ was named India’s NGO of the Year during a nationwide search and selection by Resource Alliance. More about GOONJ on www.goonj.org. You can write to them at mail@goonj.org

The success of GOONJ highlights how creative solutions to the most basic of needs can create great change in India. In what other ways can we help the poor in our most rural villages? What other basic needs are lacking?

How do you help children from poor, rural communities to identify themselves as changemakers?

In order to break the cycle of poverty, people must be empowered to make change happen in their own lives. But in the rural community in South Africa where I work, change comes at a slow snail’s pace. I am always trying to discover new ways to teach children – many of whom who eat the same thing for dinner night after night and rarely leave their village – that they have the power to change things, to solve problems and to make a difference in their lives and in their world.

Bill Drayton, a renowned social entrepreneur and founder of Ashoka, envisions a world where everyone is a changemaker. And with his words in mind, I began to question people in the community.

Regina Hlabane, the thoughtful and articulate chairperson of the local weaving cooperative, likes the idea that children should learn that they can change the world. However, she adds, “First you must teach us how to change the world. We don’t know that, so how can we teach that to our children?”

She makes a good point.

Next, I speak with a local primary school teacher, Sonia Foure, who feels that children first must learn they can change themselves. They can learn to care for their clothes and their hair and their school books and then feel proud of themselves. “You don’t have to have money to take a rag and clean your shoes,” she says succinctly.

And Emerencia Mohlolo, the administrator at the local primary school, believes that success comes when children are encouraged to dream. She makes appointments with some of the poorest children to simply listen to them and encourage them to dream of what could be.

But it is as I watch children in an art class working with their teacher to paint the wall of the nursery school that my attention is truly captured. They are creating change in the most visceral of terms; an aged once-white wall is becoming a brightly colored mural of an elephant standing by a stream at dawn.

Walter Sibuyi, balanced on a rickety ladder with a can of red paint, begins the mural painting. But soon all the children have a paintbrush, a cut off plastic coke bottle paint container and an area to paint. They work hard with their teacher for three days and the completed mural is wonderful. The kids are proud of their wall and everyone who goes by notices the change and smiles at the elephant washing himself on the face of the nursery school.

Maybe being part of the team that transformed a white wall to a beautiful picture will begin to strengthen the changemaker muscle within these children. Maybe in art class they will have the experience of beginning with a blank white sheet of paper and ending with something bright and wonderful. Then they will get a taste of that heady creative power that effects change.

Just as Ashoka encourages finding innovative solutions to common problems, I am convinced we need to be just as innovative in finding new ways to give the future changemakers of the world the experience of creating change.

I watched art serve as an empowerment trigger. I would be interested to hear your ideas and suggestions for ways to help disadvantaged children understand their power to make things happen.

About the author:

Judy Miller divides her time between Portland, Oregon and Limpopo Province, South Africa. In 2000, she left a private counseling practice in Portland and spent the next ten years working in community development in rural South Africa. Currently, Judy continues to support the Mapusha Weaving Cooperative and the Katlego creche in Rooiboklaagte while working in Portland as a writer, speaker and teacher. Her passion is to inspire and to help create a vibrant global community with ever-deepening bonds of connection and understanding between peoples.

The views expressed above are those of the author, and not necessarily representative of the views of the Mahindra Group.

Brazil is already a world leader in renewable energy but it is only now that wind power is starting to take off and attract some of the attention given to the country’s much copied biofuels sector.

Brazil currently has around 1,500 Megawatts of wind power capacity installed and working but that number should rise to 8,000 Megawatts by 2016 and 20,000 megawatts in 2020, according to Pedro Perrelli, executive director of the Brazilian Wind Power Association.

Several big companies are investing heavily here and that investment could make Brazil the fourth biggest installer of wind power in the world this year. Global firms like Alstom, Fuhrlander AG, Wobben, WEG, Insa, Suzlon, and GE are all looking to Brazil and particularly the country’s Northeast, where there are strong winds, few storms, and plenty of uninhabited land.

Those areas are also close to the electricity grid, which reduces transmission costs, and they are located near to the country’s fastest growing region.

“(Some) of the greatest potential is in the Northeastern region,”
Marcos Costa, Vice President Renewable Power and Thermal Power for Alstom Latin America, said last year on opening a wind turbine plant in Bahia state.

With over 1000 rivers and the largest supply of fresh water in the world, Brazil has historically got much of its power from hydro sources. Today, more than 80 % percent of the energy matrix comes from hydro power.

