- 18 social ventures supported by SBI Foundation accelerating Rural
Development & Supporting India’s national priorities of rural development.
- SBI Youth for India programme has impacted 150,000+ lives in 250+ villages
in 20 states in the country.
- 70% of SBI Youth for India alumni are pursuing careers in the social sector.
Bangalore, 15 April 2024- SBI Foundation, the CSR arm of the State Bank group recently hosted the
two-day SBI Youth for India Conclave in Bangalore, offering a dynamic platform to social entrepreneurs
and trailblazers from the social sector. The event, held in Bangalore witnessed the convergence of
social entrepreneurs, academia, civil society representatives, and alumni of the SBI Youth for India
(YFI) Program.
At the YFI Conclave, 'SBI YFI Sahyog - The Pitch Fest' saw 9 social enterprises compete for funding,
where 5 winners were granted seed funding of INR 4.5 million. The initiative aims to provide seed
funding to promising non- profit and for-profit ventures led by SBI YFI alumni, facilitating their
continued efforts towards social impact and community development. The selection process for the
winning ventures involved a rigorous assessment and evaluation conducted by an esteemed jury
comprising Mr. Sanjay Prakash (MD & CEO, SBI Foundation), Mr. Jagannath Sahoo (President &
COO, SBI Foundation), Dr. Gayathri Swahar, Senior Director, Social Entrepreneurship at The/Nudge
Institute and Co-founder of Ycook India, Mr. Suresh Krishna Bandi, Associate Vice President-
Programs & Partnerships, I-Ventures@ ISB, Hyderabad, and Mr. Gyan Prakash Program Head, SBI
Youth For India Fellowship.
Addressing the distinguished gathering at the Youth for India Conclave 2024, Mr. Sanjay Prakash,
Managing Director & CEO of SBI Foundation, emphasized the pivotal role of the youth in driving
transformative change within the country. He said, “The future of our nation hinges upon its young,
educated, and socially conscious demographic. Through initiatives like the Youth for India Fellowship,
we have witnessed firsthand how our young Fellows have harnessed their potential to initiate tangible
social impact projects in rural communities. Having impacted 1,50,000+ lives in 250+ villages across
the length and breadth of the country, we take pride in nurturing social entrepreneurship and
contributing to India's national priorities around rural development.” Mr. Prakash further highlighted,
“The projects spearheaded by our Fellows have not only accelerated rural development but have also
fostered inclusive and sustainable growth across 20 states in the remotest corners of our country.”
The following ventures won grants to further their work:
Sr.
No.
Name Name of the
Organization
Organization Brief Seed Grant
Amount
1 Ashwini
Laxman
Shelke
Shahalakshya
Charitable Trust
Shahalakshya Charitable Trust focuses
on positive change and empowerment
through scholarships, awareness
campaigns on government schemes,
and a modern digital library with
INR 9 lakh
educational resources. They organize
academic competitions and safety
workshops while promoting student
safety and empowerment. Additionally,
they conduct health awareness
campaigns for young women and
engage in organic farming for
sustainable practices.
2 Nishant
Kumar
Singh
Jawhar Farms Jawhar Farms, a social enterprise and
tribal superfood brand in Jawhar,
Maharashtra, connects urban demand
for healthy millet-based food with
traditional tribal resources by providing
livelihood opportunities
to tribal women.
INR 9 lakh
3 Nupur
Poharkar
Pirul
Handicrafts
PIRUL HANDICRAFTS is a social
enterprise based in the hills of
Uttarakhand. PIRUL aims to create a
sustainable enterprise that generates
employment for the local women using
pine needles, which are otherwise
waste and are responsible for causing
forest fires and groundwater table
depletion. Thereby serving the
environment with people's own
involvement. At present, PIRUL has
upskilled more than 100 women from
the remotest of the villages in the
Kumaon region and has given them
regular work. PIRUL makes a wide
variety of products, including home
decor articles like trays, planters,
organizer baskets, coasters, etc., and
fashion accessories like sling
bags and earrings.
INR 9 lakh
4 Shraddha
Anand
Gosavi
Quest Quest enables core values like
Responsibility, Sustainability &
Community Innovation by curating
opportunities to experience new
environments, challenge our perspective
& meaningful connections. This leads to
creating impactful travel experiences by
Engaging & Embracing
local communities!
INR 9 lakh
5 Dr.
Steward
Gracian
SocioDent
Private Limited
SocioDent is a startup focused on dental
innovations. Their vision is to redefine
the oral healthcare of dependent and
disadvantaged individuals through their
INR 9 lakh
product and service innovations. Their
primary focus is on catering to the dental
needs of the elderly and persons with
disabilities. They are working on
inclusive dental care solutions such as
patented mouthpiece-based oral
hygiene device and home care dentistry.
The event was attended by some eminent personalities such as Mr. Debasish Mishra, GM, Business
Solutions, State Bank of India, Mr. Vishwanath S, Visiting faculty, Azim Premji University, Mr.
Prahlathan KK, Founder, Bhumi, Mr. Vasimalai M.P., Executive Director, DHAN Foundation, Ms.
Sanchita Mitra, National Coordinator, SEWA Bharat, Mr. Liby Johnson, Executive Director, Gram
Vikas, Ms. Geeta Verghese, former Coordinator, Youth for India apart from others, who added valuable
insights and perspectives to the deliberations.
The Youth for India Conclave served as a platform for social sector organisations for dialogue,
networking and possible collaborations in the rural development sector. The Youth for India Conclave
2024 featured an array of interactive sessions, including advisory forums, speed networking, boot
camps, YFI Sahyog-The Pitch Fest, and formal and informal discussions, fostering collaboration and
knowledge exchange among non-profits, think tanks, YFI Fellows, and other stakeholders from across
the country.
Through various projects, SBI YFI Fellows have made notable contributions in diverse thematic areas,
including Health, Rural Livelihood, Food Security, Environmental Protection, Education, Water
Conservation, Technology Integration, Women’s Empowerment, Self-Governance, Social
Entrepreneurship, Traditional Crafts, and Alternative Energy. SBI Youth for India Fellowship is currently
accepting applications for the 12th batch at www.youthforindia.org/register.
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