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Pranshu Singhal of KARO SAMBHAV Wins the 12th Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) Award – India 2021, presented by Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, the sister organisation of the World Economic Forum, and the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation of Jubilant Bhartia Group today conferred Pranshu Singhal of KARO SAMBHAV with the prestigious Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award – India 2021. The award was presented by Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India at a virtual ceremony in presence of eminent personalities from different fields from across the world.
Felicitating the winner and congratulating the finalists of this year’s SEOY Award India 2021, Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India said, “This global pandemic has been a major crisis and the social entrepreneurs have come forward in each section of the society as emergency rescuers for the most vulnerable, by stretching their means to the maximum possible. We need to take important lessons from these change-makers working at the grassroots offering unique solutions to seemingly impossible challenges. Recognising their ideas, work, and contributions towards solving challenges will help them scale their work and increase their efficiency. I compliment the Schwab Foundation and the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation for this unique initiative of recognising these social entrepreneurs for over a decade now.”
Pranshu Singhal is working to make the circular economy possible and is enabling enterprises to close their material loops. Karo Sambhav covers e-waste, plastic packaging waste, battery waste and glass and continues its exploration towards less scrutinised sectors like mattresses and textiles. Pranshu aims to shape and catalyse the set-up of a well-governed and accountable end-of-life waste management industry with transparent practices.
Ms. Hilde Schwab, Co-Founder and Chairperson, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder & Executive Chairman of, World Economic Forum and Co-Founder of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship commended the role of social entrepreneurs and congratulated the winner & finalists. They shared, “The global pandemic has emphasised the critical role of social innovators in identifying urgent needs and responding to realities on the ground. This year’s winner and finalists of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year India Award represent the ethos of social innovation and entrepreneurship. They are actors who have selflessly dedicated their lives to improving the state of the world by reaching and strengthening marginalised communities on the fringes of society. Social innovators are pioneering agents of change, revitalising the
the way our institutions operate and are critical to achieving a more equitable world. The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is proud to have been partnering with Jubilant Bhartia Foundation over the past 12 years to award social innovators from India who are not only driving change but are also shifting systems towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.”
Applauding the winner and the finalists, Shyam S Bhartia, Chairman and Founder and Hari S Bhartia, Chairman & Co-Founder, Jubilant Bhartia Group and Founder Directors of Jubilant Bhartia Foundation said, “The pandemic brought to the forefront the extraordinary role of social entrepreneurs as front line workers and showcased their vast reach and penetration in the country. The social entrepreneurs have acted as Corporate India’s implementation partners, working hand-in-hand. Despite the shattering second wave of COVID-19, this year we received close to 100 diverse submissions out of which 28 were women social entrepreneurs & two of them have been selected as finalists.”
“The award submissions reflect the indomitable spirit and resilience of the social entrepreneurs. The social entrepreneurs have also set an example for collaborative efforts worldwide by displaying the power of working together and leveraging each other’s strengths. To amplify the work of these social entrepreneurs especially on post COVID rehabilitation, we are now part of the World Economic Forum’s initiative – the ‘COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs. The alliance will provide a platform to showcase the work done by the social entrepreneurs in India as well as globally.”
“Kudos to all our finalists and the winner who have made through several stringent rounds of evaluation. This year marks the 12th year of our strong partnership with the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Over the years we have seen over 1700 high-impact submissions. We stay committed to recognising and empowering these high-spirited individuals in their endeavours.”
Pranshu Singhal from Karo Sambhav will join the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship’s Community, the world’s largest and prestigious network of social innovators from around the world. The winner of the SEOY Award also participates in World Economic Forum (WEF) events which offer unique opportunities to engage with global decision-makers from the public, corporate, media, academic and civil society sectors. The other finalists of SEOY Award India 2021 were Dr. Aparna Hegde from ARMMAN, Seema Prem from FIA GLOBAL, and Dr. Shuchin Bajaj from UJALA CYGNUS.
The SEOY Award aims to recognise promising and successful social entrepreneurs, who are key enablers of inclusive growth addressing challenges in numerous areas with excellence in large-scale, system change models. The SEOY Award – India has established itself as one of the most reputable awards for social entrepreneurs in India. This year the award celebrates its 12th year. In 2010, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation came together to promote social innovation in India through the Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) Award – India and has since recognised and supported the growing field of social innovation in India.
