ENACTUS JEMTEC Case Study: Social Entrepreneurship in India

This case study examines ENACTUS JEMTEC, exploring the principles and practices of social entrepreneurship. It highlights the advantages of social enterprises, emphasizing their focus on creating value for society, generating income, and offering innovative solutions that are people and environment-friendly. The case study delves into the characteristics of social entrepreneurs, their motivations, and their impact on areas such as rural empowerment and socio-economic change. It uses Dr. Chandrasekhar Sankurathri as a case study and provides insights into the financial prudence of social entrepreneurship, including its focus on economic sustainability, environmental care, and fair compensation. The study also touches upon the challenges and rewards associated with social ventures, showcasing how they can contribute to the betterment of society, particularly for those at the bottom of the pyramid. This case study provides a comprehensive overview of social entrepreneurship, its key elements, and its potential for positive change, making it a valuable resource for students and professionals interested in this field.

ENACTUS JEMTEC | CASE STUDY CODE: ENTCJTC03
Business of SDGs are the business of
the future
Abstract
Social enterprises tend to operate with a purpose of creating value for the society and also
generate income (if not wealth). This may be viewed as a catalyst for Rural Empowerment.
The solutions they offer are innovative, unique, people and environment friendly. Cost
effectiveness is also a huge consideration. All of these are challenges to the sustainability of
social enterprises, but the ones that are able to scale these are the ones that are able to
create a huge impact! They are the enterprises that are advantageous to the society, people
and the environment. Social entrepreneurship has witnessed a boom in the past few years
with more and more people getting attracted to it. There is now a healthy trend and world
class graduates from IIT’s, IIM’s are giving up lucrative jobs to work and contribute in
meaningful ways towards the betterment of the society. This is essential move for
Socio-Economic Change. As Bill Drayton would say it aptly ‘Social entrepreneurs are not
content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have
revolutionized the entire fishing industry’. Such is the passion and the commitment required
to be called a social entrepreneur that it may not be inappropriate to say that it is much more
challenging than traditional entrepreneurship!
The paper deals briefly as a case study of successful Social Entrepreneurship with one of
the outstanding examples of how a human being with indomitable spirit and undying
commitment can turn his personal adversity into an opportunity to serve, heal and extend
helping hand to the poor, sick, hungry, homeless and the hopeless in the remote rural and
tribal areas of AP and Telangana States besides touching up on Rural Empowerment &
Entrepreneurship for Socio-Economic Change.
Introduction
It is about identifying a social problem and then forming a social venture to bring about a
solution. The field of social entrepreneurship is rapidly growing and attracting the attention of
numerous volunteers. It has now become a common term in university campuses. The
reason behind the increasing popularity of this product is that individuals get to do what they
have been thinking for long. The extraordinary people put their brilliant ideas and bring a
change in society against all odds. In fact, there is a new wave of thinking which is all
pervading in the Indian society now, paving the way for spiritual capitalism.
Though there is no profit motive in the inception of the venture, there is indeed a great need
for profit generation for carrying on the business further and bringing about a positive change
in the society. The social entrepreneurs also think and act like any other entrepreneurs but
little differently with empathy for the cause of society to extend their helping hand for others.
And they generate revenues though profit is not their prime motive. Doing good without
charity is their mission. This helps Rural Empowerment for Socio-Economic Change. The
Founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus is a contemporary social
entrepreneur who has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his venture in the year 2006.

