It was over a dinner that Shweta Chari, an electronics engineer, shared her idea of creating a place where children could play. That idea led to the creation of Toybank. Watch this video to know about this amazing idea and how Toybank is making a change!

“Simple toys can make them children again,” says Shweta, who later that year, with the help of her friends, founded Toybank.

The NGO provides toys and a place to play to kids whose families can’t afford to buy what many consider a luxury.

Determined to give these children the right to a childhood, Toybank has put smiles on the faces of thousands of children in India.

Some stories, some people, some initiatives, make the passersby pause and take note. These are stories of courage, of passion, of change and of unparalleled determination. Kumar Ankit, an alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, is an epitome of all that a social entrepreneur needs to be. He is all of 25, but the milestones which he has achieved are not just remarkable but awe-inspiring too.

Ankit, a native of Bihar, had grown up seeing rampant poverty around him. He used to feel troubled by the helplessness of the innumerable people in his state and hence started nurturing a dream – a dream to be able to make a difference to the society. He started early and as a young engineering student, the aspirations he had were very different from that of a regular college-goer. While his peer group was busy ridiculing the government, Ankit was minutely reading the five year plans, reports of ministries and development policies. He was of the view, and rightly so, that the government has the largest resources and hence, the impact that one can have while working in tandem with the system can be far greater.

The wastelands in Bihar which are being used for generating biofuel by Green Leaf Energy

It was in the year 2008 that an idea struck him while he was reading through the National Bio-fuel Policy. It was a simple and obvious observation that the Government was putting concerted efforts in the procurement of alternate fuels. Ankit realized that “Pongamia pinnata” (bio-diesel producing plant) can be installed on wastelands, and the fact that Bihar has vast areas of wastelands which were rendered useless for farmers, may actually be utilized in the plantation of “Pongamia”. This idea he thought would solve a multitude of problems such as migration and unemployment, and would also empower the farmers to lead a life of dignity and financial independence.

Ankit knew that he had to invest in this idea; he knew that this is the venture which he had dreamed about; but he was young, raw and without any experience of running a business. He thought that an MBA degree would do him good and may even help him in furthering his interest in entrepreneurship. He chose the very renowned XLRI, Jamshedpur to pursue his MBA and with single-minded perseverance crystallized his dream into reality. Within no time, Green Leaf Energy Private Limited came into existence; it was under the aegis of XLRI Entrepreneurship Development Center and was mentored by Prof Prabal Sen and Prof Madhukar Shukla. Ankit, under the guidance of his professor,s started with a nursery in Kothwara near Gaya – the thought was to take the first step, replicate and then scale further.

The social venture has provided employment to thousands of farmers and curbed migration to cities

While the initiative was still at a nascent stage, an amendment in NREGA came through under which it could be implemented on an individual farmer’s land. This in effect meant that Green Leaf could get support from the Government under the NREGA to cover material and labor costs for plantation activities. Ankit’s perseverance and encouragement from Professor Sen eventually led to the Government approving funds disbursement to the tune of Rs 26,700 per acre. This didn’t come on a platter – there were presentations to be made, bureaucracy to be dealt with, Government to be convinced, but it did happen. Ankit’s relentless pursuit paid off and the Bihar Government was on board to support the venture in its endeavor.

The model’s modus operandi was simple yet effective. Four families were given the responsibility of taking care of 200 samplings of Pongamia. Since MGNREGS guarantees 100 days of work but Pongamia blooms only in five years, the farmers kept earning throughout the period. To keep everyone interested, the payment is linked to survival of plants, 90% survival at 100% wages, 75% survival at 50% wages and below that nothing is paid. Ankit believes that post-gestation, a farmer can get up to Rs 20,000-25,000 per acre annually by selling the seeds to Green Leaf, which would then crush the seeds to extract bio-diesel, and, in turn, sell that to oil companies such as Bharat Petroleum. The company has already got joint venture offers from Indian Oil and BPCL to set up biodiesel value chain in Bihar.

The project generated 15,000 man-days of labour under NREGS and more than Rs 18 lakh were disbursed as wages to the farmers.

In the first year of operations, though Ankit employed only 15 people in a full time capacity, he had led to employment of more than 2,000 farmers to work for his plantations. His project generated 15,000 man-days of labour under NREGS and more than Rs 18 lakh was disbursed as wages to the farmers.

Ankit was not alone in the arduous and ambitious goal of his. The expansion was fuelled both in spirit and size from the beginning. Three of his other batch mates from XLRI Jamshedpur – Diwakar Kaushik, Kshitij Datta Rishi and Kunal Gangwani left their cushy corporate jobs and joined him to grow the venture further.

Apart from biofuel, 2011 saw Green leaf promoting horticulture plantations such as mango, grapes, pomegranate and other fruits. This push for diversification came from both within the company and from the government officials of Bihar who wanted Ankit to work on the arable lands as well. With the Government’s support and a new and renewed enthusiasm to work with different species and people, the organization successfully planted 7 million saplings in 2012-13 leading to employment opportunities for 140,000 families across Bihar.

In 2011, GLE also started promoting Horticulture plants in the arable lands for better utilization of resources

The idea for horticulture plants led the team to think about the completion of value chain as in the case of biofuel. This would provide a market to the various farmers working in the fields for horticulture plantations and remove any middlemen and directly transfer the profits to the communities working for maintaining the plants. For this, extensive research was carried out for identifying food processing opportunities in India. So as a forward linkage, the company is opening fresh fruit juice kiosks in and around NCR under the brand name of ‘Fruit Press’ due to start operations soon.

The overwhelming success in Bihar has led to the thought of replicating the model pan-India. When Ankit mentioned about the expansion pan-India, his booming voice had a sense of pride, achievement, fulfillment, all combined together.

The journey from a nursery to a successful alternate fuel generator and fruit processing organization has come with its own set of roadblocks but Ankit says “Let it Go, was never an option. You need to be consistent with your goal”. As much as he had to keep himself going, he had to comfort his parents that he would be successful in his venture. He had a year to prove himself and he did, in more ways than one.

Today we profile the efforts of 23 year old Mehvish Mushtaq, a young Kashmiri entrepreneur who is using the power of technology to bring about a change in Kashmir. In fact, Mehvish is the first Kashmiri woman to develop an android application.

One of the realities of Kashmir today is the movement of thousands of Kashmiri youth to other parts of the country in order to seek better career opportunities for themselves, especially in the field of information technology. One young woman, Mehvish Mushtaq, 23, is determined to buck this trend. Instead, the one ambition she nurses is to create opportunities for young people at home, so that they could win laurels for themselves and for Kashmir.

But who is Mehvish? She happens to be the first Kashmiri woman to develop an android application that goes by the name ‘Dial Kashmir’. A Srinagar girl, Mehvish did not receive an education in a fancy elite college or university. After completing her schooling from Presentation Convent School, she sat for the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) examination. Disappointment followed. Having failing to clear the AIEEE, Mehvish joined the SSM College of Engineering and Technology at Pattan, in Baramulla district of north Kashmir.

