The third edition of the Infosys Foundation’s Aarohan Social Innovation Awards aims to champion and fuel technology-driven social innovation in India across healthcare, women empowerment and education. Here’s how you can apply.
This article has been sponsored by Infosys Foundation.
For Karibasappa MG, the motivation to build a solar device to protect crops from insect attacks came from his own experiences.
After monumental losses due to attacks on his crop, the Karnataka farmer asked himself, “How do I get out of this situation?” The answer lay in his own innovation, which has not only solved his own woes, but also those of 16,000 farmers across India, as well as a few in Malaysia, the UK, Bahrain, Nepal and Australia.
“I understand the difficulties that farmers face. My only intention is to support them as much as I can,” he says.
Very often, innovations like Karibasappa’s emerge from one’s own experience and needs, and given the right platform, can catapult into a much larger movement that transcends geographical boundaries. The Infosys Foundation hopes to do just that with the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards.
Social innovation in India
Thousands today are entering the arena of social innovation in India, which in the last decade has seen a massive boom, cutting across sectors like healthcare, education, and women empowerment, to name only a few. Research over the years has yielded astounding results on how this is an effective way towards sustainable development, especially in rural areas, where it ensures grassroots involvement and development.
The third edition of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards is an attempt to champion this innovative thinking and progress, so existing innovations may reach far and beyond to people who need them most — and in the process, inspire and empower other innovators to build something that could change the world.
Does this sound like something your own brilliant idea could need?
What are the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards?
The Awards seek out individuals, teams, NGOs, and social enterprises who have come up with technology-based solutions that have the potential to bring about a significant difference to people and communities at scale.
These solutions must be focused on the three categories of Education, Healthcare, and Women Empowerment. Infosys Foundation will commit up to Rs 50 lakh per winner, with a total award purse of Rs 2 crore.
Presented by the Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic and CSR arm of Infosys, the nomination process for the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2023 has commenced and will conclude on 12 March 2023.
How do I apply?
- Those applying must be Indian citizens above 18 years of age and residing in the country.
- Interested applicants must visit the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards website and can submit entries describing their work in the form of videos.
- The last date for submissions is 12 March 2023.
Points to keep in mind
- The entries must be of a fully functional prototype or finished project — not just an idea, concept, or mockup.
- The submissions will be judged on the following criteria — application to a social problem or need with a potential to scale; innovative use of technology with a focus on sustainability; originality of ideas; ease of use; and quality of presentation.
“At Infosys Foundation, we have always believed in the power of working relentlessly towards social good. The Awards further this very aim through a platform where…innovations with the potential to impact social good are valued, encouraged, and rewarded,” notes Sumit Virmani, trustee, Infosys Foundation.
Can your innovation transform lives? Apply now for the Infosys Foundation’s Aarohan Social Innovation Awards!
Edited by Pranita Bhat
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