India is home to a vibrant ecosystem of social impact startups that address critical social and environmental challenges. Here are ten of the top social impact startups in India that are making significant strides:
1. Saral Designs
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founders | Suhani Mohan, Kartik Mehta |
| Established | 2015 |
| Mission | Improve menstrual hygiene by providing affordable, high-quality sanitary napkins |
| Products | Sanitary napkins made from locally sourced materials |
| Impact | Reached over 100,000 women in rural areas |
| Innovations | Low-cost, decentralized manufacturing units |
| Awards | Winner of the National Entrepreneurship Award 2016 |
| Partnerships | Collaborations with NGOs and government bodies for wider reach |
| Website | Saral Designs |
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- Founders: Suhani Mohan, Kartik Mehta
- Established: 2015
- Impact: Saral Designs aims to improve menstrual hygiene by providing affordable, high-quality sanitary napkins. They leverage local networks for distribution, enhancing accessibility and awareness in underserved communities. By empowering local women entrepreneurs, they not only address a critical health need but also create economic opportunities.
- Services: Manufacturing and distributing sanitary napkins, menstrual hygiene education, entrepreneurial training for women.
2. Kheyti
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founders | Kaushik Kappagantula, Saumya Shankar |
| Established | 2015 |
| Mission | Empower small-scale farmers with affordable greenhouse solutions |
| Products | Modular greenhouses, agronomic support |
| Impact | Increased farmer incomes by 2-4 times |
| Innovations | “Greenhouse-in-a-box” for cost-effective and sustainable farming |
| Awards | Recognized by Echoing Green and Acumen Fund |
| Partnerships | Collaboration with local NGOs and agricultural cooperatives |
| Website | Kheyti |
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- Founders: Kaushik Kappagantula, Saumya Shankar
- Established: 2015
- Impact: Kheyti provides small-scale farmers with affordable, modular greenhouses that allow year-round cultivation. This innovation helps increase farmers’ income, improve food security, and reduce agricultural risks.
- Services: Modular greenhouses, agronomic support, market access facilitation.
3. KarmaCircles
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founder | Deepak Goel |
| Established | 2014 |
| Mission | Promote skill-based volunteering and mentorship |
| Products | Professional networking platform for skill-sharing |
| Impact | Facilitated thousands of mentorship connections, enhancing career growth |
| Innovations | AI-driven matchmaking for mentors and mentees |
| Awards | Recognized by TiE and NASSCOM |
| Partnerships | Partnered with educational institutions and corporate organizations for broader reach |
| Website | KarmaCircles |
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- Founder: Deepak Goel
- Established: 2014
- Impact: KarmaCircles is a platform promoting skill-based volunteering and mentorship. It connects professionals who can offer their expertise with those seeking guidance, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and professional growth.
- Services: Professional networking, mentorship facilitation, skill-based volunteering opportunities.
4. JanaJal
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founder | Parag Agarwal |
| Established | 2013 |
| Mission | Provide clean drinking water through innovative water ATMs |
| Products | Water ATMs that dispense purified water at affordable rates |
| Impact | Improved water access for over 1 million people |
| Innovations | Solar-powered water ATMs for energy efficiency |
| Awards | Winner of the Sankalp Award for Social Impact |
| Partnerships | Collaborations with municipal corporations and local governments |
| Website | JanaJal |
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- Founder: Parag Agarwal
- Established: 2013
- Impact: JanaJal addresses the need for clean drinking water by installing water ATMs that dispense purified water at affordable rates. This initiative helps reduce waterborne diseases and improves the quality of life in urban and rural areas.
- Services: Water ATMs installation and maintenance, clean water access solutions.