Mehvish Mushtaq’s ‘Dial Kashmir’ phone app is a one-stop source for information on healthcare, education, transport, police and many other sectors. (Credit: Yawar Kabli\WFS)

“I was always interested in technology and fortunately my family supported me in my decision to go into this field. In fact, no one in the family has ever forced me to do anything,” says Mehvish, whose father has served as officer with the Indian Foreign Service. Her mother is a homemaker while her brother is pursuing his education in Delhi.

Mehvish completed her three-year Bachelor’s course in 2012 and was wondering on what to do next when life took an unexpected turn. She puts it this way, “I was generally going through my Facebook profile, when an advertisement popped out and caught my attention. It seemed interesting so I clicked on it.”

That was how Mehvish joined an online course for developing applications. Always a person who wanted to get deeper into subjects that interested her, she found herself immersed in the world of application development. “The course itself was not long – it was completed in one month. But during that course, we were given a project to develop an application,” Mehvish explains.

The idea of ‘Dial Kashmir’ struck her at that juncture. Kashmir had no yellow pages or dedicated websites with reliable information unlike other regions of India. This meant that people faced a lot of problems trying to track down contact numbers of different departments and services. Mehvish, knowing well that there were many users of android mobile phones in the Valley, felt that if she came up with the right app she could be addressing an urgent need.

After two weeks of hard work, without any assistance or help, ‘Dial Kashmir’ became a reality for Mehvish. It provides users detailed information such as addresses, phone numbers and email ids of various essential services and relevant government departments in Kashmir. It is a one-stop source for information on healthcare, education, transport, the police and so many other sectors and meant that no one now needs to spend time and tedious effort surfing through internet pages, official websites and directories. Her application has witnessed an average rating of 4.7 out of 5, with a thousand plus downloads on Google Play.

It disturbs Mehvish to note the absence of proper educational and career opportunities for infotech aspirants, which in turn forces thousands of young people to leave home every year. “The absence of relevant colleges and universities is a big issue in Kashmir. Our youth are not able to develop their potential here,” she says.

Mehvish has experienced for herself the innumerable hurdles that prevent Kashmir’s dynamic young innovators from realising their potential. But she would like them not to lose hope and keep dreaming big. Mehvish’s particular dream is to set up her own software company – which could provide employment opportunities for many and contribute to the world of infotech. Says she, “There is no point in just complaining that there are no opportunities. While that is certainly the case, I believe we have to find ways to create opportunities – not just wait endlessly for the government to act. It’s time we stood up and got noticed.”

Mehvish is working to add more contacts to the application and upgrade it further. She is also contemplating on developing a dictionary for the Kashmiri language. Says the young woman firmly, “I want to contribute to my motherland by staying right here. I do not want to move out of Kashmir, either to study or to work.”

We all know the Ambanis. Of course we do! But have you ever heard of ‘Ambani of the Gulf’? Most probably you have not.

Meet Mr Ravi Pillai. Founder director of Bahrain-based construction services Nasser S Al Hajri, and Petrochem, Saudi Arabia. Also known as ‘Ambani of the Gulf’, this Saudi-based billionaire is in many ways a boon to India. As the largest employer of Indians in the Gulf and with a lot of plans up his sleeve for bringing massive investments into India, Mr Ravi Pillai is surely a man to look up to.

Ravi Pillai – the largest employer of Indians in the Gulf (Source: Wikipedia)

Who would have imagined that this man from Kerala, belonging to a farming community, will one day be regarded as one of the most powerful Indian of the Gulf? Last year Mr Pillai was ranked four by Arabian Business Indian Power List. In 2007, he was also awarded the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the president of India for his immense contributions.

But he is not the only one. There’s quite a long list of the likes of Mr Pillai. And most, if not all, have one striking similarity—they were not born with a silver spoon.

They left their homeland behind; travelled to the unknown land of the Middle East; and carried with them dreams in their eyes. They struggled day and night to make it happen. And yes they did make it big. They are now living their fantasies. They are enviably prosperous, influential and famous in their own right.

They are the who’s who of the Indian diaspora of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries who performed exceptionally well and today shine as bright as the stars.

These Indians are among the ‘more than 5 million Indians’ living in the GCC countries today. But their achievements make them stand apart from the crowd. However, for most Indians within India they would be any other ‘unfamiliar’ face walking on the street, thanks to the poor media coverage.

Dr K.T Rabiullah is one of these ‘unfamiliar’ faces. His rag to riches story is a great source of inspiration for all those who are struggling to break through poverty. Once upon a time Mr Rabiualh was just another labourer in one of the GCC countries working for a measly sum but as he says “…he was not ready to accept misery as his destiny.” Today this man is the proud owner and managing director of Shifa Al Jazeera Group; a leading private health care provider in the Middle East, which runs several optical shops, pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals around the GCC and in India. The Saudi based billionaire, apart from other projects, also plans to establish world-class multi-million riyal hospitals in Saudi Arabia which he says will employ around 300 young Saudi medical professionals and technicians.

Dr. K T Rabiullah (Source: www.bhatkallys.com)

In the same land lives Dr Majid Uddin Kazi who originally hails from Hyderabad. Now a retired 74 year old, Dr Kazi has served as a personal physician to the crown prince as well as king Fahd of Saudi Arabia and was also appointed as the cabinet minister. In 2006, Mr Kazi was conferred with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by the then President of India APJ Abdul Kalam. This gem of a person owes his success to his wife and does not wish to be seen as a role model. He says:

I am no role model, so please don’t copy me. I am less than a dust particle floating in space. By chance, the rays of the sun illuminated it for a while.

PNC Menon – Founder of Sobha Developers Limited (Source: Wikipedia)

What would you call a man who began with a small road side shop and then went on to being ranked by Forbes as the ‘Richest Non-Resident Keralite’? The story of P.N.C Menon, now an Omani citizen, is truly fascinating. Decades ago, this current 65-year old left for Oman with just Rs 50 in his pocket after being invited by an Omani friend whom he had met ‘accidently’ in a hotel in Kerala. He says:

Till then I had never heard of a country called Oman. A few weeks later I landed in Muscat with Rs. 50 to start a new life.

As he did not compromise with the quality of his work, he along with his business partner soon started gaining confidence of his customers and as he says, “we started getting businesses in interiors and fit-outs”. His turning point was when he was asked to work on a palace of the Sultan of Oman and then worked for the ruling families of Bahrain and Qatar and president of Tajikistan. Later by 1995, Mr Menon founded Sobha Developers Limited, a construction and real estate development business to expand his business in India, which today is a reputed real estate developer brand in India and has its presence in both Oman and Dubai.