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The venture has been continuously growing and benefiting a large number of weaker
sections of the society in that country with. Rang De is another brilliant example of a
non-profit social enterprise. Established in the year 2008 by Shri Rama krishna and Mrs.
Smita Ram, it is an online platform from where rural and urban poor people in India can
access micro-credits with an interest rate of as low as 2 percent per annum. Lenders from all
across the country can directly lend money to borrowers, track investments and receive
regular payments online. The George Foundation is one more recognized social enterprise.
The Women’s Empowerment Program creates awareness among women by providing them
education, vocational training, cooperative farming, business development and savings
planning. By employing the principles of social entrepreneurship, these organizations are
addressing the social problems and bringing a positive change in the society without losing
economic sense.
Advantages of Social & Rural Enterprises
Social & Rural enterprises tend to operate with a purpose of creating value for the society
and also generate income (if not wealth). As a thumb rule, the solutions they offer are
supposed to be innovative, unique, people and environment friendly. Cost effectiveness is
also a huge consideration. All of these are challenges to the sustainability of social
enterprises, but the ones that are able to scale these are the ones that are able to create a
huge impact! They are the enterprises that are advantageous to society, people and the
environment. Since social enterprises typically deal with people who live at the bottom of the
pyramid, they are the ones who are benefited to take advantage hugely from the former. In
other words, social enterprises are beneficial to the poor, generally by providing them with
means of livelihood and improvement of their quality of life.
Cost effectiveness is a major advantage of a social enterprise. The solutions offered by
these organisations in the form of either products or services are reasonable compared to
the same service provided by a profit making organisation. No wonder bask amenities like
healthcare, education etc have become very affordable to people world over with the help of
these institutions. Micro finance, for example, today caters not to the poor but to the poorest!
Who is a social entrepreneur?
A social entrepreneur is somebody who takes up a pressing social problem and meets it with
an innovative or path breaking solution. Since profit making is a secondary objective, they
are people who are passionate and determined about what they do. They possess a very
high level of motivation and are visionaries who aim at bringing about a change in the way
things are. Social entrepreneurs are great people recruiters who present their ideas or
solutions in a way that many people, who are either part of the problem or surrounding it,
recognise a need for change and get onboard the change bandwagon. Thus, mobilizing the
masses for bringing about change is the hallmark of a social entrepreneur.
Social entrepreneurs operate with an aim of changing the face of society. Be it health,
sanitation, education, environment, human rights, they are present everywhere. There are
people even who work on bringing about change in the modern innovations because their
impact has been detrimental to human life. They thus work towards improving systems,
creating new solutions, laying down fair practices.

ENACTUS JEMTEC | CASE STUDY CODE: ENTCJTC03
The social entrepreneurs with abundant will power, determination, purity of purpose, sense
of equity, spirit of selflessness cross all boundaries to mitigate the miseries of millions of
people. They ardently believe that the principles of management are useful to achieve a
greater common benefit to the needy. The social entrepreneurs are amply clear that poverty
is a multi-faceted problem with extreme complexities due to very meagre income, lack of
literacy and malnutrition. In developing economies like India lack of empowerment and lack
of opportunities force large populations particularly in rural and tribal areas to lead a very
substandard quality of life with less or no self esteem and dignity.
Some of the very eminent people who inspire others and become role models to take up
social entrepreneurship are:
Susan B Anthony: was the Co-Founder of the first women’s temperance movement and a
prominent American civil rights leader for women’s rights in the 19th century.
Vinobha Bhave: is a prominent figure in Indian modern history and was the founder and
leader of the land gift movement that helped reallocate land to poorer and weaker sections.
Maria Montessori: a pioneer in education. Developed the Montessori approach to early
education and personality development of children.
Florence Nightingale: she laid the foundation for the First School of Nurses and worked to
improve the hospital conditions providing great relief and solace to the sick.
Margaret Sanger: She was the founder and Leader of the Planned Parenthood Federation
of America, championed the family planning system around the world.
These are examples of some people who fought for what they believed in and brought about
varying degrees of change in their respective spheres of work. Social entrepreneurship has
witnessed a boom in the past few years with more and more people getting attracted to it.
There is now a healthy trend and world class graduates including IIT’s, IIM’s are giving up
lucrative jobs to work and contribute in meaningful ways towards the betterment of the
society.
As Bill Drayton would say it aptly ‘Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or
teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the entire fishing industry’.
Such is the passion and the commitment required to be called a social entrepreneur that it
may not be inappropriate to say that it is much more challenging than traditional
entrepreneurship!
There is an exhaustive list of several successful social entrepreneurs who sense the need
and requirement to meet the basic necessities of common people jump into the bandwagon
of social entrepreneurship thereby meeting their inner urge of social service and sacrifice.
Providing RO water at Rupees two, nutritious ice creams at rupees three for mid day meal
scheme of school children, canteens for daily wage earners, toilet facility at least price, skill
and technical training etc.
Financial Prudence of Social Entrepreneurship

