Finalists for Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) India 2017 Award

Madhu Pandit Dasa, Akshaya Patra, Bengaluru

Safeena Husain, Educate Girls, Mumbai

Urvashi Sahni, Study Hall Educational Foundation, Lucknow

 

The SEOY India Award puts a spotlight on the most remarkable change makers from the country. The finalists are addressing the needs of underserved communities in both scalable and sustainable ways. Their efforts span poverty, hunger, gender inequality, women empowerment and education.  The efforts of all the finalists are aligned with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s SEOY winner will be chosen by a distinguished jury and announced at an Award ceremony in the first week of October in New Delhi. The event coincides with the India Economic Summit organized by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

 

SEOY India Award has emerged as one of the longstanding recognition of global repute for country’s social entrepreneurs. The Award celebrates the finest model in social entrepreneurship and the entrepreneur who dream of creating value for their community. The three finalists of 2017 are working through government as well as private partnerships to bring grassroot changes through their enterprise model.

 

According to Mrs Hilde Schwab, Co-founder & Chairperson, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, “The work of social entrepreneurs is more important than ever in a world marked by rapid change, and I congratulate the impressive achievements of the three finalists for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year India 2017 Award. Their work represents a strong commitment to make a lasting impact on issues like healthcare and education in India, and we hope that these entrepreneurs will serve as an inspiration to future generations of social innovators in India and beyond.”

 

Congratulating the finalists, 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, “We are proud to be associated with the Schwab Foundation for last eight years in bringing this prestigious Award to India.  The finalists of this year have overcome several challenges and addressed some deep-rooted social issues. We are committed to promote social innovation and hope that the annual Social Entrepreneur of the Year India Award continues to spark more entrepreneurs to find innovative solutions that drive transformative change and serve communities.”

 

The SEOY India 2017 Award opened in March this year and received over 100 applications of exceptional quality. Through a five-stage selection process, the finalists were shortlisted after on-site visits, background research, reference checks and multiple rounds of deliberations.