Hasan Chougule of Qatar is indeed an all-rounder. He travelled to Doha in 1978 and after a brief stint in Mannai Group established his very own company called Emad Electricals. Mr Chougle is also a dedicated social activist and educationist. Along with 5 others, Mr Chougle started DPS – Modern Indian School and is also one of the founder members of Ideal Indian School. Apart from being the Managing Director of Emad Group of Companies, he also serves as the vice-chairman of the Doha Grand Hotel Group. Mr Chouglule indeed wears many hats. He is the only Indian to head the three cultural forums namely ICC, ICBF, and IBPN, which is directly backed by the Indian Embassy. Last year, Hasan Chougule was awarded the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award for his contributions to the region.

Hasan Chougule of Qatar (Source: www.kokanworld.com)

Few months ago The Economics Times published an article which said that about half the wealth of all the 55 Indian billionaires combined is much above the country’s fiscal deficit. Micky Jagtiani is one of these billionaires. This founder of the Landmark group, a Dubai based company, started with just one store in Bahrain. The Landmark group, one of the largest retail conglomerates in the region, mainly sells children’s clothes, footwear and cosmetics. It has also established various International stores like New Look, Kurt Geiger, Shoemart and Steve Madden. And has come up with their own brands like Splash, Maxx Fashion, the Baby Shop and the Home Centre. Today, Mr Jagtinai’s wealth stands at $4.5 billion. What’s more fascinating than these achievements is that Mr Jagtiani was a school dropout and a cab driver in London before leaving for Bahrain.

Landmark Group founder Micky Jagtiani, named one of the Gulf’s Most Inspiring Indians (Source: www.arabianbusiness.com)

These are just few of the fascinating tales. Be it the fashionable Sara Belhasa of the Belhasa Group or Yusuffali MA famous for the Lulu Chain of Hypermarkets. Be it Ramesh Prabhakar of the Rivoli group or Sunny Varkey known for GEMS Education. These Indians chose their battles wisely and emerged victorious.

But they are not just successful entrepreneurs. Dr K.T Rabiullah has taken under his wing an entire village which he belongs to and has launched a scheme there through which he grants monetary assistance to the poor and needy. He also donated generously to relief efforts of Tsunami, Latur and Gujrat earthquake. Ravi Pillai has built Upsana Hospital and Research Centre in Kerala. Sunny Varkey’s GEMS Foundation is chaired by US ex-president Bill Clinton. Their philanthropic side only makes them more appealing and inspiring.

These Indians did not inherit the life they are living today. They ventured and they gained; did not succumb to fate; and wrote their destiny in golden letters. They are extraordinaire in the choices they made and the risks they took. They truly are a great source of inspiration for all who believe in making their dream a reality.

What does a tailor, a potter, a ceramist and a weaver have in common? They are all artisans who are now challenged by a loss of market to commercially-made cheaper alternatives and most of them are living in poor economic conditions.

India is a country traditionally rich in arts and crafts. Artisans are the backbone of the non-farm rural economy, with an estimated 7 million artisans engaged in craft production. According to the United Nations, over the past 30 years, the number of Indian artisans has decreased by 30%. They, then either engage in manual labour work or are unemployed, abandoning their high level of handicraft skills.

On one side more than 40% of the India is dependent on crafts for a living but on the other side, the contribution of the crafts sector to the Indian economy is decreasing. The reasons include increase in competition, loss of urban consumer interest and the limited exposure of artisans to the market. Thus, the majority of the artisans are living in poor economic conditions and struggling to make a living.

Srujna is a social enterprise started by two young MBAs to keep crafts alive by empowering artisans and artisan businesses. They aim to improve the standard of living of the artisans and also encourage more people to seek crafts as a livelihood option.

Srujna works with two objectives:
(i) To provide livelihood opportunities to lesser privileged groups by providing craft skill trainings.
(ii) To make craft-based businesses sustainable by providing business trainings and other interventions

A woman shows the jewellery she made for the very first time in the training organised by Srujna

The biggest challenge facing the artisans in India is the access to a relevant market with middlemen. Srujna’s market-connect initiative organises exhibitions across India, in corporate campuses, universities, retail stores and residential societies. These exhibitions are a platform for the small artisans to reach out to the customer and sell their products. “We not only get good sales, but we also get useful contacts and feedback about our products. This really helps!”, said Kiran Badhe, founder of a women empowerment charity which works with self help groups.

Women making fashion jewellery products in the training organised by Srujna

“It saddens me to see that our traditional crafts are getting extinct and to think that tomorrow’s India will not know about Kantha or Phulkari. It is our aim to keep the crafts alive and bring sustainability for the artisans. We want more and more Indians to consider crafts as a dignified vocational option. Our interventions are aimed at creating business viability for the artisans. I am excited to see the output of these trainings and anticipate enormous impact”, shared Vaishali Shah, co-founder and in-charge of sustainability at Srujna.

Though currently present only in Mumbai, Srujna aims to open branches across India to empower all the 7 million artisans and create many more.
Contact Details: Website | Facebook | Twitter

We all are slaves of technology, we want a new gadget as soon as it is out in the market. We don’t even think twice before replacing our phone just because it is a bit dated. While a lot of people are busy buying new things, there are a few people who believe in re-using what we already have.

Mukund BS is one such person. A 33-year old young entrepreneur, he truly believes that job satisfaction should be the priority and money eventually follows. An electronic engineer and an IIM graduate, Mukund was travelling with his uncle once when the idea of selling affordable computers struck his mind. That is when Renew It comes into picture.

Incorporated in 2009, Renew It started operations in 2010 with much research and hard work. “Initially I was the only one to do all the work including, marketing, managing finances, meeting clients, etc.,” Mukund says.

Mukund (Left) and Raghav, co-founders of Renew It

Renew It collects scrap computers from corporates and sells them at affordable rates to the needy people after the required repair and maintenance.

Started with a team of two which included Mukund and his cousin Raghav Boggaram as co-founders, Renew It has now grown to a team of seven technicians and sales persons.

How it works?

The business model  is very simple. We tie up with the corporates and take all their scrap computers. The team of technicians work on it to convert the scrap into a working machine. The process of buying the computers from these corporates is often a long procedure and can take as long as six months.

“The system is not organized, people often tend to sell the scrap at per kg rates which is not a good idea in case of computers,” Mukund says.

The team makes sure that they provide computers to the needy at an affordable price.

After getting the scrap, the team of technicians start working on it and convert it into a working machine. The process takes around 2-3 weeks depending on the efforts required to fix the old machine.

The organization has sold 10,000 computers so far in a span of five years. “We were lucky that we had our family’s support so it wasn’t hard to arrange for finances,” Mukund says.

The challenge

Mukund elaborates on this aspect:

The biggest challenge or should I say fear is that I don’t know what will be the way forward, say, 5 years later as technology is completely evolving.

When he first started working on the idea of Renew IT, computers held an important place in the society as the smartphones weren’t there. “Now when I see people doing most of their work on their phones I don’t know how useful computers will be in future,” Mukund says.

Another challenge which Mukund faces is the unavailability of right type of scrap. Also, uninformed customers is yet another issue. “Some people in not so developed areas don’t know how a computer works. So sometimes they wouldn’t handle it properly which reduces the life of a machine,” he says.

