BW Social Impact 2023: Upholders of Social Welfare

In India, the relevance of social impact initiatives is rapidly gaining significance. The nation grapples with a range of pressing social challenges, including poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, and environmental degradation. Businesses hold a pivotal role in addressing these issues and contributing to the nation's progress.

Moreover, the necessity for ESG (environment, social, and governance) considerations is growing in importance, encompassing both the corporate sector and the broader economy. Individuals are playing a crucial role in propelling this movement forward, while social impact professionals are extending their efforts beyond individual actions to mobilise a more extensive collective by involving various institutions and industries.

Recognising the paramount importance of social impact within corporate circles nationwide, BW Disrupt, in partnership with BW Businessworld, hosted the second edition of the Social Impact Summit and Awards in 2023.

The Initiative

The BW Disrupt Social Impact Summit and Awards represent a groundbreaking social welfare initiative designed to unite professionals and organisations involved in various domains of social welfare. This platform effectively brings together individuals and entities from diverse industries, fostering discussions and collaborations focused on advancing social impact initiatives.

Furthermore, the event serves as a platform for honouring, recognising, and celebrating influential leaders and contributors who have left an indelible mark on society, propelling positive and enduring transformations.

The Process

BW Businessworld reached out to over 500 industry leaders and received more than 72 entries. Subsequently, after a thorough second level of deliberation, a total of 32 nominees were shortlisted and invited to present before the esteemed jury panel.

The nominations received for the BW Disrupt Social Impact 2023 underwent a meticulous multi-tier screening and shortlisting procedure to identify the most deserving winners. The jury process adhered to a specific set of parameters for evaluating the entries, including expansion, leadership journey, milestones achieved, challenges encountered, solutions implemented, and the rationale behind each nominee's potential win.

The Jury

The distinguished jury panel, co-chaired by Kiran Karnik, Former President of Nasscom, and Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures and Trustee of Pratiksha Trust, comprised notable members from various sectors. Among them were Anu Aga, Former Chairperson of Thermax and Teach For India; Ranjana Kumari, Director of Centre For Social Research; Huzaifa Khorakiwala, Trustee and CEO of Wockhardt Foundation; Bhaskar Chatterjee, CEO of Anil Agarwal Foundation (Vedanta Group); Niru Kumar, Founder and CEO of Ask Insights; Natasha Patel, CEO of India Sanitation Coalition; Mathew Cherian, Chairperson of Care India; Shalini Bharat, Director/Vice-Chancellor of Tata Institute of Social Sciences; Noor Fathima Warsia, Group Editorial Director of BW Businessworld; and Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief of BW Businessworld and Founder of exchange4media Group. This distinguished group brought diverse expertise to the table, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation process.