When Anuradha Kedia and Dhimant Parekh co-founded The Better India in 2009, it was with a simple aim — to show an underreported and underrepresented faction of news, one that could highlight the stories of people silently brewing revolutions in different corners of the country.
The Better India (TBI) has ushered a whole new positive movement in the country – by using the power of stories to effect large-scale social impact. It is the world’s largest positive stories platform publishing in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Bangla & Marathi. It unearths stories of ordinary unsung heroes, community change-makers, remarkable ideas and ground-breaking innovations that often go unnoticed by traditional media.
Through all the growth over these years, our mission – to inspire every citizen to become a force of good – has remained unchanged. Today, we are proud to announce that The Better India has been selected as one of the four finalists of the prestigious ‘Social Entrepreneur of the Year’ India Award for 2023.
Launched by the Swiss non-profit Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in partnership with Jubilant Bhartia Foundation, the award seeks to recognise social innovators across India who have “transformed lives and communities through their exceptional socio-business initiatives”.
The Better India inspires millions of Indians on a daily basis to be a part of a movement of change. It has undertaken several impactful campaigns that have brought long-lasting change in the country. TBI’s stories have led to positive changes in government policies, brought water & sanitation in villages, helped farmers come out of poverty, raised funds for slum schools, taken social enterprises global and much more.
We are also honoured to find ourselves among the august company of awe-inspiring finalists including Dr Aparna Hegde, founder of the women’s healthcare non-profit Armman; Bijal Brahmbhatt, who works for equitable and improved habitats and housing for women from vulnerable communities; and Dr Shuchin Bajaj, whose venture Ujala Cygnus Healthcare aims to deliver affordable and accessible to low-income groups.
A total of 110 participants applied for this year’s awards. Schwab Foundation and Jubilant Bhartia Foundation carried extensive research on applicants focusing on addressing inequalities and marginalisation, the reach and effect of the impact created, the sustainability of the changes these organisations inspired, and what uniqueness each participant brought to the table.
The winner, once announced on 25 August 2023 in New Delhi, will join Schwab Foundation’s prestigious community of social innovators, who have been part of this vibrant cohort for 25 years.