The team has successfully sold over 10,000 computers so far.

 Scaling Up

The company which started in Bangalore has now extended to Hyderabad and Mumbai. They also provide after-sale services to their clients for free for one year. Started with the initial capital of around Rs. 20 lakhs. They have grown to a capital of around Rs. 50-Rs.60 lakhs.

Mukund says:

“All we want to do is good work, money will eventually follow”

Lessons learnt

“One thing I have learnt in this journey is patience, you just sometimes have to wait for things to fall into the right places,” says Mukund.

He also believes,

“You don’t always have the answers to everything. You will  make mistakes. Money is always the by product. You do the right thing, it will come.”

The co-founders were also featured on a show India Ahead for their innovative initiative. Here is the video -

Check out their website or Facebook page for more details.

They don’t need a fancy office to work on a project and organize meetings, their most productive communications happen over a cup of tea at a nearby tea stall or a coffee at the closest little cafe; their laptop is their office desk, they can pitch their company idea in an elevator and can convince a client in a shopping mall. They don’t have regular office hours, and don’t act surprised if you find them working at 4 am in their living room.

They are the present and they definitely are the future. Yes, we are talking about social entrepreneurs. They look for the best of both worlds – profits and social impact. But it is not as easy as it seems to be.

Here is a list of 15 books on social entrepreneurs and social enterprises that will give you a glimpse of this sector and perhaps get you kickstarted on your journey too!

1. How to change the world: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas

Written by David Bornstein, the book is a compilation of various success stories across the world. These stories tell us the remarkable work these individuals are doing which is nowhere reported by media. The book helps the readers to discover that how one person can make an big difference in the world. The book comprises of inspiring and interesting stories of people like Jody Williams, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for the international campaign against landmines she ran by e-mail from her Vermont home and Roberto Baggio, a 31-year old Brazilian who has established eighty computer schools in the slums of Brazil. This book was called by Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times as “a bible in the field” and published in more than twenty countries.

2. Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives

This book by Gregg Vanourek and Christopher Gergen has numerous interviews with leading entrepreneurs worldwide alongwith various examples, concrete frameworks, and practical strategies for your work and life. “This is provocative reading for all those committed to creating a life of significance and meaning. Filled with helpful strategies and hopeful stories, Life Entrepreneurs is an intriguing, challenging guide for the next generation of leaders,” said, Wendy Kopp, president and founder of Teach for America.

3. Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know

This book by David Bornstein and Susan Davis is in Q & A format that explains what social entrepreneurs are, how their organizations function, and what challenges they face. The book gives you an idea of how social enterprises are different than regular for profit ventures and not profit organizations. The book shows how an individual can get involved in this sector and what all will he/she need. This book is an ultimate guide to someone looking to work in this sector without prior experience and knowledge.

4. I Have a Dream

The book by Rashmi Bansal is compilation of 20 inspiring stories of social entrepreneurs and innovators who found solution to old problems.  Every changemaker in the story works for a different cause with one single thing in common that principles of management must be used to achieve greater good. The Segregated into three sections, the book divides the people into three types, the Rainmakers, the Changemakers and the Spiritual Capitalists. Each story has a message that change starts with one person and that person can be anyone, your friend, neighbour, family or even you.

5. The Secret of Leadership

Prakash Iyer, in his book has taken interesting and inspiring anecdotes from across the world to to demonstrate that what it takes to be a leader. These success stories, as you read, will unleash the leader within you and inspire you to take a stand and do something bigger with your life.The stories tell you how just a small action can inspire you to be a leader and you need not have years of experience to be one.

6. Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future

Today in this cut throat competition,nothing is certain. The promotion which you expected and deserved might go to someone else, the job which you always wanted might not be as good as you thought. There are hundreds of things that could go wrong and this should not hold you back from going forward. Just Start is all about that. The book by Leonard A. Schlesinger, Charles F. Kiefer, and Paul B. Brown helps you determine best strategies and tactics, minimize financial risk, attract like-minded people and why it is important to just start!

7. Start Something That Matters

The book by Blake Mycoskie tells the story of TOMS, one of the fastest-growing shoe companies in the world, and combines it with lessons learned from such other innovative organization. In our lives, often we are in a dilemma where we are confused, whether to follow your passion or go after earning better income. The book tells you how you don’t have to choose and if you follow your dreams who you will eventually end up earning good. The book teaches you to social good, earn good money and follow your passion, all three at the same time.

Blake is the founder of TOMS. Start Something started with a small, humble idea in 2006 that grew out of his apartment. He now gives away 10+ million pairs of shoes to children in need.

8. Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits

The book by C.K. Prahalad goes all the way down to the bottom of the pyramid where you’ll find world’s most exciting markets. It describes how these people at the bottom of the pyramid can bring successful stories and profits to the companies who learn how to serve them. By engaging with these people, the companies are not only making money themselves but also helping the millions of poor across the world who are capable of earning much more than what they are currently doing.

9. Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism That Serves Humanity’s Most Pressing Needs

This book by Muhammad Yunus shows how social business has gone from being a theory to an inspiring practice, adopted by leading corporations, entrepreneurs, and social activists across the world. The book has answers to all the questions like how social business transforms lives; offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own; explains how public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model? The book explains how we can take energy of profit making and mix it with human needs to create a self supporting social business.

10. Non Nonprofit: For-Profit Thinking for Nonprofit Success 

The inspiring book by Steve Rothschild, an Ashoka fellow, can help maximize the positive impact of any nonprofit. The book shares the same principles which are followed by many big companies and how they can be applied to a nonprofit. The writer personally changed sectors when he left corporate America to found Twin Cities RISE!, a highly successful poverty reduction program. His personal success story and experiences create an essential guide to those in social sector looking for a boost in impact.

11. Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

We all want to bring a change in the society, but are clueless about what and how. How do you  bring a change when you don’t have enough resources or authority?  This book by Chip Heath and Dan Heath tells you how you can overcome all the difficulties in your company, life and career to bring a change. The book is filled with many interesting and inspiring stories of companies and individuals who have managed to bring a change.

12. Making Good: Finding Meaning, Money, and Community in a Changing World

Succeeding financially and also making a social positive impact is something a lot of people seek.  The book by Billy Parish and Dev Aujla tells how to achieve that. Making Good demonstrates a step by step how anyone can achieve can learn from everyday success stories by providing the skills and insight this generation needs to succeed.

13. Rippling: How Social Entrepreneurs Spread Innovation Throughout the World

This book by Beverly Schwartz shows a model for change based on five proven principles that any individual or organization can apply to bring about deep, lasting and systematic change. These principles are explained by relating them to real life stories.

The book demonstrates how and when empathy, creativity, passion, and persistence are combined; significant, life-altering progress is possible.

