Qonect,Urdhvam Environmental Technologies and Green Freedom win PIC Social Innovation Award 2021
Pune : (P&V News service) : Manipur based Qonect , Pune based Urdhvam Environmental Technologies and Mumbai based Green Freedom have bagged this year’s Social Innovation Awards given by Pune International Centre ( PIC). The winners were awarded in tribal, rural and urban categories respectively in presence of Chief Guest and Founder Chair, Manndeshi Bank and Foundation, Ms. Chetana Gala Sinha, Abhay Vaidya Director PIC , Mandar Joshi Head- Social Innovation Lab, PIC , Geetanjali Patil Choori Founder Energy Guru, Reema Sathe Founder Happy Roots .
The awards were given away at the valedictory function of 9th National Conference on Social Innovation (NCSI), a flagship event of the Pune International Centre (PIC) .
Qonect (Churachandpur) has developed a free digital health card that offers instant loans and discounts for medical expenses. Urdhvam(Pune ) Environmental Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Offers patented rainwater harvesting technology that recharges and revives dry and low-yielding bore wells at affordable cost while Green Freedom Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai)has developed the Impact App which is India’s second-largest rewards for fitness app, aiming to spread health and wellness
The winners were awarded a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each and a two year mentorship program from PIC Social Innovation Lab. The two day virtual program saw 18 finalists across three categories who were selected from over 140 entries from across 24 states.
In her key note address Ms. Chetana Gala Sinha said that the younger generation of today has much more bigger vision of people and planet . These young innovators will make India valuable . They are putting in time , energy , hardwork , persistence and also taking risk and the country should be proud of all of these youngsters . Our Country needs passionate people like these . Any sustainable index will be achieved only through young passionate innovators. Sharing her own experience of working with last mile rural communities she added that I have learnt a lot from ordinary women doing extraordinary things and thinking beyond themselves. Their vision may not come from books, you understand their vision with your experience of working with them .
The two day conference saw various sessions on tribal, rural and urban innovations which included presentations by the participants and interaction with various experts. NCSI 2021 has been organised by PIC along with National Innovation Foundation, Ahmedabad and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS, Mumbai) and provides innovators a platform to showcase their innovations and offer them several benefits.
Girendra kasmalkar , Director Ideas to Impacts and member and mentor at PIC proposed the vote of thanks
