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Social Enterprises Talk

 The ISB (Indian School of Business, Mohali Campus) has a ChangeMakers League. They organised a talk cum discussion on Social Enterprises. I was the Key Note speaker along with Shri Nekram Sharma, Padam Shri 2023 (for his work on Millets in HP). My talk centred around the concept of Social Enterprises and Impact Based Entrepreneurship and the experience I have had or come across over the years and the commercial aspects of such enterprises and the main characteristics of such enterprises. The need to build up a coherent structure, knowledge of not only your own field but of finance and taxation, building a team, fund raising, risk management, building credibility and transparency and acceptability, modes of developing project and incorporating the beneficiaries, empowerment and the mode, with examples of a Dairy Unit in Bilaspur, a dry fodder blocks project in Punjab with farmers and catering to HP etc were the main inputs. Plus the legal aspects of such social enterprises and the need to associate with the Government and major CSR arms. A balance between the ideal and the real world was also taken up. This was quite well appreciated. There was a tastefully designed exhibition too of some social enterprises. The North West requires more such enterprises and support from the corporate world.






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