5. Ecozen Solutions
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founders | Devendra Gupta, Prateek Singhal, Vivek Pandey |
| Established | 2010 |
| Mission | Provide solar-powered cold storage solutions to reduce post-harvest losses |
| Products | Solar-powered cold storage units, micro cold storages |
| Impact | Reduced post-harvest losses by 20-50% for farmers |
| Innovations | IoT-enabled cold storage systems for real-time monitoring |
| Awards | National Entrepreneurship Award 2016, MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 |
| Partnerships | Partnerships with agricultural cooperatives and financial institutions |
| Website | Ecozen Solutions |
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- Founders: Devendra Gupta, Prateek Singhal, Vivek Pandey
- Established: 2010
- Impact: Ecozen provides solar-powered cold storage solutions that help farmers reduce post-harvest losses. By extending the shelf life of perishable produce, they enable farmers to sell their products at higher prices and reduce waste.
- Services: Solar-powered cold storage, renewable energy solutions for agriculture.
6. The Better India
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founders | Dhimant Parekh, Anuradha Kedia |
| Established | 2008 |
| Mission | Highlight positive news and stories of social change |
| Products | Online media platform featuring articles, videos, and podcasts |
| Impact | Reached over 100 million readers, inspired thousands to engage in social causes |
| Innovations | Crowdsourced storytelling to amplify voices of change-makers |
| Awards | Social Media for Empowerment Award, Manthan Award |
| Partnerships | Collaborations with NGOs, social enterprises, and community organizations |
| Website | The Better India |
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- Founders: Dhimant Parekh, Anuradha Kedia
- Established: 2008
- Impact: The Better India is a media platform that highlights positive news, social change stories, and sustainable living practices. Their content inspires readers to engage in social and environmental causes.
- Services: Positive news articles, social change stories, multimedia content on sustainability.
7. Skillveri
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founder | Sabarinath Nair |
| Established | 2012 |
| Mission | Enhance vocational training through virtual reality (VR) |
| Products | VR-based simulators for welding, painting, and other vocational skills |
| Impact | Trained over 10,000 individuals, improving employability and skill levels |
| Innovations | Immersive VR experiences for hands-on learning and skill assessment |
| Awards | Recognized by CII and FICCI for innovation in education |
| Partnerships | Partnered with industrial training institutes (ITIs) and manufacturing companies for curriculum integration |
| Website | Skillveri |
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- Founder: Sabarinath Nair
- Established: 2012
- Impact: Skillveri uses virtual reality to provide practical training in vocational skills like welding and painting. This approach enhances learning outcomes and makes skill development more accessible and engaging.
- Services: VR-based skill training simulators, vocational training programs.
8. Bodhi Health Education
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founder | Dr. Vishal Rao |
| Established | 2014 |
| Mission | Improve healthcare delivery through online training for health workers |
| Products | Online training modules for community health workers and professionals |
| Impact | Trained over 50,000 health workers, enhancing healthcare access in rural areas |
| Innovations | Interactive e-learning platforms with localized content |
| Awards | Recognized by WHO and UNESCO for contributions to health education |
| Partnerships | Collaborations with healthcare organizations and government health departments |
| Website | Bodhi Health Education |
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- Founder: Dr. Vishal Rao
- Established: 2014
- Impact: Bodhi Health Education offers online training for community health workers and professionals, improving healthcare delivery in underserved areas. Their programs enhance the skills and knowledge of healthcare providers.
- Services: Online healthcare training modules, professional development for health workers.
9. Awaaz.De
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founders | Neil Patel, Dr. Tapan Parikh |
| Established | 2008 |
| Mission | Bridge the information gap in underserved communities using voice-based technology |
| Products | Voice-based interactive systems for information dissemination and feedback |
| Impact | Reached over 2 million users in remote areas, improving access to vital information |
| Innovations | Multilingual voice platforms that cater to local languages and dialects |
| Awards | Grand Challenges Canada Award, Vodafone Foundation Mobile for Good Award |
| Partnerships | Partnered with agricultural organizations, health NGOs, and government agencies for wider deployment |
| Website | Awaaz.De |
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- Founders: Neil Patel, Dr. Tapan Parikh
- Established: 2008
- Impact: Awaaz.De is a voice-based platform that connects organizations with remote populations, enabling the dissemination of critical information in local languages. This helps in bridging the information gap for those with limited literacy or technology access.