But experts see wind power as an antidote to that strategy. They believe relying on hydro is risky because of possible droughts, as the country discovered in 2001 when widespread electricity rationing and rolling blackouts were introduced all over the country.

“In a country mainly powered by hydro energy and increasingly suffering from water shortages, wind power can, help alleviate some serious energy security concerns, especially during the dry winters,”the Global Wind Energy Council said in a recent report.

Brazil has untapped riches in wind, with a potential of around 143 Gigawatts at 50 meters and as much as 350 Gigawatts at 80-100 meters, according to the council.

“Just two years ago wind power was 0.4 percent of the matrix and today it is 1.5 per cent,” said Perrelli. “It should be 12-15 per cent of the matrix in 2020.”

The government wants renewable energies to account for 10 % of the country’s electricity supply by 2020 and authorities offer assistance to wind power projects under the Proinfa program for renewable energies.

Some 95 % of Brazil’s wind farms were built with assistance from Proinfa.

About the Author

Andrew Downie fled a factory job in Scotland almost 20 years ago and set off to find adventure in Latin America. Since then he has lived in Mexico, Haiti, and now Brazil, writing and reporting for publications such as The New York Times, Time magazine, Esquire and GQ.  He spent eight years in Rio de Janeiro and currently lives in São Paulo.

The views expressed above are those of the author, and not necessarily representative of the views of the Mahindra Group.

Imagine never being able to delight in the rich colors of a beautiful scarf or take comfort in the face of the person you love most in this world. This is a reality for the 2.1 million corneal blind individuals living in India. For many, however, it doesn’t have to be that way: the condition is reversible in many cases.

Corneal Blindness in India

According to the World Health Organization, corneal blindness is the world’s fourth-leading cause of blindness. The affliction can be caused by Vitamin A deficiency, after-effects of infections, eye trauma, congenital disease, or ineffective medical or home remedies to existing vision impairments.

The good news? In many cases, corneal blindness is reversible—if a donor cornea is available. Unfortunately, corneas can only be donated after death and family members do not often choose to donate a loved one’s cornea.

In fact, in India, an average of only 38,000 corneas are donated annually, although 25,000 new cases of corneal blindness are identified each year. At that rate, it would take 112 years for all corneal blind in India to get new corneas. If only half the deaths in India led to corneal donation, the waiting list could be wiped out in just months.

Building Awareness

One organization, Niramaya Charitable Trust, believes that quality eye care is the right of every Indian, regardless of social status, caste, or demographics. For nearly a decade, it has been running vision centers in and around Gurgaon, Haryana. In addition to providing eye care, Niramaya Charitable Trust has been working tirelessly since 2005 to raise awareness about corneal blindness and cornea donation.

How? With a plan that’s unique to India and marries special events with a cause to raise resources and enhance awareness. Niramaya Charitable Trust has hosted events such as a Walk for Vision, Run for Vision, Walkathon, and Gurgaon Carnival to both raise awareness for corneal blindness and offer companies an opportunity to reach the masses through sponsorship.
Raising Funds and Spreading the Word

Most events—such as the runs and walks—focus on a health benefit to the participant. In many cases, the participant is asked to donate a small amount or raise funds to participate. Sponsoring companies can use the events to introduce products, offer samples, or raise awareness about their brands.

Niramaya Charitable Trust is employing social media to raise awareness—the Gurgaon Carnival alone had thousands of followers on Facebook and tens of thousands of participants at the event, which was held in early September. Celebrity endorsements and appearances are also used to launch and sustain awareness campaigns.

A Vision for the Future

Over the years, Niramaya Charitable Trust’s efforts have been rewarded with enhanced awareness, increased cornea donations, and an impressive showing of support from the public and private sectors. In fact, since 2005, thanks to the efforts of Niramaya Charitable Trust, eye donations in Gurgaon have risen from zero to 671. In July, State Bank of India donated a specifically designed ambulance to be used to harvest corneas.

In just six years, Niramaya Charitable Trust has increased awareness of an affliction using both traditional and innovative campaigns throughout Gurgaon. But it feels its efforts are ready to expand throughout India. It would like to see its events reach a level of the Delhi Marathon in terms of platform—so they can become self sustaining and increase both funds and awareness for corneal transplants and local eye banks. Once it perfects its event and sponsorship models, it plans to take the concept national—in turn, increasing the number of eye donations in India and impacting the lives of thousands more corneal blind and their families.

