NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Sankalp Forum, an Intellecap initiative, today announced 24 high impact finalists of Sankalp Awards 2014 – India’s leading social enterprise recognition platform. The finalists have been shortlisted from across seven critical needs sectors including – Agriculture, Food and Livelihood; Clean Energy and Technology; Health, Water and Sanitation, Education and Vocational Training; Financial Inclusion; Technology for Development; and Women Empowerment.

The finalists include three enterprises that have been shortlisted for the Sankalp Alliance Award for Innovation in Clean Cooking solutions that address the problem of indoor air pollution that impacts nearly 3 billion people around the world. The Awards create a well-rounded enabling platform for early-stage enterprises that show the maximum potential to scale and drive impact.

Director-Sankalp Forum, Aparajita Agrawal said, “We are excited to see great innovations focused on tackling social challenges at the BoP. This year, over a third of our finalists cater to India’s low income states, and about 45% of them have a woman in their senior leadership teams.” She added, “The finalists are looking to raise nearly 200 Cr (USD 32 Mn) cumulatively, and this a great opportunity for impact and mainstream investors. Sankalp Forum will enable up to USD 70,000 in cash grants, and forge several investor and mentoring connects.”