- Services: Voice-based interactive systems, information dissemination, feedback collection.
10. Varthana
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founders | Steve Hardgrave, Brajesh Mishra |
| Established | 2013 |
| Mission | Improve educational access through financial services for affordable private schools |
| Products | School improvement loans, teacher training programs |
| Impact | Funded over 4,000 schools, benefiting more than 2 million students |
| Innovations | Tailored financial products for education sector needs |
| Awards | Inclusive Finance India Award, India FinTech Award |
| Partnerships | Collaborations with educational NGOs and financial institutions |
| Website | Varthana |
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- Founders: Steve Hardgrave, Brajesh Mishra
- Established: 2013
- Impact: Varthana provides financial services to affordable private schools, improving educational access for underserved students. They offer loans for school infrastructure, teacher training, and other educational improvements.
- Services: School improvement loans, teacher training programs, school assessment services.
These startups are making significant strides in addressing critical social issues across various sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, and clean energy.
Certainly! Here are answers to the FAQs on social impact startups and related topics:
FAQs on Social Impact Startups in india
Q1: What are social impact startups?
- A1: Social impact startups are ventures that aim to address social or environmental challenges through innovative business models. They prioritize positive impact alongside financial sustainability.
Q2: What are social impact companies?
- A2: Social impact companies are businesses that integrate social or environmental missions into their core operations. They seek to create positive change while generating profits.
Q3: How do I start a social impact startup?
- A3: To start a social impact startup, follow these steps: identify a social issue, define your mission and impact goals, develop a sustainable business model, secure funding, build partnerships, and measure your impact.
Q4: How to start a social startup in India?
- A4: Starting a social startup in India involves similar steps as elsewhere, with considerations for local social challenges and regulatory requirements. Begin by researching local needs, building partnerships, and leveraging government schemes and funding opportunities.
Q5: What is social impact examples?
- A5: Examples of social impact include reducing carbon emissions, improving access to education or healthcare, promoting gender equality, and empowering marginalized communities through economic opportunities.
Q6: What is an example of a social impact strategy?
- A6: A social impact strategy could involve a company committing to sourcing materials sustainably, implementing fair labor practices, or donating a portion of profits to community development projects.
Q7: What is a social impact business model?
- A7: A social impact business model integrates social or environmental goals with revenue generation. Examples include the “Buy One, Give One” model or employing disadvantaged populations in production.
Q8: What is an example of a social impact of a project?
- A8: An example of a social impact project could be providing clean water solutions in rural areas, which improves health outcomes, empowers local communities, and reduces environmental impact.
Q9: What are social impact programs?
- A9: Social impact programs are initiatives undertaken by organizations to achieve positive change in society. These can range from educational programs for underprivileged children to renewable energy projects.
Q10: What is an example of a social business company?
- A10: Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, which provides microloans to empower rural women, is a prominent example of a social business company founded by Muhammad Yunus.
Q11: What are the benefits of social impact in business?
- A11: Benefits of integrating social impact into business include enhanced brand reputation, attracting socially conscious consumers and investors, fostering employee satisfaction, and mitigating risks.
Q12: What is a social impact consultancy?
- A12: A social impact consultancy advises businesses, nonprofits, and governments on strategies to maximize their positive social and environmental impact while maintaining financial sustainability.
Q13: What is a social startup?
- A13: A social startup is a venture that uses entrepreneurial principles to address social challenges, such as poverty, inequality, or environmental degradation, through innovative solutions.
Q14: What is the best startup in India?
- A14: The “best” startup in India can vary depending on criteria such as valuation, growth potential, impact, and industry. Companies like Flipkart, Paytm, Ola, and Byju’s are often highlighted for their success.
Q15: Are Indian startups profitable?
- A15: Yes, many Indian startups have become profitable, particularly in sectors like technology, e-commerce, fintech, and healthcare, driven by a growing economy and increasing digital adoption.
These answers provide a comprehensive overview of social impact startups, their strategies, benefits, and relevance in various contexts, including India’s dynamic startup ecosystem.
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