Poonam Bir Kasturi Honoured as India's Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2015

Chandigarh, November 4, 2015 – The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organization of the World Economic Forum, in partnership with the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation announcedPoonam BirKasturi of Daily Dump, as the winner of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year- India 2015 Awards. The awards were conferred in New Delhi at a high-level celebration, in the presence of Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy, Government of India, and over 250 participants.

According to government estimates, homes generate 75% of all organic waste produced in urban India. Daily Dump targets to manage this waste right where it is generated – within families. Daily Dump, has brought together design thinking, traditional pottery and the science of composting to develop more than 50 aesthetic products and services that enable urban Indians to compost their waste at home and be part of the solution to the country's waste management.



Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy

Government of Indiacomplimented the winner, Poonam Kasturi and otherfinalists-Ashraf Patel, PremaGopalan and Suparna Gupta, for their outstanding contribution to the society. They deserve the highest accolades for the work they are doing and are the true women of substance. He also appreciated Schwab Foundation and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation for their efforts in recognizing social entrepreneurs in India.



Over 150 applicants entered the eleventh annual Social Entrepreneur of the Year selection process for India, and four finalists emerged after several stages of rigorous assessment. An independent panel of pre-eminent judges met on 3 November to select the winner. This year's judges included Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, Joint Managing Director of Hero Moto Corp; MsShobhana Bhartia, Chairperson & Editorial Director of The Hindustan Times; MsRohiniNilekani, Chairperson of Arghyam Foundation, Ms Hilde Schwab, Co-founder & Chairperson of Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship; MrAnshu Gupta, Founder Director, Goonj; MsSudha Pillai, Board Member Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd and Former




Member Secretary of Planning Commission, Government of India; Dr H Sudarshan, Winner SEOY 2014 and Founder, Karuna Trust and MrAjitMahadevan, Country Director, Acumen India.


Commenting on the finalists, Hilde Schwab, Chairperson and Co-Founder of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, said "We are delighted that we have four women finalists for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year India 2015 Awards – all four entrepreneurs are working on social priorities high on India's policy agenda including skilling, entrepreneurship promotion, and sanitation."


Congratulating the winner, Mr. Shyam S Bhartia, Chairman & Founder and Mr. Hari S Bhartia, Co-Chairman & Founder, Jubilant Bhartia Group and Founder Directors of Jubilant Bhartia Foundation, said, "SEOY India award acknowledges contributions of social entrepreneurs in addressing social problems and bringing about transformational change. In the last six years of organising SEOY in India, we have received and evaluated over 1000 applications from across India. We are delighted to see an increase in number of applications and the passion that these entrepreneurs bring to the fore."

The winner will be invited to join the Schwab Foundation's global community of over 300 social innovators. Social Entrepreneurs are driven by their mission to create substantial social change and promote inclusive growth, developing new products and service models that benefit underserved communities.

Finalists

Ashraf Patel, Pravah, Delhi, India

Pravah is building vibrant eco-systems across India to launch young social entrepreneurs, changemakers and active citizens and propel their models of positive social change. Pravah has pioneered a unique youth-centric approach to development called the '5th Space'. The 5th space rejects the instrumentalization of youth for political, economic and development gains. Instead, it focuses on transforming the youth and building their leadership potential to then transforming society through them.

PremaGopalan, SwayamShikshanPrayog (SSP), Pune, India

Working with the most vulnerable communities of climate change and disaster-affected areas, the SSP group of ventures is building a new generation of disaster-resilient women entrepreneurs and grassroots women community leaders. Over two decades, it has equipped more than 70,000 women to partner with global and local businesses and architect sustainable rural social businesses - in clean energy, sanitation, basic health services, nutrition and safe agriculture. This has opened up new markets, non-traditional livelihood incomes, tripled household incomes and revitalized ailing village economies.

Suparna Gupta, Aangan Trust, Mumbai, India

Aangan Trust is converting India's hot spots of child violence into communities that are safe and responsive to children. It works with the full range of actors and institutions that a vulnerable child encounters – both before and after the occurrence of harm- and transforms them into child protection

champions. In communities marked by intense poverty and violence, Aangan sets up local, child safety circles that are powered by unusual allies- parents, government officials and young change makers.

To nominate a social entrepreneur or apply for the 2016 award, please visit www.schwabfound.org.

Notes to Editors

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About the Schwab Foundation

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship was co-founded by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, and his wife, Hilde. Since its inception in 2000, the Foundation has been identifying the world's leading social entrepreneurs and involves the community of 200 award winners in advancing the field of social innovation in collaboration with corporate, government and academic stakeholders. Selected social entrepreneurs of the Schwab Foundation network participate in World Economic Forum events, thus providing unique opportunities for them to connect with business, political and media leaders.

http://www.schwabfound.org. Follow the Schwab Foundation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/schwabfound

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum is tied to no political, partisan or national interests (www.weforum.org).

Originally Source : Perfect Relations