NASSCOM Foundation Launches Social Innovation Honours

To recognize excellence and encourage innovation in social development initiatives

New Delhi, September 29, 2008: NASSCOM Foundation is pioneering the Social Innovation Honours to recognize excellence and encourage innovation in social development initiatives. The annual Honours aim to showcase projects that demonstrate best practices through exemplary use of ICT in areas of social transformation. This Honour is a celebration of innovations that bring about social change and development through the application of cutting-edge technology.

The grand jury comprises Mr. Narayana Murthy, Mr. Jaithirth Rao, Ms. Kiran Mazumdar and Mr. Kiran Karnik. The winners of the Honours will be announced at NASSCOM’s India Leadership Summit in February 2009.

Despite giant leaps that mankind has made in the last century, human society continues to face unprecedented social, economic, environmental, and cultural challenges. Social innovation has the ability to be the vehicle of transformation in the face of such challenges. The Stanford Social Innovation Review defines social innovation as “A novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just (fair) existing solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than private individuals.”

In creating the platform for Social Innovation Honours, NF aims to identify projects where innovation could be in the form of both a process and a result. In looking at the process, NF aims to understand systems based on transfer and sharing of knowledge across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. For NF, a social innovation can be a product, a process, or a technology, as well as “a principle, an idea, a piece of legislation, a social movement, an intervention, or some combination of them.”[1]

Terms such as social enterprise and social innovation were coined in the non-profit sector and hence continue to be associated only with this sector. However, there are many path-breaking projects that have been initiated by the government as well as corporates which deserve to be recognised and feted.

Hence the achievement of social development through the use of ICT innovations could be in terms of: increased education, better health and hygiene, employment / entrepreneurship opportunities and environment. There are three categories for nomination:

1. Non-profit organization: ICT innovation for the community (non-profit) An innovation which helped achieve social development, or aided a community, which is not part of a business plan.

2. Profit organization: ICT led business model innovation (for profit) An innovation which helped achieve social development, or aided a community, which is part of a business plan. ICT innovation for the community (non-profit) An innovation which helped achieve social development, or aided a community, which is not part of a business plan.

3. Government ICT led business model innovation: An innovation which helped achieve social development, or aided a community.

Speaking about the relevance of the Honours, Mr. Kiran Karnik, Trustee, NASSCOM Foundation, said, “Today we see and experience a society facing unprecedented social, economic, environmental, and cultural challenges. Social innovation transforms these challenges into opportunities to improve our communities. Our work endeavors to create and curate spaces that foster these social innovations. Diverse mixes of people connect in a unique physical space to stimulate new thought, the seeds for interventions and learning opportunities for doing social good. NASSCOM Foundation is initiating the Social Innovation Honours to recognize excellence and encourage innovation in social development initiatives.”

Emphasizing the importance of the NF Social Innovation Honors, Ms. Rufina Fernandes, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation, said, “NF represents the commitment of the Indian IT/ITES industry to social development in India. Whilst gradually transforming itself into a world class industry, we have also contributed generously to socially relevant programs and projects. It is this balanced approach and the application of winning principles, practices and entrepreneurial spirit, to the rural landscape that will go a long way in addressing our education, employability, health and environment related issues. We therefore like to salute and celebrate the contributions and efforts of For-Profit as well as non-profit organizations that have led the way, walked the talk and made a difference, whether big or small.”

About NASSCOM Foundation

NASSCOM Foundation (NF) is a trust registered under the Indian Trust Act 1882. It was registered in the year 2001. NF’s vision is to leverage information and communication technologies (ICT) to empower and transform the lives of the under-served. NASSCOM and its members are committed to social development through the application of ICT. NF today has the unique opportunity of leading the IT Industry towards changing the social development landscape of India. NF is the CSR arm of NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies), the internationally recognized trade body of the Indian IT industry. Further information can be found at www.nasscomfoundation.org

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