Inspiring India and paving the road for social change.
You give us an idea and we will help you build on it !

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?"
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ever since India attained independence, there has been undoubted progress but it is overshadowed by the persistence of poverty, inequality, ignorance and disease among a vast number of our fellow citizens. Though a majority of people agree to these facts, most are either indifferent or blame the government, at the same time hoping that the same government will miraculously change the prevailing order. Rarely are encountered the third kind, people who acknowledge their responsibility towards the society and are willing to battle enormous odds and work selflessly so that we can hope for a better tomorrow. To hunt down such socially motivated gentlemen and to provide a platform for the fulfilment of their dreams, Techfest has launched Inspire India, a social entrepreneurship competition.

Inspire India provides a platform for all those passionate social change seekers who are not satisfied with sitting back and watching the alarmingly deplorable situation of the society, possess a zeal to innovate according to the needs of the society, can take the plunge and strive endlessly towards its betterment and create a new society that has eradicated all the social evils.

We invite ideas for change which may range from for-profit businesses with a strong social responsibility to non-profit models, the common binding force being the strong impact these ideas can have on the society.

"Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in."
- Napoleon Bonaparte
So, hurry up! For those suffering ain't got another day.

Cash prizes worth INR 1,00,000 to be won

Download the problem statement

For further queries contact:

Note: The following themes are just guidelines to help you. You are free to think like an unconventional thinker and come up with great innovations. So do not limit yourselves to these problem statements.

Agriculture and Nutrition

Agriculture is a key sector of the Indian economy, providing both employment and livelihood opportunities to more than 70 percent of the country's population not only in rural but also in the urban areas. Hence economic development in India will only come with agricultural development. Considering the problems faced by the farmers, various schemes have been implemented and agricultural policies have been reframed and tested from time to time. Even with consistent efforts, research and resources used by the government to tackle the situation, there have been recurrent cases of farmer suicides, especially in Maharashtra.

In addition to this, India has the highest proportion of malnourished in the world. More than 50 percent of the pre-school children and pregnant women are anaemic. Mere policies and schemes will not help tackle the problem of nutrition in India. Therefore, we need to come up with apt solutions and innovations to the existing techniques to make India a self-sufficient nation.
Click Here to view the Problem Statements

Community Work

With increasing instances of natural disasters, diseases and other social evils, life has grown into a nightmare for many groups of people like the aged, physically challenged, diseased; those who are physically abused and those who suffer on different grounds. Several individuals and organisations come and go, their efforts leaving significant impacts on the lives of the affected ones; yet there is an urgent need for each one of us to reach out to the needy and extend full support.

Community work is all about bringing positive changes to the life of any group of people, be it privileged or underprivileged.
Click Here to view the Problem Statements

Education and Skill Development

Educated citizens are the architects of a developed nation. In India, more than 25% of the population is illiterate. The female literacy rate is even lower and has had a dramatically negative impact on family planning and population stabilization efforts in India. Lack of quality education is probably one of the major hindrances in the development of our nation. Realizing the role of educated citizens in smooth functioning of a democracy, the government has taken several initiatives in this direction. Irrespective of the socio-economic background, every child now has Right to Education as a fundamental right. Programmes like "Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan", mid-day meal schemes, etc. were launched to empower everyone with the ability to enjoy this right. Despite government programs, India's literacy rate has increased only sluggishly.

We invite those who dream of India to generate the best minds by nurturing their talents and reach the pinnacle of development to make a difference and help us take a step forward.
Click Here to view the Problem Statements

Environment

'Reduce your carbon footprint' is the new buzz all around. Economists and environmentalists are engaged in constant controversies, both parties being anxious about hindering economic progress in the pursuit of sustainable development and eco-system failure in pursuit of establishing economic supremacy, respectively. While governments battle each other on the ecology-versus-development issue, at the micro-level it is the individual, who can make a huge difference with every small step. The products we use, from candy to cars, extract a price from nature. Economising seems to be the best solution to this tricky problem threatening human existence.

The situation in India alone is deplorable. An estimated 60% of cultivated land suffers from soil erosion, water logging, and salinity. Groundwater tables are falling fast and forest cover is under threat. Fragile ecosystems and biodiversity is threatened by uncaring 'development'. As natural resources get snatched away, people are losing not just their present but even their future. Problems like oil spills, nuclear waste, plastic sea, melting ice-caps, increasing industrialization and pollution of all kinds are an indication of the nearing doomsday. The issue thus needs urgent attention from experts and even from novices to the field all alike.

