In the News
Social entrepreneurs innovate to change
Mint; Nov 20, 2007
By Parag Gupta
Summary/Excerpts
A social entrepreneur, within the Indian context, combines the entrepreneurial know-how of Narayana Murthy with the social heart of Mother Teresa
New Delhi: Social Entrepreneurship is a Cinderella story in India. From an obscure notion it has grown into a global phenomenon with Indian social entrepreneurs holding centre stage.
Development language has shifted from ‘subsidies’ and ‘charity’ to talk of social entrepreneurs and ‘base of pyramid’ customers rather than beneficiaries. For those who may confuse the term for an extroverted businessman, a social entrepreneur combines the entrepreneurial know-how of Naryana Murthy with the social heart of Mother Teresa.
Who is a social entrepreneur
S/he is an individual who builds a sustainable high performing organization with focus on maximizing social impact rather than financial profit.
Social entrepreneurs can be found in any sector from environment to youth development. They are agnostic of legal status, be it for-profit, not-for-profit, or a hybrid model of both.
Examples from the ground
Take the case of Harish Hande of SELCO. Around 57% of India’s population does not have electricity and for many more, supply is unreliable. In addition, the poor produce almost a billion tonnes in CO2 annually (through use of kerosene, burning wood, and so on) leading to a climate change catastrophe.
© 2007 HT Media All Rights Reserved
Go to the complete article