ENACTUS JEMTEC | CASE STUDY CODE: ENTCJTC03
Not Mere Profit Maximization: It is not just profit or share holders wealth maximization but
with an objective to overcome poverty or deal with some social problems like primary
education, nutrition, healthcare, environment and in the process with the usage of latest
technology
Economic Sustainability: A social business entrepreneur is not expected to take funds
from outside like grants etc perennially. The entrepreneur is supposed to invest and sustain
and become viable in due course.
No Concern on Return on Investment (ROI): Entrepreneurs of a social business are not
expected to take money beyond their investment and are not expected to take dividend on
their investment.
Plough back the dividend: Social Entrepreneurs do like to reinvest any profit proceeds into
the same business for further improvement and expansion aimed at increasing the scale of
business and quality of services to the expanding segments of population.
Care for Environment: Social Entrepre neurs do take care of the environment and keep it
green both directly and indirectly in the form of their operations, marketing, sales etc.
Fair Compensation: Social Entrepre neurs always desire to pay their employees a fair
compensation, as per the industry benchmark and provide them with better working
conditions and quality of life
Zeal for Society: Social Entrepreneurs are expected to have an unending passion for
contributing to the Society Since social business is not with the objective of profit
maximization. They are expected to do their business in an environment of joy and not in an
unhealthy competition and acute stress.
Srikiran- A Case Study on Social Entrepreneurship
The following is one of the outstanding brief case studies of how a human being with
indomitable spirit and undying commitment can turn his personal adversity into an
opportunity to serve, heal and extend helping hand to the poor, sick, hungry, homeless and
the hopeless in the remote rural and tribal areas of AP and Telangana States:
Dr. Chandrasekhar Sankurathri, fondly called by his friends and followers as Dr. Chandra
has completed his B.Sc.(Hons.) and M.Sc. in Zoology at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam,
Andhra Pradesh. Later on he joined Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada and
obtained his M.S. degree in Biology followed by Ph.D. degree from the University of Alberta,
Canada. Dr. Chandra worked as a visiting scientist for the Ministry of Fisheries, in Canada
and as an Scientific Evaluator for Canada's Ministry of Health.
Dr. Chandra married Manjari during 1975 at Kakinada, AP. Together they had a son,
Srikiran, and a daughter, Sarada. Manjari, Srikiran and Sarada were killed in the Air India
Flight 182 (Kanishk) bombing on 23 June 1985 off the coast of Ireland when they were
travelling from Ottawa to Delhi.