14. The Solution Revolution: How Business, Government, and Social Enterprises Are Teaming Up to Solve Society’s Toughest Problems

Poverty, hunger, corruption, infrastructure, there is a lot that is happening in society which hinders the progress of any society. This book by William D. Eggers and Paul Macmillan tells you how the business, government and social sector can come together to solve the biggest problems of the community. The book tells you the changing roles, the new players, solutions for a better life for citizen and how can we participate in the changemaking process.

15. The Power of Starting Something Stupid: How to Crush Fear, Make Dreams Happen, and Live Without Regret

The book by Richie Norton explains how the smartest people in the world are not scared to do something stupid because it is that stupid thing that earns big profitable results and creates impact.  The book redefines stupid. The book teaches you to crush fear, overcome obstacles like lack of education, money and time. The book compiles various face to face interviews and success stories. The author explains how stupid is the new smart!

Know of more such interesting and insightful books? Write to us at contact@thebetterindia.com or leave your comments below. Also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).

Started in January 2013, ‘Our Sacred Space’ is a place which celebrates art. It was built keeping the environment in mind. Our Sacred Space hosts regular classes and workshops for Indian classical dance forms like Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Odissi, etc. and also for Yoga, Meditation, Ikebana, Carnatic music among others, for all age groups.

A civil and environment engineer, Nayantara Nanda Kumar returned to Hyderabad after living for 14 years in the United States. An Odissi dancer herself, Nayantara felt that there was a great need for creative spaces in Secunderabad. Thus the idea for Our Sacred Space was seeded in her mind.

A performance at Our Sacred Space in Secunderabad

We caught up with her asked her a few questions to know more about Our Sacred Space.

Q: When did you first think of Our Sacred Space?
The house I lived in, in Berkeley, had a studio. My Odissi dance teacher Smt. Jyoti Rout used to teach in that studio and a counselor who worked on conflict resolution held regular sessions there. These activities were going on when I moved into that house.

It was beautiful. As we danced, we looked onto a Japanese maple, a lemon tree with fragrant flowers, an apple tree with white and pale pink blossoms (and, later in the season, crunchy fruits), nasturtiums, lilies, yellow dandelions, a light pink rose creeper that covered the front and the roof of the studio and bloomed profusely. The landlady Eliza Cain, an artist and psychologist, had turned the large garage into a studio. A few times we had friends who would come and conduct workshops on Garba, hippy noodle dance, tribal belly dance, barefoot bhangra. It seemed a good use of space. We had birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, etc.

Then I moved back to Secunderabad. After my son turned one, I was planning to start working again. My dance teacher asked me to start a dance school, and I decided to include other activities that have touched me in my life, helped me and made me feel joyful.

Nayantara – the founder of OSS

Q: What are the changes you saw in yourself since the time you started building on your idea to the time it got executed?
I wrote out my vision for a creative space, in a Utopian situation, not limiting it with practical constraints. When I started I wasn’t sure if a dream could be turned into reality. I was going out on a limb, taking a chance and taking loans to enable me. I spoke to well wishers – chartered accountants, business people, and people running similar spaces to give me a realistic picture. Of course, the construction and execution was very strenuous, for a year and a half we worked every single day.

Many people came by like angels and helped in their own ways, many doors opened unexpectedly. When problems came up, I found we had more strength than I knew we possessed. Over and over again, I’ve been shocked by how, what was only a dream and seemed impossible, took shape and form in reality. Now I feel less fearful and more optimistic when I plan. I feel intention is everything and we should keep re-examining our intentions.

Building OSS – a labour of love

Q: What/Who has been your biggest inspiration in thinking of OSS?
My mom.

Q: What’s the best part of your day at OSS? And, how do you manage your family life and life at OSS?
I love seeing people engrossed in what they are doing. Sometimes, there are 20 people of different ages in a class and there is complete silence, stillness. But they’re working, “following their bliss”. I also enjoy it in the mornings, during yoga, when the air feels fresh and there is barely any daylight. Late in the morning, when my son plays in the sand, I sit quietly. I enjoy my dance class. It’s very fulfilling, I have beautiful students.

Managing family life and life at OSS – I am still trying to find a balance, so I can give Our Sacred Space, my family and friends and myself sufficient time and energy.

Nayantara with her son

Q: You accommodate almost all forms of art in the space, from dance to music to painting to theater. How do you manage organizing events on a weekly basis?
When I come across things that interest and inspire, I ask the practitioners if they would like to share their knowledge at Our Sacred Space. These days a lot of people have been coming by, which is great. I put out the intention consciously. I don’t always try to populate the calendar. If there are gaps, it’s ok.

Q: And, do you find time for your own self after this?
For many years I had time for myself and long periods of introspection. Since last one and a half year, it has been the opposite. There has been a lot of work and interaction with people. I felt it was necessary to get Our Sacred Space started. Now, I’m trying to find a healthy balance.

Q: How receptive are people about classical forms of arts?
Most people who come in don’t seem to feel a connection to classical arts and seem to feel it’s old-fashioned and stuffy. I didn’t realize this earlier. When I taught or performed Odissi in the US, people were very touched by it, enjoyed and responded to it from their hearts. Even people who knew little about India, knew little about dance or classical music, would respond spontaneously. I feel Odissi has that quality. I’ve enjoyed Odissi more than words can say. So I expected that a lot of people would enjoy classical dance and music which have origin in this country. But that was not really the case.

Mooki, a dance theater performance by contemporary dancer Veena Basvarajaiah’s troupe from Bangalore.

Q: What is the initial reaction when people first visit OSS?
I think it’s people who resonate with OSS who usually walk in. They are curious and surprised and excited to see the space.

Q: Why did you think of Secunderabad to start OSS and not its twin city – Hyderabad?
I’m from Secunderabad. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of spaces that were inspiring, supportive of creativity, where you could be yourself and explore your potential without needing to prove anything, where you didn’t need to compete to succeed, just flow and enjoy, explore, grow, enable, discover. I feel there is too much competition here these days and I feel it is a waste of energy and a drain on life force. I feel that there is a need for the kids and the adults in the area to have access to affordable creative spaces which offer healthier alternatives.

Q: Some things that you learnt from the energy flowing around you amidst so many creative people you interact with daily?
Creative energy is limitless. I feel that there are far more creative people than you usually estimate. Many people are working quietly and passionately. I feel the intention behind any art or behind any activity is conveyed to its viewers.

Q: Your philosophy of engaging people and let them be without the spirit of competitiveness is very relaxing and soothing. But today, when everyone wants to prove or win something, how do you facilitate this philosophy especially in the urban competitive mindset? Putting it in simpler terms, how do you encourage people to engage their senses by being at peace and not engaging them in any contests, etc.?
I think given a choice, by human nature a lot of people will choose to be free from competition because it feels better and it releases so much more energy for creativity. You enjoy each other’s creativity so much more, the journey becomes more enjoyable.

A grandfather and grandson playing in the sand

Q: Last question, if you had a chance to recreate OSS in any other part of the city or state where would it be and why?
I think it can be recreated anywhere. You just need to pour in your time, efforts and love.

