Lede

Since 2011, Se Gunasekar, a lawyer from Tamil Nadu, has run Adhalinal Kadhal Seiveer — an NGO that works for the safety and welfare of inter-caste couples across the state.

In the wake of wars, poverty, mass migration and loss, the Greek working class found solace in Hindi cinema and music of the 1950s and early 1960s.

Started by Prateeksha and Prateek Sharma of Madhya Pradesh, ‘Green and Grains’, is a Farm-to-Fork business model in which partner farmers are trained to manage production on their land, and their organic produce is delivered to customers’ doorstep.

Known for his people-centric initiatives, Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange braved big odds to crack UPSC, become an IAS officer and fulfil his dream of serving the common man.

Engineer Deenanath Rajput from Chhattisgarh quit his job to start Bhumgadi FPO, which works with tribal men and women to encourage them to farm and sell their produce, helping them earn double their previous income

Gujarat-based Induben runs Chilli and Cheese, a homemade food venture that sells delicious vada pav. The venture began when she met with a serious accident that changed her life forever.

The Peepal Farm, an animal rescue and awareness non-profit, has started the Spiti Dog Feeding Winter Program to feed hundreds of stray dogs every day and work on reducing the man-animal conflict in the area.

With no background in the textile and apparel world, Sujata and Taniya Biswas left their cushy corporate jobs and started building Suta, which is empowering weavers and making beautiful sarees.

Janhavi Kulkarni founded KaleNale to popularise ‘khun’, a fabric that contains both silk and cotton. Her efforts have led to orders from Switzerland, Germany, US and more.

This year’s recipient of the Social Innovator of the Year Award, Ashraf Patel runs Pravah and ComMutiny, two organisations that work with the youth and youth leaders at the grassroots level.