ENACTUS JEMTEC | CASE STUDY CODE: ENTCJTC03
Following this tragic incident, Dr. Chandra resigned from his job in Canada and returned to
India in 1988. He established the Manjari Sankurathri Memorial Foundation in 1989 in
memory of his late wife, which is a registered Charity in Canada. He established the
Sankurathri Foundation in India in memory of his family in 1989. The Foundations goals are
to improve the quality of life of needy people in the rural and remote areas of Andhra
Pradesh. Established Sarada Vidyalayam in 1992 in his late daughter’s name, which is a
High school to provide free education for rural poor children. He also established Srikiran
Institute of Ophthalmology, a premier Institute for eye care services in 1993, which is named
after his late son.
Sankurathri Foundation was registered as a non-profit organization in India with the purpose
of improving the quality of life for the destitute and downtrodden in the society. It is
implementing educational programs through Sarada Vidyalayam, health care programs
through Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology and disaster relief programs through Spandana.
All the activities are being organized from Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, serving a population
of over five million. Dr. Chandra lives on site and supervises all internal programs and
outreach campaigns.
By establishing Srikiran Institute of Ophthalmology in 1993 with a mission to "provide quality
eye care which is accessible, affordable and equitable " and provided eye care to 24 lakhs
outpatients (65% free for poor) and restored eyesight to more than 2,28,376 through cataract
operations (90% free for poor and needy). This is the only eye hospital in India doing this
service to the rural poor and downtrodden.
In order to realize the mission of providing accessible eye care to the rural and tribal people,
an active community outreach program was initiated in 1993 to take eye care to the
doorsteps of the needy. So far 2,307 free eye camps were organized in remote and rural
areas and provided eye care to the rural people. To provide the eye care accessible to the
children, it has conducted 1,073 children’s eye screening camps.
This is the biggest chain of eye care hospitals in Andhra Pradesh and performs about 14,000
surgeries per year. Srikiran is also providing various training programs for Ophthalmologists
and Paramedical personnel. By establishing eight Vision Centers (Tuni, Peddapuram,
Mandapeta, Jagannaickpur, Mummidivaram, Narsipatnam, Draksharama and Juvvalapalem
in the State of AP) eye care is being provided closer to home for 10 lakhs population in the
rural and remote tribal areas. Srikiran is the only center performing cornea transplantation
surgeries and LASIK procedure in Kakinada. Till now successfully performed 1,151 corneal
transplantations and 141 LASIK procedures in the area. This is the only hospital providing all
specialty eye care services so that common people from the region need not travel long
distances for eye care treatments.
When it started 28 years ago, the mission was to improve the quality of life of the poor and
downtrodden through various interventions. But after commencement of their work with
limited resources, lack of support from Governments and lack of support from the public has
forced the Foundation to seek ways to sustain the programs in order to serve the needy
people. The donations were not enough to maintain the programs because of annual
increases due to inflation coupled with increase in the number of beneficiaries seeking help.

ENACTUS JEMTEC | CASE STUDY CODE: ENTCJTC03
This has provoked them to find the solutions for this challenge and the only way for them
was to become a social entrepreneur.
Hence the Foundation has designed the program in such a way to be able to sustain the
Projects by generating about 60% of the operating expenses by 2015. The educational
programs and vocational training programs through Sarada Vidyalayam established in 1992
in order to provide quality education to the children of people belonging to below poverty line
segment and Srikiran vocational training centre to train rural youth in job oriented skill
training are completely free while the eye hospital is able to generate some income due to
high quality services provided to the patients who can afford to pay for their treatments or
surgeries. This approach has helped them to stabilize and sustain. With clear awareness
they maintain high quality to attract more paid patients particularly from Companies and
Corporates. That itself calls for more investments like, procuring the best medical equipment,
competent doctors and decent ambience for the patients. But this investment is essential to
generate more income in order to survive and progress to expand their services to many
more people in many more areas in these two States. The above is only half story. The
Foundation also established ‘Spandana’ to help the needy in times of natural disasters and
to help the destitute believing that every project need not be profitable provided it offers the
most powerful solutions.
Conclusions
These kind of NGOs will pave a path and concrete road map for the coming years and
during this period they are not only increasing the capacity of their services but also
changing the mixture of the patients to be able to self sustain the programs without
depending on any donations or support from various sources without compromising on its
basic vision, mission and values i.e. accessibility, affordability, equity, quality and empathy.
These are the values of these agencies which are to be preserved forever. These
Foundations are to be adaptable to change according to the times, to be able to withstand
the present conditions and also sustain the programs so that they can always take care of
the lower strata of people. Ultimately what the Foundation seeks and drives them is the
principle that education, health care, human dignity are fundamental rights of all human
beings, but not exclusively for few people and found that social entrepreneurship is the best
means to achieve Rural Empowerment which inturn leads to Socio-Economic Change.
Questions of Research
1. Devise your own idea which can be counted as one of the world’s SDG startups.
2. Has the COVID-19 crisis opened a window of opportunity for the Sustainability
agenda?
3. Not every SDG goal makes sense to pursue for every company. Where are the ‘white
spaces’ of opportunities and where is there sufficient innovation density to promote
partnerships?