Category Archives: India

Vijay Mahajan of BASIX on risks and results in microfinance

Posted on April 4, 2010 | Leave a comment

A good article that touches on some of the issues in my last post is a recent interview of Vijay Mahajan on the Credit Suisse website. In the interview Mr. Mahajan points out to some of the prerequisites for microfinance to pull people out of poverty. He also highlights the need to match investment growth in this sector to the available management capacity in order to avoid a bubble in the sector. Here are some extracts from his interview. Continue reading →

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Posted in BOP, bottom of the pyramid, India, micro-finance, microfinance, Social Business, Social Ecosystem, Social Entrepreneur, social Innovation, sustainable development

Tagged BASIX, BOP, Credit Suisse, micro-finance, microcredit, microfinance, Social Business, social entrepreneurship, sustainable development, Vijay Mahajan

Launching the Go-To networking event for Social Entrepreneurs in Boston

Posted on March 23, 2010 | 1 comment

Last month over 30 people from diverse backgrounds, but with a common interest in supporting organizations making significant social impact, gathered at Tantric India Bistro in Boston for the first monthly meeting jointly hosted by Tantric, TIE Social Entrepreneurs Group and NetSAP Boston. The TIE Social Entrepreneurs Group’s mission is to create a supportive peer-network of thought leaders, entrepreneurs, non-profit and business professionals dedicated to effective social impact. TIE Social Entrepreneurs Group working together with Mary Sen, proprietor of Tantric and a staunch supporter of social causes, and NETSAP, the Network of South Asian Professionals, hopes to make the First Monday of the Month at Tantric as the “Go To” networking venue for people interested in meeting other folks with a similar interest in organizations creating innovative social impact. Continue reading →

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Posted in India, Poverty, Social Ecosystem

Tagged Bachpan Bachao Andolan, EDWON, Eye of the Day, Human Trafficking, India, Made by Survivors, Nepal, Networking event, Nivasa Foundation, non-profit, Peace, PeaceinFocus, Peacetones, Prosperity Candle, Social Impact, Sri Lanka, Tantric India Bistro, womens issues

Akanksha – engaging children in education

Posted on March 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

Typical Akanksha Classroom

Last year we had the chance to host Vandana Goyal and Ruchika Gupta from Akanksha when they visited Boston. Over the years we had heard of the wonderful work this NGO had been doing in India and it was great to hear about their plans for expansion when they presented to a small group of interested folks at MIT. When we decided to visit India around December, we made sure that we had set aside some time to visit Akanksha at one of their facilities.

Twenty years ago, the first Akanksha center opened for children from the slum communities of Mumbai, an innovative after school program designed to provide them with fun, engaging learning opportunities. Founded by Shaheen Mistri at the age of 18, these centers develop children’s English language fluency as well as equip them to go on to college, attain a good job and become change agents in their communities. Today, over 80% of Akanksha children go on to college to begin professional careers compared to only 30% of Indian children who successfully complete the 10th grade. Continue reading →

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Posted in Education, India, non-profit, Poverty, Schools, Social Ecosystem

Tagged Akanksha, Education, Mumbai, non-profit, poverty alleviation, Schools, Shaheen Mistri, slums, Social Impact, Teach for America, Teach for India, Vandana Goyal, Wendy Kopp

Why you need to go beyond the numbers to view rural poverty

Posted on July 11, 2009 | Leave a comment

In the past decade, much progress has been made in India and people have been justifiably proud of the improving economic situation. While most observers point to the top line numbers that show the number of people living below the “poverty line” has been consistently decreasing, by focusing on just these aseptic numbers, they fail to understand and capture the continuing anguish in the rural countryside. Continue reading →

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Posted in BOP, bottom of the pyramid, India, Poverty, Rural Consumer, Rural Development, Rural Education, Sanitation, Schools, water and sanitation

Tagged Agricultural Development, BOP, George Foundation, India, Poverty, Rural Development, Rural Education, Shanti Bhavan, Social Impact, World Bank

TIECON Social Enterprise Track Provides New Perspective

Posted on June 16, 2009 | Leave a comment

For the first time TIECON EAST – TiE Boston’s annual conference on entrepreneurship and innovation – had a dedicated track on Social Enterprise. The three panels in the track – ‘Healthcare Innovation in a Global Village’, ‘IT & Communications for the Developing World’ and ‘Feeding 9 Billion people’ – were all well attended and engaged the attentive audience with the incisive discussions. Here are some excerpts from an article I wrote for Lokvani about the sessions. Continue reading →

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Posted in Agricultural Development, Conference, environment, Food, Health, India, Information Technology, international development, Investment, Micro-enterprises, micro-finance, microfinance, mobile technology, Rural Development, Social Business, Social Ecosystem, Social Entrepreneur, social Innovation, sustainability