Come, let’s take a brave step in this direction to save our environment and modify the inefficient processes in use today to head towards a Greener and Serene India.
Click Here to view the Problem Statements

Governance

Legislature, Executive Assemblies, Judiciary and Fourth Estate (Media) are the four pillars of Governance in India. Interestingly and wistfully citizens of world's largest democracy are not involved directly in any of these processes. This is a major loophole in the Indian democracy and probably one of the major reasons behind its inefficient functioning.

Gandhiji, father of the nation, had aptly remarked that Indian Independence must begin at the bottom and every citizen ought to be a part of it. Increased participation of people in development programmes, decentralization of planning and implementation have been found to be the solution to several local problems. In the last few years, Right to Information (RTI) has emerged as a powerful tool for exposing corruption and ensuring justice. However, it is important to make people aware of their rights and how they can exercise them.
Click Here to view the Problem Statements

Health and Sanitation

Health is very crucial to the overall development of any nation. No society can progress unless its citizens are healthy. It is disheartening to see the world's second most populous country having the largest pool of patients and the highest proportion of malnourished children in the world. Also, a good number of deaths, especially maternal deaths per year are due to non-availability of blood from donors.

Health is not possible without sanitation. Indians especially in rural areas and urban slums have to be taught about basic sanitation. The severity of the problem in India can be judged from the fact that hardly 33% population has sanitation facility available. Around 400,000 children under five years of age die each year in India due to sanitation related ailments alone. The problem of sanitation has to be resolved urgently. Without Health, we cannot perform and without performance, we cannot succeed. Let us join hands and do the best we can to improve the living standards and help realise everyone’s dream by giving them the righteous gift of Health and Sanitation!
Click Here to view the Problem Statements

Livelihood

"You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves"
-Abraham Lincoln

While adequate measures have been taken to improve the education front in India, little progress is seen in the availability of jobs in the organised sector. Limited job opportunities is a major stumbling block to economic progress for a vast number of Indians. Poor economic conditions then lead to a plethora of other problems. Lower incomes also imply limited buying power in the hands of masses which implies a stagnating demand for products, with all its attendant consequences. Creation of more livelihood opportunities, both, by creating jobs and also by augmenting incomes, thus becomes a crucial task for the economic advancement of the country as a whole.
Click Here to view the Problem Statements

Abstract Stage	10th September, 2011	To be considered for Mentorship Stage, registered teams have to submit their abstract before September 10th in the format specified below the table.
Mentorship Stage	20th September, 2011 - 5th January, 2012	Mentors will be allotted to the shortlisted participants by 20th September. Teams will now work with the mentors to develop their idea, make a project report and a business model. They may also work on a prototype/working model, if relevant. The stages are divided as below.
Mentorship Stage (Idea development) Progress Report	20th September, 2011 - 10th October, 2011	Teams will work on the idea and will submit a progress report of the work done in a pre-defined format on 10th October, 2011.
Mentorship Stage (Idea and Business model development)	10th October, 2011 - 5th November, 2011	Teams will work on developing the idea and also a business model with the help of corporate mentors.
Deadline for registration by open entries	5th October, 2011	Last date for registration of open entries. However, the final report can be submitted till 5th November, 2011.
Project Report	5th November, 2011	A detailed project report with a business/pilot model and a video of the prototype/working model (if relevant) will be submitted in a pre-defined format.
Declaration of shortlisted participants	15th November, 2011	Declaration of shortlisted candidates for presentation during Techfest 2012.
B-Plan Stage	15th November, 2011 - 30th December, 2011	Teams will now work on making a business plan with an executive summary, revenue generation model (if relevant) and may also set up and test a pilot at a small scale (if relevant) to quantify the results.
Final Submission	30th December, 2011	Submission of executive summary, project report and final presentation along with a video of the working model (if relevant)
Presentation Stage	6th-8th January, 2012	Final presentation at Techfest 2012.

Project Report Format

To download the format of the project report,click here

The detailed project report as per the above mentioned format will have to be submitted to inspireindia[at]techfest[dot]org latest by 5th November, 2011. Finalists will be shortlisted on the basis of this report. Selected teams will receive further guidance for making a B-Plan and conducting a pilot test.