Have you participated in a Niramaya Charitable Trust event? How can sponsorships and events help this organization (and others like it) Rise and impact the lives of even more individuals? What other organizations are living the Rise philosophy by using unique tactics to impact the lives of many?

The Spark the Rise Grand Finale is finally here! Join the conversation on twitter by following #SparktheRise and @MahindraRise, watch the Power-Talks live at 3pm, and the Award Ceremony live at 5:30pm at www.sparktherise.com, on our facebook page, and on your mobile!

Be a part of this movement to change the India. The afternoon session will feature:

• Discussions with Spark the Rise Finalists: How can grassroots movements fuel change in India? Follow our revolving group discussion between the 18 finalists and a group of influencers focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and movements. Our discussion moderators include: AtulChitnis from FOSS.IN, Geetika Dayal and Manish Joshi from The Indus Entrepreneurs, PriyaNaik from Samhita,VinodKeni from Aavishkaar, ShreyGoyal from Villgro, and DevalSanghavi from Dasra. Time: 2pm-3pm
• Power-talks on Scaling Up—Social Impact and Value Proposition: Solomon Prakash from Ashoka India, and ParvathiMenon from Innovation Alchemy will provide insights on how social ventures can increase their impact. Watch the power-talks live at www.sparktherise.com, on our facebook page, and on your mobile. Join the conversation on twitter by following @MahindraRise and #SparktheRise.Time: 3pm-4pm
• Awards Ceremony:  The 4 Grand Finale Winners will be announced! 1 crore in funding will be given to the winning Change-makers. Find out who will take home the top award of 40 lakh. Watch this event live at www.sparktherise.com, on our facebook page, and on your mobile! Time: 5:30pm-6:45pm

During the Discussion with Spark the Rise Finalists, the Sparks and influencers will adress the following topics:

Innovation

 1. Google is more afraid of competition from two dreamers innovating in their garage than competition from other corporations.  Why is there so little radical innovation like this in India? – Moderated by AtulChitnis from FOSS.IN.

2. Nine out of ten innovative ideas never see the light of day.  How can we bring more innovative ideas out into the open? – Moderated by Geetika Dayal and Manish Joshi from The Indus Entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship

3. What can non-profits and for-profits learn from each other about how to tackle goals (from key deliverables to marketing to scaling up) effectively? – Moderated by PriyaNaik, from Samhita

4. What are the five biggest pitfalls for new startups, and how can they be avoided? – Moderated by VinodKeni from Aavishkaar.

Movements

5. What are the most effective ways for establishing partnerships—whether with volunteers, donors, or business partners? – Moderated by ShreyGoyal, from Villgro

6. How can grassroots movements change India?  And what can we learn from successful examples? – Moderated by DevalSanghavi from Dasra.

Join the conversation on #SparktheRise and follow @MahindraRise!

It’s hard to believe, but we’re almost at the end of this journey. After six exciting rounds and thousands of worthy, innovative submissions, we’ve reached the Grand Finale!

Our goal with Spark the Rise was to help create a community of like-minded individuals who are thinking innovatively and are working hard to help India rise. We’re thrilled to introduce you to the 18 Grand Finalists who embody this spirit and exemplify the new entrepreneurial spark that is taking India by storm.

Read on, vote, and make your voice heard!

View all our finalist and a summary of what their projects are below:

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Finalist #1: Vishisht Bhatia – Rural BPO

Vishisht Bhatia, educated in New Delhi but originally from Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, is giving back to his community by providing employment opportunities to rural workers in BPO centers. His goal? To improve employability at the grassroots level and to better the lives of rural youth. His project is off to a booming start and initial results have been very positive. Click here to vote for Vishisht!

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Finalist #2: Vikrant and Vishant Baibhaw – Eco-Friendly Bags

Vikrant and Vishant, two brothers from Varanasi, are providing shopkeepers and consumers with an eco-friendly alternative to polythene bags. The profits from this venture go toward the brothers’ NGO, Helping Hand Society, which works to keep underprivileged children in school and encourages them to pursue basic and higher education.  Lend a Helping Hand and vote for Vikrant and Vishant here.

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Finalist #3: Pranav Pratap Singh – Policy Awareness via Radio

Pranav, along with fellow classmates, is working to develop a radio-based program that will allow rural villagers to learn more about how they can benefit from governmental and non-profit schemes, educational programs, and healthcare projects – all while keeping them posted on the weather and current crop prices. Broadcast your voice and vote for Pranav’s project here!

