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From IIT to UC Berkeley, and Back – All to Make Agriculture More Efficient & Profitable
A job in the social sector is seen as the domain of social workers who sacrifice everything for the greater good. But increasingly, working in the social sector requires a balance between having a “business” mind and a “social” heart. Most social entrepreneurs lead financially secure lives, with the added satisfaction of doing something good and transforming lives. Yet, not many have the courage to take this less taken path.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- agtech
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These Indian Entrepreneurs Upcycle Religious Flowers Into Useful Products
Because the flowers have been used for worship, they’re sacred, and therefore can’t be just sent to landfill, explains Ankit Agarwal, an Indian entrepreneur. Hindu temples often throw the spent flowers into the River Ganges, a venerated waterway. But this just exacerbates the Ganges’s legendary pollution: The flowers are sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals that leach into the environment.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- South Asia
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Healthquad raises Rs. 750 million to support thematic healthcare companies in India
India's leading specialist healthcare focused venture capital fund 'Healthquad' has achieved its final close with a total commitment of Rs. 750 million for investing in thematic and disruptive healthcare business models in the country.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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Demonitization May Lead To Equity Erosion For Microfinance Institutions, Says India Ratings
India Ratings had warned about a build up of risks in microfinance even before demonetization was announced in November last year. Since then, the cash shortage brought on by the currency exchange program and increased instances of farm loan waivers, have disrupted the market further.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- microfinance
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Climate Change Has Made Heat Waves Much More Deadly, Mainly for the Poor
A study published in Science Advances shows that as average summer temperatures in India rose 0.5 oC from 1960 until 2009, the chance of a heat wave causing more than 100 deaths more than doubled. As the authors write, their work is far from theoretical: heat waves in 2010, 2013, and 2015 each killed thousands of people across the country.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- climate change
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Why India needs to work on financial literacy now more than ever
India is home to 17.5% of the world’s population but nearly 76% of its adult population does not understand even the basic financial concepts. Empirical evidence shows that digital efforts on financial education have had a far greater impact than the traditional media.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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How innovations in AI, virtual reality are advancing healthcare in India to new frontiers
After a few more interactions, Ravikumar’s apprehensions began to wear out. Screening by AI, she sensed, could help her examine more samples in less time as the algorithm would allow her to concentrate on the ones that require her expertise. “In the hands of clinicians, it will become a force multiplier, it will make them supermen,” said Adarsh Natarajan, cofounder of AIndra.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Gray Matters Capital’s coLABS Announces First Round of Gender Lens Investments
Gray Matters Capital (GMC) announced the first round of investments from its newest portfolio coLABS, which invests in innovative and scalable pilots that are tackling critical issues facing women and girls around the world. Launched at the beginning of this year, coLABS supports entrepreneurs of early-stage ventures with seed investment capital, rapid prototyping, and advisor support.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
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