Guidelines for Submission

The project report should be mailed to inspireindia[at]techfest[dot]org with the subject "Ideate: Inspire India: Theme: Team Id" (For ex. Ideate: Inspire: Agriculture: II3032). Do not forget to mention your Team Id while sending it. Teams must follow the following details for Project Report:

1. The report must be submitted in pdf format only
   
2. Format for the report must be the same as above
3. Font: Verdana
   
4. Size: 11
   

Final Presentation at Techfest 2012

Finalists will be given a chance to present their projects in front of a panel of VCs and investors. They will receive further guidance, suggestions on improvements and access to a strong network.

Business Plan Template

To download the business plan template, click here

Rules

1. The competition is open to all (students, research scholars and professionals belonging to any age group). All projects being displayed will have a fair chance of receiving further development opportunities offered by funding organizations and venture capitalists.
2. The team may comprise of foreigners. However, the team must cater to a problem existing in India and the social enterprise must be functional in India.
3. Every team has to register online on our website for the competition. A registration number will be allocated to the team on registration which shall be used for future reference.
4. A team can participate at any point of time before 5th October, 2011. However, to get the advantage of a mentor, the team must register and send an abstract before 10th September, 2011.
5. Decision of the judges shall be treated as final and binding on all.
6. Note that at any point of time the latest information will be that which is on the website. However, registered participants will be informed through mail about any changes on the website.

Certificate Policy

Those teams who give a final presentation during Techfest 2012 will be awarded a Certificate of Participation. The top entries from this event will be provided with a Certificate of Excellence.

Team Specification

The participating entries must be in a team of a maximum of 4[four] people. If the participating team feels that their idea requires more participants in their team, they can forward their request, with suitable reasons, to InspireIndia[at]techfest[dot]org with the subject "Ideate: InspireIndia team number increase".

Judging Criteria

1. Significance of the social issue being addressed (The issues should not be the ones that are already being addressed on a large scale successfully)
2. Innovativeness in the problem-solving approach and uniqueness of the solution (The solution must not be trivial or a mere reproduction of already existing solutions. A team may, however, choose to modify an already existing idea that has been successful in solving the problem else-where so as to cater to the needs of its target crowd)
3. Effectiveness of the proposed solution in addressing the actual problem (The idea should be more effective in solving the problem than the existing ones in the same field)
4. Acceptability of the solution in the target crowd/target area (This must be established prior to the final presentation)
5. Social Impact (Widespread and tangible social impact. Scale should be large in terms of the number of people affected or in terms of the quantity of effect)
6. Self-Sustaining model (The model should not continue to incur huge expenses after its implementation. The initial costs should not be too high on a per capita basis and should pay off in a definite period of time. However, this criterion may be over-ruled if everything else is satisfied)
7. Implementable (The ease of initial installation and easy availability of all the required resources other than money)
8. Scalability and Replicability (The idea should be such that it can be easily implemented on a larger scale or replicated in other parts of the country. Ideas addressing only local problems of particular regions will be exempt from this criterion and will not have any disadvantage over other teams so long as criteria 3,4 are satisfied)
9. Sustainability (economic, social and environmental: The idea should not hinder economic progress, should be socially acceptable and environmentally benign)
10. Participation of people in planning and execution
    The last three points are not mandatory. However, teams satisfying those will be given an added advantage.

Results: Final Shortlisting

The following teams have been shortlisted for the final presentation during Techfest 2012.

II 1011	II 1439	II 3298	II 3547	II 3735
II 3876	II 3897	II 4028	II 4220	II 4671
II 4741	II 5549	II 5640	II 5863	II 6515
II 6521	II 6534	II 6546	II 6547	II 6562

Knowledge partners

---

National Social Entrepreneurship Forum
National Social Entrepreneurship Forum (NSEF) is India’s premier youth platform for social innovations with pan-India chapters facilitating the growth of leaders of change. It was founded in 2009 with an aim to inspire the next generation of leaders, bridge the talent inequity in the social sector and foster ecosystems where social change catalysts are created and supported. Since its inception, NSEF has undertaken social entrepreneurial activities in 30 academic institutes and 10 Cities, helped some of disruptive social enterprises to address their biggest challenges by connecting them to talent equipped with the right skills and mindsets to jumpstart their growth and has created a multiplier effect by supporting a number of young social entrepreneurs, impacting thousands of lives in India.
NSEF believes in a collaborative approach to create large scale, systemic social change by leveraging existing networks of social enterprises and has worked in partnership with many other ecosystem evangelists, to accelerate social change making.

