On the 15th of November, ten outstanding eco-inclusive enterprises gathered in New Delhi and two walked away with SEED Awards. Selected out of 93 applicants with innovative ideas in waste management or green ICT, each of the ten finalists pitched their business idea to the audience. A jury of high-level experts announced the results: The two winning eco-inclusive enterprises of the 2016 SEED Awards in India are Green the Map and Waste Ventures India!

The two Indian enterprises will join a global network of more than 220 eco-inclusive enterprises that have received a SEED Award since 2005. The SEED Awards recognise promising, innovative and locally-led social and environmental enterprises that contribute to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The winners are provided with a package of networking and capacity-building support to increase their ability to scale up and expand their activities,. This comprehensive support programme will boost these enterprises to deliver social, environmental and economic impact through the sustainable use of resources and empowerment of local communities.

The Awards Ceremony was part of a two-day Stakeholder Dialogue for prototyping policy and finance instruments to scale innovation in the waste management and green ICT sectors in India. The aim was to design and discuss innovative prototype instruments to promote both sectors in India.

Participants ranged from eco-inclusive entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, investors and development experts to actors from the private sector. Some of the issues addressed throughout the discussions were, among others, how to build a sustainable financial model; how to bring philanthropy/grant money and commercial money together; the implementation of existing laws on recycling; and how to raise awareness for ICT solutions. The event was also an opportunity for participants to meet other actors in the eco-inclusive enterprise field as well as share experiences.

Tanja Feldmann, Portfolio Manager at GIZ India, presented the Awards, recognizing the achievements of these eco-inclusive pioneers in their respective sector. Furthermore, in their panel discussion, the jury members celebrated the contribution of eco-inclusive enterprises to green and inclusive growth in the Indian economy. The SEED India Jury gathered high-level experts from a wide range of sectors, namely Dr. Ajay Kumar, Government of India; Anubhav Kapoor, Tata Technologies; Karon Shaiva, Idobro; Namita Vikas, Yes Bank Ltd; Naveen Jha, Deshpande Foundation; Sameer Unhale, Clean India Campaign and Shrashtant Patara, Technology and Action for Rural Advancement.

The two 2016 SEED Awards in India are funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and implemented in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

 

Meet the SEED 2016 India Award Winners

Green the Map

Green the Map recycles waste and organic materials and provides a retail network for upcycled products. By manufacturing and marketing these innovative products, the enterprise generates livelihoods for marginalised sections of society while contributing to tackling urban waste problems and spreading environmental consciousness.

Waste Ventures India

Waste Ventures India operates Toter, a mobile app and website which offers Indian households and businesses convenient doorstep collection of waste. Acting as an intermediary by selling the collected recyclables, the enterprise empowers waste pickers and scrap pickers while mitigating the negative impacts of waste on the environment.