NEW DELHI: At 2017 DBS-NUS Social Venture Challenge Asia (SVC Asia), amongst the six, two Indian teams – Haqdarshak and HelpUsGreen took home cash prizes of S$20,000 each from DBS Foundation.
Under the SVC Asia Enterprise category, which was applicable for social ventures that are already generating revenues and seeking to scale their operations and impact. HelpUsGreen stood out in particular and received the Judges Choice Award, as the judging panel was particularly touched by its founder’s passion and its triple bottom-line business.
Eight teams took home a total of S$180,000 in cash prizes from the 2017 DBS-NUS Social Venture Challenge Asia (SVC Asia) – the highest amount ever presented within the competition’s four-year history. SVC Asia is an Asia-wide competition for social enterprises. It identifies and supports innovative ideas and social ventures that demonstrate positive, scalable and sustainable social impact within the region.
Organised jointly by NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), and DBS Foundation, SVC Asia provides multidimensional support for social entrepreneurs through its learning platform, access to networks and mentorship assistance.
Haqdarshak Empowerment Solutions – Haqdarshak helps citizens in India to discover and apply for government and non-government financial schemes. As many of such schemes can be confusing, especially for illiterate, rural citizens, Haqdarshak uses a combination of AI technology and community entrepreneurs to deliver its service.
HelpUsGreen – Every year, 80,000 tonnes of waste flowers are dumped into the Ganges river, with pesticides and insecticides from the flowers polluting the water. HelpUsGreen addresses this problem through flowercycling, where floral waste is collected and handcrafted into organic fertiliser, natural incense and a biodegradable alternative to plastic.
In addition to making environmental impact, this provides employment to rural women who process the floral waste. HelpUsGreen also received the Judges’ Choice Award, for its potential sustainable and scalable social impact.