Thank you Nayantara!

To learn more about Our Sacred Space, check their page: https://www.facebook.com/OurSacredSpace | Web site: http://oursacredspace.in/

The real heroes live among us, but they often go unnoticed till their efforts are finally recognized. They don’t make a fuss about how difficult life is, rather they find solutions to those same problems that are driving everybody crazy. They don’t look for excuses behind a failiure, rather they work extra hard to make sure they overcome the challenges.

Santosh Kaveri from Belgaum (Karnataka) is one such hero. He would walk 10 kms every day to attend school. The weak economical condition of the family did not stop him from dreaming big and making a difference. He started working at the farm at a very young age but made sure that his studies weren’t affected. He would get up early to work at the farm before attending the classes and managed to get himself into college.

Santosh Kaveri

Always wanting to be an entrepreneur, Kaveri enrolled himself for LEAD programme at Deshpande Foundation to bring his ideas to shape.

“I always believe that problems give me an opportunity to innovate and help others,” says Kaveri. He had an agricultural background and always noticed various problems which the farmers faced from the grassroot level, thinking of ways to help them through his innovations.

Brake System For Bullock Cart

Even today, many farmers use Bullock cart to transport goods from one place to another. Most of these carts do not have a proper braking system and are mostly stopped manually, which is painful for both the ox and the laborer. Previously, the carts were controlled by using a rope which was inserted in the nose of the bull and it was very painful to the animal.

Kaveri came up with a simple innovation to control the cart without harming the bulls. The brake liner is attached to the thread which is controlled by the driver. The brakes are in driver’s hands and work in a similar fashion to those on a bike.  The driver can control the brakes even by sitting at a height of 5 feet. This system comes in handy at the time of loading, riding on steep slopes, going uphill and turning at a short radius.

See how it works-

Carrot Cleaning Machine

Ever since he was a child, Kaveri saw the struggles the farmers had to face to clean the carrots and make them look appealing to the customers. Cleaning one quintal of carrots required the efforts of 12 people. “I started thinking about the problem and then we noticed a washing machine and thought that the same concept can be applied to develop a carrot cleaning machine too,” Kaveri says.

Kaveri had no experience in engineering but had a strong determination to innovate the machine. After 11 failed attempts, he finally managed to develop a Carrot Cleaning machine which could clean one quintal of carrots in just 15 minutes with the help of only two people, which is far less effort required than the manual cleaning process.

The carrot cleaning machine that is based on the concept of a washing machine

Picture Source

The machine runs without electricity and requires very less water.  The cost of the machine depends on the capacity. One quintal capacity machine costs around Rs.6,000-Rs.7,000. The machine is now helping hundreds of farmers across 10 villages.

“This innovation has changed my life. Earlier I was just Santosh, now many people know me,” he says.

Hot water without geyser

Another of Kaveri’s inventions helps us save the amount of gas we consume for our everyday needs. The Eco Hot Water Coil, is a stovetop which performs two functions at a time. It boils water for cooking and simultaneously collects it for bathing. The device is already functional in various hostels in and around Belgaum, and they claim that this machine saves them around Rs.1,000 per month. “I want to adapt this technology to domestic use,” Kaveri says.

Picture Source

He was awarded “Best LEADer” by Ratan Tata in 2013.

“I have learnt a lot in this journey, the confidence that I have gained is precious. I would like to take this to the next level and develop more such machines to help people at grassroot level,” he says.

While most of us just wait for a college degree and work experience, this guy has proved himself without such luxuries. Kaveri’s story clearly teaches us a lesson. A lesson of dedication, hard work and self-belief. More such changemakers, and we will see a totally different, undiscovered side of India!

Thanks for the story tip: Vinod Kumar S

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You might have heard stories of real hard work and determination being the cornerstones of success. Here you get to meet Dharamveer Singh Kamboj, who will confirm that belief for you. Read how he went from being a rickshaw-puller in Delhi to a successful entrepreneur with turnover of Rs. 40 lakhs, through sheer brain power!

“Sangharsh hi sabse badi kaamyaabi hai. Agar badhna hai to peecche mud kar nahin dekhna hai.”

(The strength to struggle is the greatest success. There is no looking back, if you want to move ahead in life.)

This is not just some idealistic romanticisation, but a truism by which Dharamveer Singh Kamboj lives by. Born in 1963, Dharamveer is the youngest among five siblings. Always inquisitive by nature, his mother also inculcated in him a love for nature. He learnt about herbs by a holy man who visited their village, and while working as a rickshaw-puller in Delhi, where he used to ferry passengers dealing in herbs.

Dharamveer Singh, with his innovation – a multi-purpose fruit and herb processing machine

Genesis of the Multi-Purpose Machine

In 2004, Dharamveer got the opportunity to visit aloe vera and amla processing units in Rajasthan, along with a group of farmers, through the Department of Horticulture, Government of Haryana. He got interested in the business. However the exorbitant cost of machinery deterred him.

Instead of backing out, he decided to develop his own machine. In April 2006, Dharamveer was ready with the first prototype of the machine, which was used mainly for extraction of aloe vera juice. He further modified the machine and transformed it into a multi-purpose machine for processing several herbs and farm produce.

The multi-purpose machine which can process a variety of fruits, herbs, vegetables and even flowers

Multi-Purpose Processing Machine

The multi-purpose processing machine is a portable machine, which works on a single phase motor and is useful in the processing of various fruits, herbs and seeds. It has features like temperature control and condensation mechanism which helps in the extraction of essence and extracts from flowers and medicinal plants.

The machine is a cylindrical container made of food grade stainless steel having an opening (with lid) at the top to feed the herbs, and an outlet at the bottom to collect residue. It is powered by an electric motor whose power depends on the capacity of the machine. It is also equipped with an oil jacket outside the main chamber to prevent direct heating of the herbs.

This machine is unique as it has the capacity to process a wide variety of products without damaging the seed of the fruit or vegetable. It can be used for processing mango, amla, aloe vera, tulsi, aswagandha and flowers like rose, chameli, lavender.

The multi-purpose machine is available in two models with juice extraction capacity of 50 kg/hr and 150 kg/hr.

Dharamveer demonstrating amla processing in the multi-purpose machine

Innovation Diffusion

Dharamveer is supported by NIF-India and GIAN North for value addition and business development under the Micro Venture innovation Fund (MVIF) support. A patent application has been filed in his name for the multi-purpose machine. NIF-India has also engaged a designer to improve the usability and aesthetics of the machine.

Relying primarily on word-of-mouth, Dharamveer has sold his machine in many states of the country and also exported one to Kenya. He has given employment to over 2 dozen women in the village who engage in producing and selling processed amla and aloe vera products made by using the multi-purpose machine.

The new design of the multi-purpose machine

Through his sheer hard work and determination, Dharmaveer has gone from being a rickshaw-puller to a successful entrepreneur with an annual turnover of 40 lakhs. He was awarded the NIF-India Haryana State award for his innovation.