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Finalist #4: Shashank Kumar – Farms n Farmers (FnF)

Farms n’ Farmers helps farmers to increase their earning potential by providing them with 360 degree solutions and advising them at every stage, from evaluating their soil to identifying optimal crops to connecting farmers to markets and ensuring that their produce is sold for the maximum price. Join the next Green Revolution and help countless farmers in India by voting for Farms n Farmers here!

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Finalist #5: Ananth Kumar – Alternative Education for out of system children

Ananth Kumar and his school, Kaliyuva Mane, are teaching 66 rural children math, history, and how to read and write – and instilling in them a love for learning. The school encourages rural students left out of the formal education system to learn through their own talents and curiosities. Give a home and education to more children and vote for Ananth’s project here.

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Finalist #6: Balasaheb Palve – Astitva

Astitva is a program that helps underprivileged students aged 13-25 learn the life skills they need for a successful career. Each student receives 60 intensive hours of practical experience, discussion, and theory and is paired with a mentor to help him or her to explore career goals and improve their interpersonal skills. Astitva needs a grant to expand – vote for them here.

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Finalist #7: Arathi Manay – Nurturing Puttenahalli Lake back to life

Arathi Manay is on a mission to heal Puttenahalli Lake, whose once-pristine 13 acres have become a marshy garbage dump as Bangalore developed. The Puttenahalli Neighborhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT) aims to revitalize the lake and it’s supported entirely by donations and other funding. To continue making Puttenahalli Lake a place of natural beauty and a wildlife habitat, vote for Arathi here.

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Finalist #8: Gopal S. Agrawal – Krishi Go Sanskriti – Prosper with Desi Cows

The Desi Cow – one of India’s most iconic symbols – is being threatened by the existence of more productive, efficient cows. To combat this, Gopal Agrawal has set up a collective manufacturing unit that produces high quality cow urine and dung-based products using Desi-cow urine and dung bought from local farmers. To preserve the Indian cow, promote more sustainable organic farming, and increase rural employment, vote for Krishi Go Sanskriti here.

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Finalist #9: Dr. Devendra Tayal – SAM: Transforming Young Minds

SAM (Self-Assessment and Management) workshops aim to revolutionize the mindset of the young and to encourage them to contribute toward society. Through musical and dance performances, theater workshops, and motivational speeches, the SAM team hopes to endow every attendee with the knowledge and determination to become an active, global citizen. Vote for SAM here.

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Finalist #10: Dr. Chitra Shah – Satya: A Center for Children with Special Needs

The Satya Special School is an integrated center based in Pondicherry that works to empower children with special needs. Founded in 2003, it provides free services to any child who needs them, irrespective of socioeconomic conditions – and offers the expertise of psychologists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers. To help Chitra continue to reach out to children with special needs, vote here.

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Finalist #11: Jithin Krishnan – Make a Difference

Make a Difference (MAD) is a youth platform that provides safe learning eco-systems for children at risk in orphanages, street shelters and poor homes. MAD provides a space for young volunteers to step in, lead and make a difference in their own communities. By providing on-ground exposure, actively initiating dialogue and establishing a culture of entrepreneurship, MAD transforms youth into a potent social movement to strategically impact children at risk around India. Vote for MAD here.

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Finalist #12: Roopa Nagarajan – E-MPOWER

E-MPOWER (E-technology for Management of Projects for Persons with Communication Disorders in Rural Areas) provides speech and hearing services to individuals in rural areas.
Already helping every baby born with cleft lip in their region get surgery and speech therapy, the E-MPOWER team plans to develop an e-technology platform to make check-ups, follow-ups and interventions more efficient. To help E-MPOWER reach more people in rural India, vote here.

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Finalist #13: Rajnish Jain – AVANI, Generating Electricity from Pine needles

Rajnish Jain hopes to harness the power of pine needles and put it toward a more sustainable use: for making cooking charcoal and for generating electricity. The potential is enormous— a few kilos of pine needles can provide electricity for 50 people and cooking charcoal for 5 people. Want to stop forest fires, preserve biodiversity, and reduce carbon emissions? Vote for AVANI here.

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Finalist #14: Samik Ghosh – Head Held High, Village BPO

The Head Held High Foundation is developing training programs that seek to identify and empower the most vulnerable people and communities. One such program, the Village BPO Pvt. Ltd., specializes in getting outsourced work done from rural India, providing villagers with little or no education a new, steady source of income. Vote for Head Held High here.

