Creating Managing and Leading Social Enterprises

Individual Assignment I

Submitted By,
Sherin V S
0338/51
IIM Calcutta

1. Reflect over your unique skills, networks and resources that you can leverage in
order to champion social change.
What is the one societal problem - lets call it your effectual domain - which you can
address with these skills, resources and networks you have? Be as specific as
possible while defining the problem in terms of region, beneficiaries.
I strongly believe that addressing social issues have a lot to do with the background we all are
born to. In order to put it into a more classy term, lets call it the social capital. Let me start with
the brief time line of my life so far;

Now to focus on special skills I developed over this period;

Technical Skills;

Basic Computer Skills

Programming
System Administration
MS Office

Social Skills;

I found it difficult to put in words. Basic communication skills, ability to understand a problem,
ability to find a logical solution to it is one thing I am capable of. I have been to villages and
cities, so I am able to contrast the differences. As a part of my job, I got a lot of chances to
interact with lot of SHGs (KudumbaShree) and MNREGA workers. So I am aware of some of
the grass root issues. During my preparation for IRMA, I came across lot of articles about the
rural empowerment. So I have descent understanding about those issues.
Networks;

UG friends, they are running a startup called Graffity Software Solutions which I was
part of
Once a volunteer for MAD (Make a Difference) an NGO focusing on child
empowerment, good contacts over there
My batch mates from IIM Calcutta, the diversity among them bring in more expertise

Resources;

The startup I mentioned, Graffity Software Solutions. Technical resources and man
power
Knowledge base of IIM Calcutta

Effectual Domain: Power distribution in SHGs

(The basic analysis of this problem statement is done based on the Kudumbashree model of State
Government of Kerala.)
Kudumbashree
Launched by the Government of Kerala in 1998 for wiping out absolute poverty from the State
through concerted community action under the leadership of Local Self Governments,
Kudumbashree is today one of the largest women-empowering projects in the country. The
program has 41 lakh members and covers more than 50% of the households in Kerala. Built
around three critical components, micro credit, entrepreneurship and empowerment, the
Kudumbashree initiative has today succeeded in addressing the basic needs of the less privileged
women, thus providing them a more dignified life and a better future. Literal meaning of
Kudumbashree is prosperity (shree) of family (Kudumbam).
Organizational Structure of CBO (Community Based Organization)

NHG (Neighborhood Group): The lowest tier constitutes The Neighborhood Group consisting
of 10-20 women members from economically backward families.
ADS (Area Development Society): The second tier is the Area Development Society, which is
formed at ward level by federating all the NHGs in the ward. The activities of the ADS are
decided by the representatives of the women elected from various NHGs.
CDS (Community Development Society): At the Panchayat / Municipal level a Community
Development Society (CDS), a registered body under the Travancore-Cochin Literacy Scientific
and Charitable Societies Act is formed by federating all ADSs in the Panchayats.

Struggle for Power

Kudumbashree was a movement started in 1998, a female-oriented, community-based, poverty
reduction project of Government of Kerala. The primary objective was to mobilize people to
access various funds under the micro finance scheme. The NHGs have a flat structure in nature
and ADS and CDS units comes in the hierarchy. The CDS in the Panchayath level and ADS in
the ward level started a spirited competition with the political members of the Board of
Panchayath and this competition created more conflict when both parties headed by various
political group members. A survey repot conducted by CUSAT (Cochin University of Science
and technology) reports that 60% of conflicts and structural imbalance occurs when the
leadership of CDS/ADS and the Board of Panchayath is from different political groups. The
difficulties faced by the NHG members are resultant of the power imbalance. According to
which political group represents CDS/ADS, NHG members were forced to attend political rallies
and meetings (From the CUSAT report).
One of the major issue NHGs faced was social exclusion. Even though the participation level
was higher with Kudumbashree, the non-participation of poorest households resulted in social
exclusion. The issue was mainly because people in the poorest household find it extremely
difficult to hold a leadership role and some time there financial situations restricted them to even
participate in NHGs.

