Pitroda to lead 100 social innovators in Delhi

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Leading US-based inventor, entrepreneur and technocrat Sam Pitroda will lead nearly 100 young social innovators to discuss how technology can make social enterprises more effective at a day-long session in New Delhi on January 21, 2012.

Sam Pitroda, currently advisor to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on public information infrastructure and innovations says, ''Through technology we begin to think about things differently. How do we bring about generational change? How do you expedite the process of modernization and development?

He added that the action for India is ultimately a movement for the world that will bring young talent together to think about new ways, new processes, new products, in a whole different paradigm for human development.

The session on ''Leveraging Technology for Scaling Impact'' will be chaired by Microsoft research's technology for emerging markets unit head Ed Cutrell, said a press release.

‘Action For India’ believes that social entrepreneurs make a real difference to the everyday lives of real people and are India's best hope for long-term, large scale social change.

“To unleash the innovation potential in the country we need to tap into the creative energy of our young entrepreneurs," added Pitroda who guides Action For India (AFI) as the honorary chairman.

Young social innovators, under the age of 40, who have made significant impact with their innovations in the field of agriculture, education, energy, livelihoods and healthcare, will place their specific needs before technology providers such as Nokia, Intel, M Power forum from Spice group and Microsoft, and seek their support for widening impact by covering larger audiences at the ‘Action For India Forum 2012’.

''India is full of creative, driven, young people who have innovative solutions to the problems around them. Some are already actively using technology; others may not yet realize how technology can help. By pairing these youth with technology experts, mentors and resources, we shall use technology to make things happen faster and better,'' says Sanjay Kadaveru, founder and president, Action For India and a charter member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).

The panel will include Anil Swarup, director general for Labour Welfare and the man behind the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana; C P Das, Akshaya Patra and William Bissell, Fabindia.

To make the deliberations meaningful for the 100 young social innovators sector specific and cross sector break-out sessions are planned. Participants are already reaching out, electronically, to other participants and sector specific expert mentors.

Action for India is partnering with TiE Delhi-NCR, IIT Alumni, Deshpande Foundation, Nasscom Foundation, National Social Entrepreneurship Forum, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, IIM, Ahmedabad, Sankalp Forum, IDEX, Nishith Desai Associates, Dasra and Ashoka, organisations active in the social entrepreneurship, technology and innovation space to offer their resources, especially the expertise of experienced members to young social innovators, the release added.