India’s Future Tycoons Season 4: How Social Techpreneurship Is Reimagining India? Understand How To
Tackle Social Problems With The Help Of Technology
17 Start-ups & Companies That Tackle 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Season 4 of India’s Future Tycoons is based on the theme of Social Techpreneurship - Reimagining India. Let’s break down this concept of Social Techpreneurship to understand how you can create venture ideas to solve problems in the ecosystem that surrounds us & use technology to make these ideas scalable & impactful.
The United Nations has identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, to be achieved by 2030. These goals address the major global economic, social & environmental challenges faced by the communities across the world including India. Technology enabled entrepreneurship ventures can be transformational drivers that help achieve these goals with great efficiency while fuelling economic growth.
As young adults you can explore real problems in your surrounding ecosystem that resonate with these SDGs. Get inspired with these start-ups & companies to develop venture ideas that align with UN-defined SDGs:
No Poverty
This is a goal that aims to end poverty in all its forms. This goal aims to create equality by helping people at the grassroots level and breaking the shackles of poverty. Delhi based fintech start-up Galaxy Card aims to end the financial gap by offering lending solutions including instantly approved credit cards to low-income group people. This is a great example of how technology can be leveraged to empower the people in low-income groups to avail financial freedom.
galaxycard.inZero Hunger
With a score of 27.5 in the 2021 Global Hunger Index, India has a level of hunger that is serious. The Zero Hunger goal is devised with a view to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. Agri-tech start-up Fasal is one of the companies that aims to solve the problem of low agricultural produce in order to end hunger. Their technology improves predictive accuracy in farming to increase profitability and eliminate guessing to improve produce.
fasal.coGood Health & Well Being
One of the basic human rights is access to good healthcare. India struggles with equality in access to quality healthcare, diagnostics, and well-being solutions. UE Life Sciences addresses this problem through their non-invasive scanning technology that reduces not just the size and complexity of the breast cancer detection machinery, but also reduces the cost involved in the process.
uelifesciences.comQuality Education
This goal ensures inclusive and equitable quality education for all. One of the most critical factors responsible for the poverty in India is lack of quality education. There are many emerging edtech start-ups in India but we need more start-ups that focus on creating an equal opportunity for quality education across various income groups. Convegenius is one of such start-ups that has built a learning ecosystem for underprivileged kids.
convegenius.comGender Equality
Gender is an evolving concept in India. The generational concept of patriarchy is changing. Addressing this change through entrepreneurship is crucial. This SDG ensures gender equality and empowerment for all. Financial independence brings more confidence in women to fight gender oppression. A fintech start-up Basis has created a platform aligning with this goal. It gives access to online financial services to women along with a platform to learn & grow their financial know-how.
getbasis.coAffordable & Clean Energy
One of the primary needs of mankind is access to clean drinking water & hygienic living conditions. This goal ensures availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Aqua Safi Purification System uses RO Technology to purify used water and enable clean drinking water to remote Indian towns.
aquasafi.comAffordable & Clean Energy
Access to affordable energy is critical to tackling energy poverty. Companies like Fourth Partner aim to offer clean, green and affordable electricity to every Indian business. Their solar solutions help businesses lower their carbon footprint and meet sustainability targets even through tech-enabled remote monitoring.
fourthpartner.coDecent Work & Economic Growth
This goal aims at enabling farmers and small & medium enterprises (SMEs) to access financial aid, help start-ups create jobs and discover work opportunities. iMerit is a company that bridges the employment gap by bringing motivated individuals from underserved communities into the global digital economy. The organization hires & trains employees from remote Indian towns and enables this talent to provide digital services.
imerit.netIndustry, Innovation & Infrastructure
Innovations drive growth for any economy. Technology enabled better infrastructure allows the economy to grow holistically and promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation. Blu Smart Mobility App is a simple idea that can transform the Indian mobility landscape. It addresses the problem of pollution & better transportation in one go. This is an Indian E-car rental service application.
blu-smart.comReduced Inequalities
Reducing socio-economic inequalities between the public and the private sectors, small businesses and global conglomerates, developed and underdeveloped cities, majority and marginalized groups etc. is the 10th SDG goal. BeUnic India is an e‑commerce marketplace for LGBTQ entrepreneurs and designers. This platform is a true example of ‘for the community, by the community, of the community’. All the beautiful products on the website are created by the queer community.
beunic.inSustainable Cities & Communities
Cities create opportunities for industries, employment & economy as a whole but they also put a large amount of stress on the ecological resources. This goal makes cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Banka Bio Loo is a start-up that uses waste management technology to convert human waste into biodegradable fuel & organic fertilizers. They have easy installable toilets & waste management systems that use smart technology to manage waste.
bankabio.comResponsible Consumption & Production
Start-ups offer tools for businesses and individuals to monitor their carbon footprint. This allows them Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Low Soot is a platform that helps people erase their carbon footprint by creating a funding platform where one can use a carbon calculator to calculate individual or organizational footprint, then fund an environmental project of choice that combats climate change.
lowsoot.comClimate Action
Today, Global warming also poses a serious threat to the existence of many species including ours. Start-ups like Kabadiwala.com have created an online platform to collect scrap. This household scrap is then recycled for industrial use. Tonnes of scrap like plastic, metal, E-waste, etc. that crowds landfills in India can now be smartly disposed of or recycled.
thekabadiwala.comLife Below Water
Waste created by humans that lands in oceans, rivers or water bodies has already caused the extinction of many species. Aquatic life continues to be harmed. To tackle the goal of conserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas, and marine resources, start-ups like Fluid Robotics enable better management of water and wastewater. Through the use of Robotics and Information Technology the company is helping cities take control of water pollution caused due to untreated wastewater entering lakes, rivers and groundwater.
fluidrobotics.comLife on Land
This goal is all about protecting, restoring, and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably managing forests, combating desertification and reversing land degradation. CropIn by Smart Farm is a SaaS-based Agri-tech that enables weather analysis and database collection per crop cycle to improve produce. This helps in utilizing limited farmland to produce more crops, thus conserving excessive deforestation for creating farmlands.
cropin.comPeace, Justice, Strong Institutions
Peaceful and inclusive societies where access to justice is equal for all is a UN SDG that can be achieved with great efficiency if supported with technology. Logically Intelligence is a tech company that develops advanced AI to fight misinformation at scale using expert fact checkers, OSINT investigators and data science. In an age where social media can stage a massive movement based on misinformation, this tool can enable peace and stability among chaos.
logically.aiPartnerships for the Goals
The ultimate SDG that strengthens the means of implementation of SDGs is the 17th Goal - Partnerships for the Goals. Start-ups companies or platforms that recognize, promote or partner with SDG-aligned entities help achieve this goal. Lets Endorse is a collaborative online platform for social innovators from across the globe, grassroots partners (NGOs) from across India, responsible corporations, governments and conscious individuals, who come together to take the most effective and befitting social innovations and solutions to the last-mile communities.
letsendorse.com
