NEW DELHI: Recognising the transformative power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship in addressing some of society’s most pressing challenges, the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation (JBF) and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organisation of the World Economic Forum, today honoured Nidhi Pant, Co-Founder of Science For Society Techno Services Pvt. Ltd. (S4S) Technologies, as the recipient of the 17th Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) Award India 2026.
The prestigious award was presented at a ceremony in New Delhi in the distinguished presence of N K Singh, Former Member, Rajya Sabha, and Former Chairman, 15th Finance Commission, Government of India, who graced the event as the Chief Guest. The event brought together leaders from government, business, academia, philanthropy, civil society, and the social innovation ecosystem to celebrate entrepreneurs creating sustainable, scalable, and transformative social impact.
This year’s winner, Nidhi Pant, has been recognised for developing sustainable biotechnology solutions that convert waste into bio-based products and eco-friendly agricultural inputs. She also sets up farm factory right at the farmer’s field. Her work through S4S Technologies is helping smallholder women farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices, improve livelihoods and create greater economic opportunities, while advancing circular economy approaches to waste management.
The finalists collectively represent pioneering efforts across sectors including healthcare, education, agriculture, livelihoods, financial inclusion, climate resilience, women empowerment, and technology-enabled development. Their work demonstrates how innovative solutions rooted in local realities can deliver measurable and lasting impact at scale.
Addressing the gathering, N K Singh highlighted the critical role of social entrepreneurs in India’s development journey and emphasized the importance of creating enabling ecosystems that allow innovative solutions to scale.
“This is an admirable venture to award, recognise the diversity of people who have made a difference in their lives, transcending all the barriers to make a more wholesome society. All these are celebrations of change, of innovation ushering a better future. The five people whom we have awarded today are examples of unreasonable people who have sought to change the world in their multiple ways. We need to inspire trust in society to accept both success and not to stigmatise failure, and dramatically enhance the capability of research and development so that the five people whom we have awarded today can be multiplied in multiple ways. My congratulations to all the finalists and my gratitude to this foundation for nurturing this journey, which began 17 years ago, and has a great, exciting future ahead of it,” he said.
Sharing their congratulations, Dr François Bonnici, Director, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum said:
“For seventeen years, our partnership with the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation has celebrated remarkable individuals who are challenging established norms and creating new pathways for inclusion, opportunity, and resilience. This year’s finalists exemplify the power of social entrepreneurship to address complex societal challenges through innovation, collaboration, and systems-level thinking. Their work offers valuable lessons not only for India but for the wider global community.”
Congratulating the winner and finalists, Shyam S Bhartia, Chairman and Founder, Jubilant Bhartia Group and Founder Director, Jubilant Bhartia Foundation said, “The 17th edition of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year India Award brings together a community united by a common purpose to create meaningful, sustainable and lasting social impact. Over the past 17 years, our partnership with the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship has helped recognise and amplify the work of remarkable social entrepreneurs across India. This year’s finalists embody the courage, persistence and innovation required to turn a vision into transformative change. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the promise of what lies ahead.”
During the vote of thanks, Aashti Bhartia, Director, Jubilant Ingrevia and Non-Executive Director, Jubilant FoodWorks, said, “The Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award gives us an opportunity to reflect on what it truly takes to create change. Beyond ideas, technology and resources, it takes the courage to look at long-standing challenges differently, along with the conviction to begin and the resilience to continue. All our finalists this year have demonstrated incredible conviction and resilience, with a determination to make an impact across healthcare, agriculture, youth empowerment and inclusion. The award is more than about picking a winner; it is about shining a light on what is possible. Our finalists have shown us that and inspired us.”
The event was also attended by renowned social entrepreneur, Chetna Gala, Founder, Mann Desh Mahila Bank.
For the past seventeen years, the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award has recognised visionary leaders demonstrating exceptional commitment to addressing societal challenges through innovative and inclusive approaches. Over the years, the platform has evolved beyond recognition to provide social entrepreneurs with greater visibility, networks, mentorship, knowledge exchange, and opportunities to strengthen and scale their impact.
The event also highlighted the growing momentum of India’s social innovation ecosystem, supported by evolving policy frameworks, increased access to impact capital, and stronger cross-sector collaboration. The presence of leaders from government, business, philanthropy, academia, and civil society reaffirmed the importance of collective action in enabling innovative solutions to deliver lasting and inclusive development.
Winner – Social Entrepreneur of the Year India 2026
- Winner: Nidhi Pant, Science for Society Techno Services Pvt. Ltd. (S4S) Technologies, Maharashtra – Empowering smallholder women farmers through solar-powered food processing solutions and market-linked rural entrepreneurship.
Finalists – Social Entrepreneur of the Year India 2026
- Dr. Neha Verma, Intelehealth, Maharashtra – Leveraging open-source, AI-enabled telemedicine infrastructure to expand access to quality healthcare in underserved communities.
- Nuneseno Chase, YouthNet, Nagaland – Driving youth-led development through initiatives focused on education, livelihoods, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability.
- Vinay Kumar Reddy Vadde, Sickle Innovations Pvt. Ltd., Telangana – Building technology-led agricultural solutions that improve farm productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and enhance farmer incomes.
- Vineet Saraiwala, Atypical Advantage, Jharkhand – Creating inclusive livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities through a technology-enabled employment and skilling platform.
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