Q: Who can participate?
A: Anyone with an idea that can have a positive influence on the Indian society can be a part of Inspire India.
Q: I am not a college student anymore. Can I still participate in the event?
A: Yes. Inspire India is for everyone with an idea and not just for college students.
Q: I am not a citizen of India. However, I have an idea that will also influence the Indian society positively. Can I register for the event?
A: Yes. You can so long as your enterprise is also going to run in India.
Q: I already have an NGO running. However, I still feel that this event is a good platform for me, can I apply?
A: Sure. You are still a part of Inspire India.
Q: Though my enterprise is bound to have a great social impact, it is a for-profit business idea. Can I still be a part of this event?
A: Profit-generating ideas are surely a part of Inspire India so long as they have strong social responsibility.
Q: I can't place my event in any of the mentioned themes. Is there a chance I can still participate?
A: The themes are only to provide some guidelines. Any idea for social change in the Indian society is welcome even if it is outside the domain of the mentioned themes.
Q: What is Governance all about? I am not very clear on it.
A: Governance covers everything that affects daily life. If you have plans to re-route highways, it is essentially a policy change. Any such policy change or ways to increase citizen awareness and participation will come under governance.
Q: I have some policy changes to recommend. They do not have any relation to the themes mentioned but are bound to have a positive influence on the society. Can I be a part of Governance?
A: Yes.
Q: Mine is a pure business idea, but it is going to generate livelihood opportunities for sure. Am I a part of this event?
A: No. Such ideas that are born from the sole purpose of entrepreneurship, will not make a part of Inspire India. Only if the sole motive of your idea is livelihood generation, then you may register.
Q: I have an idea of a technological product that will change the society for the better. However, I do not have the product ready with me. Can I take part in this event?
A: Yes. So long as the technology is promoting social welfare, you may participate. However, you may want to have a look at the other genres under Ideate where you will also find technical mentorship for the development of your product.
Q: What do you mean by a target area or target crowd? My idea is going to work for the whole nation or even the entire globe?
A: In case your idea tackles a regional problem, then you must mention the region. In case it is applicable nation-wide, then you may mention the region where you are planning to run your pilot or start your venture.
Target crowd will include whether your idea caters to the urban poor or the diseased, etc. If you feel that your idea broadly covers all of mankind, then you are free to mention it that way.
Q: How do I prove the existence of a problem? What do I have to provide?
A: You may use some statistics available online taking care that they are the recent ones. Else conducting a random survey among your target crowd will also establish the data. This data itself will validate the existence of the problem.
Q: How do I prove the relevance of my idea as a solution to the problem?
A: Refer to the above question.
Q: I missed the abstract stage for some reasons. Is there any chance I can participate now?
A: Yes. You may still participate as an open entry. You will have to register before October 5th, 2011.
Q: What is a business model?
A: A business model describes the rationale of how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value (economic, social, or other forms of value). It is simply a working description that includes the general details about the operations of a business including such factors as the expenses, revenues, operating strategies, etc.
Q: What is a business plan?
A: A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals.
Q: What is the difference between a business model and a business plan?
A: A business plan is a detailed document with a lot of financial projections. A business model is much less detailed. A business model only describes the specific way the business expects to make money.
Q: What is a revenue generation model?
A: Revenue generation model is a description of how revenue is generated (sales, leasing, subscription, support, etc.) and the cost structure.
Q: My social venture works on funding from different sources. Is that a valid revenue generation model? Can I still be a part of this event?
A: Yes. Your venture need not generate revenue on its own and it can still be a part of Inspire India. However, it must have a foolproof plan of revenue generation even if it is through funding or support.
Q: What is a pilot test?
A: A pilot experiment is a small scale preliminary study conducted before the main research, in order to check the feasibility or to improve the design of the research. They are frequently carried out before large-scale quantitative research, in an attempt to avoid time and money being wasted on an inadequately designed project. A pilot study is usually carried out on members of the relevant population.
Q: What is an executive summary?
A: An executive summary is a short document produced for business purposes that summarizes a longer report in such a way that readers can rapidly become acquainted with a large body of material without having to read it all. It will usually contain a brief statement of the problem or proposal covered in the major document(s), background information, concise analysis and main conclusions. It is intended as an aid to decision making by managers and has been described as possibly the most important part of a business plan.