Salaam Bombay Foundation Empowers Grassroots Adolescent Entrepreneurs through Dolphin Tanki’s Third Edition

-  Till date, over 150 adolescent entrepreneurs have been nurtured via the Entrepreneurship Incubator since its launch in July 2021.

Mumbai, 19th March 2024: Salaam Bombay Foundation (SBF), a non-profit organization empowering resource-challenged adolescents to make the right choices for their health, education and livelihood in partnership with the School of Business Management, NMIMS successfully concluded the third edition of ‘Dolphin Tanki’ – a unique initiative to offer market linkages and capital access to resource-challenged aspiring grassroots adolescent entrepreneurs. Dolphin Tanki is a part of Salaam Bombay Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Incubator and these programmes have been recognised as a youth centric solution by Yuwaah India at UNICEF and 10 to 19 Dasra Adolescents Collaborative as part of their ‘Joint Call For Solutions’ initiative.

Among the participants, 28 entrepreneurs presented their innovative business pitches to a distinguished panel of judges. Of these, 12 outstanding ventures were awarded financial support of up to INR 50,000 each, recognizing their potential to drive positive change and innovation in their communities. Additionally, 8 entrepreneurs were granted support of INR 25,000 each, celebrating their unwavering determination and grit that impressed the jury.

This year's edition witnessed enthusiastic participation from entrepreneurs across Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata, showcasing the growing interest and potential within resource-challenged grassroots communities. This expansion underscores Salaam Bombay Foundation’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship beyond geographical boundaries, enabling greater inclusivity and impact. The collaborative efforts between Salaam Bombay Foundation and NMIMS facilitated a nurturing environment where participants received valuable guidance and support to refine their business models and pitches.

The prized jury consisted of Pratik Kothari (Film Director/ Actor/ Co-Founder White Wall Screenings), Shilpa Gode (Fine Artist, Art Educator), Zahida Ternikar (Head Of Customer Service - Kaya Limited), Vishal Vithalpura (JAPAC Sales & Marketing Leader - Intel Corporation), Rohit Sangwan (Area Culinary Director - West & Executive Chef, Taj Lands End, Mumbai) and Sneha Jain (Co-founder and Director - Bay leaf Chain Of Salons) for the semi-finals. For the finals, the jury consisted of Ambarnath Sinha (Filmmaker, Entrepreneur, Educationist, Columnist, Scriptwriter, TV Consultant, Creative Director), Dr. Anupama Wagh-Koppar (Innovator with a purpose - Beauty Industry), Savita Chhabra (Chairperson - Hygienic Research Institute (HRIPL), Ashish Chinthal (Business Unit Head - Napino Digital Solutions), Ritesh Mathur (Founder - F2F Food and Beverage Consultants) and Girish Bindra (Head Coach - Asics Running Club).

Mr. Gaurav Arora, Vice President – Chief Growth Officer and Sr. VP, Salaam Bombay Foundation, said, “Salaam Bombay Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Incubator and subsequently Dolphin Tanki has taught us that it is imperative to cultivate an entrepreneurial ecosystem amongst resource-challenged adolescents that transforms them into job creators. These adolescents are no longer job seekers and instead metamorphosize into self-reliant, financially independent risk takers willing to establish scalable businesses and even provide employment within their communities.  Over the last three years we have witnessed nearly 150 entrepreneurs benefit from these programs and are eager to keep expanding this impactful initiative. We hope to ultimately aid the government in its aim to boost entrepreneurship as a key to nurture innovation and employment in the country."

Dr. Meena Galliara, Director, Jasani Center for Social Entrepreneurship & Sustainability Management, SBM, NMIMS, said, “Dolphin Tanki is a platform that empowers entrepreneurial adolescents from the most challenging backgrounds. With a great idea, passion, and the right guidance from our NMIMS We Care interns and judges, these young entrepreneurs have potential to turn their dreams into reality and become the future leaders of our economy.”