<p>Indian School of Business (ISB) has launched the 7th edition of social venture competition ‘iDiya’ which is targeted at working professionals seeking to make a foray into for profit social enterprise.<br><br>Aishwarya Tipnis, Lead Coordinator, iDiya, ISB, said, “iDiya was conceived in 2009 by the sheer determination of few Net Impact Club students who yearned to create a platform for social startups and young businesses that are changing the world. Last year we saw over 150 entries with startups focused on a host of diverse solutions. This year too we expect the entries to pour in from all across the world.”<br><br>ISB has opened up iDiya this year to international participants for the first time.<br><br>iDiya is designed as a platform for showcasing commercially viable, self-sustaining social business ideas in India and seeks to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among young professionals who can participate in teams of two to four. The top three winners are eligible for prize money apart from being pitched for funding from social venture capital firms. <br><br>Business ideas and plans that are entered for the competition, are evaluated by faculty, potential investors including social venture capital firms and social entrepreneurs and student evaluators. Submissions are evaluated on various parameters, including measurable social impact, criticality of the social need and sustainability of the enterprise.<br><br>Shortlisted contestants are invited to ISB for an intensive 5-day boot camp, where industry experts, ISB faculty and local and national entrepreneurs help them train for challenges they would face in bringing their ideas and ventures to realisation. Teams are interfaced with potential investors and are matched with entrepreneurs and organisations that will mentor them for a certain period post-boot camp.<br><br>Entries to the competition are open till 17 August 2015 from http://www.isb.edu/idiya<br><br><em>(BW Online Bureau)</em></p>