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Finalist #15: Dhruv Lakra – Mirakle Couriers, Delivering possibilities: a courier service employing underprivileged deaf adults

Mirakle Couriers is a Mumbai-based, innovative courier company that employs low-income deaf adults. They provide their clients with reliable, efficient and customizable service, all the while creating meaningful employment for deaf adults, allowing them to develop professional skills, confidence, and a sense of dignity. To help Dhruv get people to rethink their notions about “disability,” vote here.

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Finalist #16: Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Dinnepu – Kisan Raja’s Automated Irrigation

Vijay Reddy’s for-profit business venture, Kisan Raja, supports end-to-end automated irrigation. Through Vijay’s technology, farmers can –among many other things – remotely control irrigation flow via their mobile phones, thus increasing productivity and reducing water and electricity waste. Vote for Vijay and Kisan Raja here.

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Finalist #17: Sarabjeet Singh Johar – Urine Albukit, Personal Kidney Care Kit

Sarabjeet Singh Johar has spent 15 years researching to create a kidney test kit so simple that you can use it at home. The kit identifies a urinary protein, albumin, which is a red flag for kidney damage. This simple home-test can alert people to often dangerous conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, and hypertension, before it’s too late. Sarabjeet needs a grant to bring his invention to the market – vote for URINE ALBUKIT here.

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Finalist #18: Manoj Singh – Lac cultivation for livelihood of tribal and non-tribal families

Jharkhand is the ‘Lac State of India.” Lac cultivation generates an enormous amount of income here. But lac cultivation is tricky; it requires technical training and exact timing. Manoj and his team have devised a program to develop brood lac farms that will train local tribal and non-tribal families how to grow and cultivate lac, helping them earn much needed additional income during cash-strapped seasons. To help Manoj’s program grow, vote here.

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Visit Spark the Rise for more innovative projects that you can discover and support.

Dear Spark the Rise Community:

Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation in Round 6 of Spark the Rise. It’s been an incredible journey thus far and we’re very excited for the Grand Finale.

There have been some concerns expressed on our Discussion Forum and Facebook about the results of Round 6.

Let there be no doubt: We re-assure you that the results announced yesterday are accurate and were arrived at after a thorough verification process. We are completely dedicated to making this voting process as democratic, fair, and transparent as possible. In consultation with our process partner, Ernst & Young, we devised a thorough process at the outset of Spark the Rise to ensure that the results of each round are accurate and genuine.

Throughout this process, and before the results of each round are published, we engage in comprehensive and exhaustive security checks to ensure that only valid votes are counted in the final tally. Specifically, we follow several parameters when looking at voting trends:

1) Duplicate votes. It has always been our policy to ensure that people can only vote for a project once. Thus, if a project receives a vote from the same user from two different email IDs, we only count one of them. As an example, we will either accept abc.efg@gmail.com and abc.efg@yahoo.com; we will not accept both.

2) Fake email accounts. Votes from highly suspicious email IDs (fnkiorfklndfwefkwe@hotmail.com, for example) are discarded. In the event that we cannot clearly establish whether an email ID is genuine, we will email the address for a verification.

3) Votes from doubtful email domains, like mailinator.com. While these domains by themselves are not problematic, the fact that it is easy to create multiple email IDs through these domains make them vulnerable to misuse. As a result, we delete all emails from these domains; we have made this clear before on the site and this has been our policy throughout every round of Spark the Rise.

4) Collusion. The voting process is designed so that project champions must make an honest, individual effort to promote their projects and to convince the community that their project deserves a vote. As such, we do not accept collusion between unrelated projects: this is against the democratic spirit of Spark the Rise. All colluding votes are not included in the final tally and, in circumstances where the proportion of colluding votes is unacceptably high, we reserve the right to disqualify any projects involved in such activity.

5) Pay-for-votes. We do not allow participants to procure votes through online paid marketing campaigns; all such votes are not included in the final tally.

It has been encouraging to note that, throughout these six rounds, only a small percentage of votes have been identified for further review. The vast majority of activity has followed the true spirit of Rise.

Above all, it is important to remember that Spark the Rise is a community and, in such a community, mutual respect is of paramount importance. We have to work together to ensure that everybody abides by the rules.

We created this platform to allow you – every project champion and entrepreneur out there – to share your ideas and to support each other. As we enter the Grand Finale, provide a word of encouragement to your fellow project champions. We’ve made it so far; let’s keep Rising!

Many thanks,

–Rise Team