Transparency was another issue with NHGs, women who played the leadership roles in NHGs
had a better financial and educational advantage than other members of the group. Most of the
time this resulted in favoring a particular set of members inside the NHGs. The benefits were not
equally distributed, mishandling of funds became another issue, the women who ever in the
leadership found it easy to fool the uneducated members.
There were lot of SHG models developed on the basis of Kudumbshree later, but the core issues
were remained the same.
How to address this issue?
Expertise required;
Technical Support A web based platform to build an online accounting system for SHGs.
Panchayath wise outlets for information access.
Human Resource To carry out transparency program targeted to the SHG members. Educate
the members from poorest of households to access information from panchayath wise
information outlets.
Proposed Model one thing SHGs focus on empowering women, but it misses out on women
with low educational and financial security. So the proposed model is a platform to build basic
awareness to those people, were educating them requires much attention. These institutes will
also focus on helping them overcoming their insecurities. The web based model is to ensure that
the ADS/CDS can also monitor the performance of NHGs on weekly basis. It reduces the
corruption taking place in NHGs. The resources required includes financial investment which
provides the tools for NHGs for their weekly accounting. Technical are will focus on developing
a platform which is effortless and easy to access. A monthly based survey of all members of the
NHGs is also a part of this model. Were the tab model accounting system also features an
application for monthly feedback system of members. This will also connected to the panchayath
wise centers.
The proposed model is to increase the transparency of operations in NHGs. In Kerala Akshaya
centers act as a panchayath wise information access centers to a certain limit. These model can
be implemented on other States to address the issues.

2. a) Provide an overview of the different actors (individuals, organizations, coalitions)

who have been working to solve problems in a sector of your interest. What
advances have been made?
The Social Entrepreneurship Dilemma
India, home to 1.25 billion certainly lack an entrepreneurship culture which focus on the
bottom of the pyramid and rural livelihood. A country where the much successful
entrepreneurship model like Flipkart exist, the want to be Sachin Bhansal model
entrepreneurs are plenty. But to focus on societal impact, profit through a non-profit
mode of operation, there are very less models and very less aspirants.
Jagriti Yatra is an initiative of Jagriti Sewa Sansthan, a non-governmental organization
that promotes social entrepreneurship among youth.
Vision:

The vision of Jagriti Yatra is to build India through enterprises. The program which
targets the youth from middle of the diamond (200M), and inspire them to take leadership
in the development of the society by their own enterprises. The Jagriti Yatra was an
initiative which started in 2008, 15 days 8000 km 12 destinations 15 role models
450 yatris were the motto of the yatra. During these years, around 50,000 yatris were
participated in the program.
The Jagriti Yatra focuses on seven vertical of developments
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Agriculture
Education
Energy
Healthcare
Manufacturing
Water & Sanitation
Arts & Culture & Sports
The Yatris visits organizations such as Barefoot College, SELCO, Goonj on their travel to
visit role models. The amount of entrepreneurs build out of the program sums upto a large
number year after year. The program is funded by Tata foundation, today, Jagriti Yatra
continues to be supported by a variety of companies, trusts and individuals, including Dell,
Google, Coca-Cola, and Cairn India.
The other organizations works on the similar issues are like Entrepreneurship
Development Institute of India, an autonomous and not-for-profit institute, set up in
1983, is sponsored by the IDBI Bank Ltd., IFCI Ltd., ICICI Bank Ltd. and State Bank of

India (SBI). Students are taught to identify opportunities and check on their feasibility.
Through mentoring and guidance the students prepare a business plan. They are given a
platform to pitch their ideas to banks and investors, so that they can launch their own
venture.
TSEC, TATA Social Enterprise Challenge, is a joint initiative by the TATA group and
the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta), a National Level challenge
to find Indias most promising social enterprises. Also aimed at raising awareness about
Social Entrepreneurship, TATA Social Enterprise Challenge aims to encourage the youth
to step up to be the next generation of social entrepreneurs.

b) Pick any two organizations working in a sector of your interest. With available
secondary data compare their (social) business models on a business model canvas.
Which one has a more robust model according to you? Why?
Renewable Energy Sector
SELCO
ONergy

Business Model Canvas of SELCO

Business Model Canvas of ONergy

SELCO edges out ONergy in terms of expertise, its largely based on the amount of years in the
industry. SELCO founded in 1995 and ONergy founded in 2009.
The type of services and mode of operation is same for both industry. The amount of rural
coverage SELCO have over the period is 2,00,000 + solar home lighting systems in 20 years.
ONergize over 1 million rural lives by 2016 and impact to 10 million lives by 2022 is the
mission stated by ONergy. So irrespective of choosing best out of two, its crucial to appreciate
both the organizations on their amount of impact on rural livelihoods.