Dharamveer is one among 5 members who have been selected for the inaugural “Innovator in Residence” program of the President office launched by the Honorable President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee on his birthday on December 11, 2013. He is currently staying at Rashtrapati Bhavan from July 1 to July 20, 2014 and is being mentored by the office of the President House!

Here’s a video that takes you through Dharamveer’s success story:

For any enquiries regarding the machinery or its technical specifications, please get in touch with NIF-India at bd@nifindia.org.

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That is when they were convinced that the hemp super crop has immense potential, especially in a country like ours.

How does it work?

"The challenge we are cognizant of is the fact that we as a business are not yet capable to innovate in laboratories, develop best cultivation methods or create processing machinery. But what we can do is fulfill the need for, and be, a unified, organized effort to create a confluence and an ecosystem for various stakeholders to collaborate, deliberate, co-create and develop," he says.

"Our final aim is to create a self sustaining high yield: high value agricultural industry that involves a value chain of farmers, processors, packaging companies, marketers & customers," Oberoi says.

Hemp for all needs

"We’ve decided to begin by catering to the most basic needs of man: food, clothing & shelter," Oberoi says. They now have a wide range of handloom & powerloom yarns & fabrics with blends of organic hemp, nettle, cotton, silk and wool. Recently, they launched their in-house haute couture fashion label: ‘The Hemp Couture – THC’ with a limited collection of ‘The White Organic Hemp Linen Shirts’.

Make it a fashion statement

Eat hemp for a different kind of high

Hemp for a greener abode

The challenges

Getting the government on board

"We are very impressed by the Indian bureaucracy across all central and state ministries and bodies. Their high interest levels, hands-on engagement and support all through the journey has helped in breaking pre-conceived notions, beliefs & popular myths of their laggard nature," he says.

The future and scaling up

"We’ve surely come a fairly long way since 2010 at a time when we were lost in policy clarifications, law interpretation and wondering why no one else had worked with hemp in India at this scale already to a much more advanced stage of research and truly paving the way for the entire industry," Oberoi elaborates.

"One example is our persistence in research and development right from our bootstrapping days in order to truly be a company with innovation at its core, not just with the products but across the board with everything related to the company," he says.

Their two cents

"Oh, only one: you could set up your company in agriculture or technology or any other industry of your choice but always from the very beginning, design the company to cause creative disruption and paradigm changes to your field, with all motive trying to enable positive social, environmental and economic impact," advises Oberoi.

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While for many of us getting the Aadhaar card is just a compulsory procedure to be followed in order to have an alternative form of identification, in the eyes of over 5000 techies, tech enthusiasts, students, and professional hackers from all across India, the online Aadhaar hackathon was an opportunity to use technology to create wonders.

Photo source: Wikipedia

And here is a glimpse of the brilliant results.

Photo only for represention  - Flickr

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This is the story of Troy Erstling, a 26-year-old incredibly joyful young man, who not only made India his home but is also bringing NRIs and foreign professionals to work in the country.

“There is a talent deficit in some sectors like marketing and advertising, design, and even tech. Though Bengaluru has an abundance of people in tech and IT, there is still a huge demand that is never completely filled. And then, in other parts of the world, there is a talent surplus which can be used to fill gaps here,” says Troy.

The beginning

“I was surprised actually. I thought people would be reluctant to come to India but that wasn’t the case at all. The candidates were excited to shift here; they cared more about the job profiles that I was offering them. So it became a big responsibility to find them good jobs,” Troy says.

Adapting to India like a boss

“It has also helped in changing their perception about India. One girl that I hired was reluctant to come here at first. Even her parents were worried about her safety, as they had heard about so many eve teasing cases in the news. But it’s been two months since she has been here and she couldn't be happier. Her perception of India has completely changed for the good,” he says.

The future

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“I have never felt different. I think that conditions like cerebral palsy, dyslexia, or whatever the special abilities of a person are - they are all overrated. It is you who makes them specially abled. And nobody did that to me. When I woke up in the morning, I was told – get out, make your money, come back, and eat. I did not have much of a choice and I took what I had. That’s it. I don’t know how to put it in a fancy, inspirational way,” says a smiling but matter-of-fact Ajit Babu.

Meet this 26-year-old entrepreneur, a man living with cerebral palsy and dyslexia, who is, despite what he says, an inspiration to many.

However, because of his dyslexia, he had a tough time coping with some of the subjects and had to eventually drop out of college.

"I started working at a call centre after dropping out. I actually worked in around 10 odd call centres in Bangalore," says Ajit, who just kept moving from one job to another. "The main reason I was job hopping was because I used to reach a saturation point very soon…At one time, I was with a firm where I was earning well and the job was very challenging. But I got bored with that too. So I finally decided to start something on my own."

It was after the Nepal earthquake this year that Ajit got the idea for his next start-up.

“It was that one thought – how easy it would have been to rebuild the entire nation had it been more dependent on renewable energy – that motivated me to start,” he says.

"If you look at renewable energy today, the first things that comes to mind is that it is something very complex. But in the current scenario, it is required – not just to save mother earth and the other fancy stuff that people say, but to save ourselves." And in Ajit’s view, the only way to do this is by making renewable energy a part of everyday life. "Take any existing gadget and make it with renewable energy," says Ajit.

Right now, his company is concentrating on one gadget only – a portable power bank that will run on solar energy, wind energy, and will also be chargeable with electricity.

Explaining the concept behind this device, Ajit says “Many people carry portable power banks these days. But a power bank takes 6-7 hours to charge. Most of the time, people don’t have charge in the power bank only. If I have so much time to charge my power bank, why won’t I charge my phone instead?”

“I am dyslexic. I have a problem with understanding many concepts but once I am interested in something I put in all my effort to find out more about it,” says Ajit.

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And, not surprisingly, some of the best designs are coming from women jewellery artists.

“Be it the pendants or rings, ceramic jewellery suits special occasions and is good for daily wear as well. For instance, depending on the occasion, the size of the pendant could vary. If one wants to look all dressed up, one can go for the larger sized pieces. Incidentally, they compliment Western and Indian wear quite well,” elaborates Mody, who has studied Fine Arts from Mumbai’s Sir JJ School of Arts and then went on to do a course at Andretta Pottery in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, to pursue her dreams as a master potter.

Another style that has caught the fancy of many, particularly those who generally prefer to dress up in an eco-friendly manner, is accessories made from terracotta.

Photo Courtesy: Maitri Crafts

Lav strongly believes that “Today’s generation is going back to nature. They all love natural jewellery. And I too always wanted to do something with locally produced handicraft. So, four years back I started Maitri.”

Soon after marriage, when she shifted base from Delhi, Lav discovered her love for making terracotta jewellery and got down to designing full-time.

Photo Courtesy: Maitri Crafts

The best part? She has something for all kinds of customers as her earrings and necklaces are available from a modest Rs. 60 going up to Rs. 2,000.

