Social innovation as a concept has acquired new meaning in today’s world, as socio-economic challenges loom large. There is an urgent need for responsible ways to handle these challenges and create impactful solutions for them. To that end, social innovators are working relentlessly at the confluence of technology, economics, and social good. Despite their readiness to address the challenges, they lack access to the right resources.

Infosys Foundation, the CSR arm of Infosys, has launched the third edition of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards to further social innovation in India.

The Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2023 seek to encourage and reward individuals, social entrepreneurs, and NGOs developing unique technology-based solutions that have the potential to bring about a significant difference to the underprivileged across India, at scale. Infosys Foundation will commit up to Rs 50 lakh per winner, with a total award of Rs 2 crore.

Nominations for the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2023 will be evaluated by a panel of judges from prominent industries, technological backgrounds, and with an experience in grassroots innovations.

The Awards will accept submissions across three categories:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Women Empowerment

Who can apply?

Entries are open for all Indian citizens of 18 years and above who are residing in the country.

The final winners will be evaluated on the below criteria:

• Application to a social problem or need, with a potential to scale
• Innovative use of technology, with a focus on sustainability
• Originality of ideas and ease of use
• Quality of presentation

How can you apply?

• Interested applicants must visit the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards website and can submit their entries, describing their work, in the form of videos which can be uploaded.
• Last date for submission is March 12, 2023.

In many ways, invention and transformation can bring about new eras of inspired action, thought, and change. Social innovation is helping solve some of the world’s most pressing problems with new solutions. In the process of creating solutions, it is also profoundly changing beliefs, basic practices, resources, and social power structures. Social innovation also provides a unique opportunity to step back from a narrow way of thinking about social enterprises and business engagement and to recognise the connections between various factors and stakeholders.

In 2019, the winners of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards were selected from a pool of more than 1,700 entries. Dr Binita S Tunga and Dr Rashbehari Tunga’s innovation of a single device for the detection of the three most prevalent mosquito-borne diseases — dengue, chikungunya, and malaria — was one of the Gold Winners, while Rohit Patel’s low-cost onion storage solution, which preserves onions for the entire duration of the monsoon season ensuring continuous supply, was one of the Silver Winners. Read more about the 2019 winners here.

“At Infosys Foundation, we firmly believe that new ideas and innovation will be critical to addressing some of India’s greatest social challenges, be it in education, healthcare, or women empowerment. The Aarohan Social Innovation Awards further this very aim by recognising grassroots innovations that bring about social good at scale. With the 2023 edition of the Awards, we hope to carry this momentum forward by encouraging and rewarding innovators across the country to build inclusive, cost-effective, and sustainable technology-based solutions that can improve the lives of the underprivileged,” shares Sumit Virmani, Trustee, Infosys Foundation.

The dedication to solving a real-world problem leads one to life-altering ideas and heart-touching innovations. Infosys Foundation’s Aarohan Social Innovation Awards has people participating from all walks of life, driven by the need to create better and more inclusive societies.

To know more about Aarohan Social Innovation Awards,