Courtesy: Maitri Crafts

She ships them to customers based in the UK, USA, Canada and, of course, across India.

Photo Courtesy: Prakrithi Creations

“The process is laborious but the special feature here is that each and every piece is crafted by hand and no moulds are used. In fact, they are completely handmade by me. I learnt the craft from a master in Bengaluru and till date I source clay from that city. I use different kilns in Kerala to fire the pieces and then I paint them in dramatic colours with acrylic paints. It’s really amazing to the clay being transformed into beautiful pieces of jewellery. My latest Theyam collection has been very well received,” says the designer, who retails through other online portals as well. Prakrithi sells between Rs. 100 to Rs. 8,500 per piece.

Her collections are currently available in major cities around India, apart from Muscat and New York.

Courtesy: Riddhika Jesrani

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Ankit Agrawal and Karan Rastogi, two friends from Kanpur, had often thought of this issue. While growing up, the river Ganges had been an important part of their lives and it pained them to see it become increasingly polluted as the years went by.

“Karan and I have been friends since childhood and some of our friends live abroad as well. Whenever all of us meet in Kanpur, there isn’t much to show them in the city. And when our friends see the river, their first reaction always has to do with how polluted it is. That was the starting point for our idea. Karan used to go to the temple every day and he would see the waste flowers being collected to be dumped in the river. So we thought of doing something to treat these flowers,” says 27-year-old Ankit.

Karan and Ankit have named this product Mitti and it helps improve soil texture for the better growth of plants.

For manufacturing these items, the duo has employed 85 women from different self-help groups in villages around Kanpur, thus providing them with a source of income.

“The women take the flower dough home and work for about four hours a day. We don’t use any chemical fragrances to make these products. Everything is natural,” says Ankit.

Another great feature of Helpusgreen products is that they use recycled packaging, made from discarded cartons from a liquor factory in Kanpur.

The discarded packets will grow into beautiful plants when they come into contact with soil.

“We have produced 1.5 lakh kg flower compost till now. My mom was the target customer for us in the beginning. We had decided to keep working on the products till she approved of them. And the best feedback came from her. She loves it,” says Ankit laughing.

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“This sleepy little village surprised us. There were artisans in this village who were highly skilled in working with bamboo. Though they had the skills, they were finding it difficult to sustain their trade due to lack of buyers,” says Prashant.

In May 2008, the couple started Bamboo House India – a social enterprise that provides livelihood opportunities to marginalised communities working in the bamboo sector.

“Customers for whom we were building bamboo huts started requesting us to provide them with furniture also. We were wondering what new innovation we could come up with. This is when we hit upon the idea of using tyres to make furniture,” says Prashant.

It took their research and development team almost a year to come up with the first prototype of a product.

Today, Bamboo House India’s goods made from recyclable materials like tyres, drums, PET bottles, etc., adorn government offices, bus stops and parks in Hyderabad.

“The government officials are so happy with the development that they want to replicate this practice across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The State Bus Corporation has asked us to design furniture for bus stands. For the authorities it is a win-win situation actually. We use junk from their backyard and sell products back to them. They are also saving on a lot of money. The tyre pots last a long time compared to the cement pots they buy every year,” says Prashant.

The couple is now looking for social investors to scale up the business.

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Here is one such story. Meet Anuja and Gaurabh, the co-founders of Pikkabox.

These professionals spend one year working and travelling as they connect with local communities and business ecosystems from around the world.

Pikkabox helps you send your friends and family a box of souvenirs and products from every city you travel to.

While most entrepreneurs might find the idea of starting a business while travelling impractical, Anuja and Gaurabh are busy researching the ground realities. This is a major aspect of their venture.

Ever since the inception of the idea of Pikkabox, the couple were sure they would launch it while they travelled in order to review products from around the world.

The couple is living a life that's enterprising and at the same time they are realizing their travel dreams each day.

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According to smart entrepreneurs like her and others, setting up one’s own work is not as difficult as once imagined.

“All you need is a good smart phone and you are good to reach out to the world. Add to that some astute entrepreneurial skills, a little smooth sales talk, and a working knowledge of social media platforms - like how to upload pictures on Instagram or give regular updates on Facebook, and you’re in business. However, you need to have a circle of friends online and offline to get going,” she says.

Although her best laid plans went south, Mody was not disheartened. Instead, she began focusing on her other passion – baking.

“I figured that no housing society can stop anyone from cooking. So, armed with my dormant passion for baking, a good oven and some good quality ingredients, I made a few cakes, photographed them and put them up for sale on my Facebook page,” she reveals.

Not ready to settle into routine domesticity she decided to revive her baking skills, which were greatly admired by friends and relatives.

“I had never once thought that I would be able to earn a good living by simply baking,” she remarks.

“I have help to do the mixing, baking, packing and delivery. But when it comes to decoration, I don’t allow anyone to touch the goods. I do it myself, after talking to the client at length about the event and how he or she would want the sweets to look. Showcasing my creativity is my stress buster,” she elaborates.

For those dealing in jewellery, apparel, furnishings or accessories, the problem of delivery is not so tough.

Says Jesrani, “Only when the jewellery ordered is very expensive do customers normally request their friends or relatives to carry it with them. The rest of the time I use a standard courier to get things dropped off.”

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Shifting houses, cleaning up home, getting rid of unwanted belongings – there are many occasions when one needs a scrap dealer. But it’s not always easy to find one. An engineering student in Dehradun has come up with a solution that helps scrap dealers reach their customers when needed.

“I thought we should do something to utilize this stuff because it was a common problem faced by all hostel students. They had to leave behind the things they didn’t need anymore because they didn’t have any other option. And college authorities would usually sell everything that was left behind,” he says.

On further research, Mohneesh and his friend Ashish Yadav found that similar problems existed all across the city for all kinds of people – they could not find scrap dealers near their localities when they wanted to discard things immediately.

Once a person conveys that he or she wants to sell scrap, the dealer in that locality is notified and he reaches the given address as soon as possible.

Picture for representation only. Source: Flickr

“We don’t take dealers on-board without enquiring about them first. First we ask them if they have electronic meters and provide them with one if they don’t. This is done to avoid discrepancies and faulty weights,” says Mohneesh.

Launched on September 15, 2015, the website was an instant hit in Dehradun because of large scale media coverage.

“We were getting more than 70 requests in a day in the initial period and today we have about 8,000 users. So we did not need any marketing as such, because people were themselves telling each other about us and sharing their experiences. Moreover, the users in this case don’t have anything to lose. They are, in fact, getting rid of their trash in return for money,” says Mohneesh, who was inspired by the success of other startups in the county and wanted to start his own company.

Kabaada takes everything, right from plastic and e-waste to iron and aluminium goods. The founders are also planning to set up a recycling plant in Dehradun.

“Some families in the city are so impressed by our work that they want us to start collecting clothes as well. So we are trying to find a way to recycle clothes in the future,” says Mohneesh.

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