Ravi Mantha

Action For India’s mission is to help entrepreneurs overcome barriers to scale and achieve greater impact, especially in reaching unserved markets and unaddressed needs. AFI is positioned in the heart of the social enterprise ecosystem in India, offering national and regional forums, networking events, competitions and online platforms to mobilize growth resources for young social entrepreneurs (e.g. suitable technology, government contacts, impact investors.) We also seek fruitful collaborations with the government and public policy initiatives that might offer even greater scale and long-term funding for innovative solutions. AFI is inspired by and formed with the support of Sam Pitroda, advisor to the Prime Minister of India and Chairman of the National Innovation Council of India.

Founded in 2010, JFDI.Asia raised and deployed $3m into 70 digital startups between 2012-2015 through 7 intensive bootcamp cohorts. Its portfolio of investees is collectively valued at over $450m and has created hundreds of high value jobs. JFDI.Asia is no longer actively investing in new startups and the company is now focused on liquidating assets as they mature, already returning 29% IRR to investors. Notable exits to date include Tradegecko, acquired by Intuit in 2020, and Quadrant, acquired by Appen in 2021. Rising portfolio stars include Silent Eight and Glints.

The Surge Impact Foundation is an accelerator program for social enterprises. We run boot camps to select the next generation start-ups which will become part of India's high impact social enterprise portfolio. We provide impact investment advisory, management services to Investors and also help businesses establish and run intrepreneurship and sustainability cells.

At NUS, we are shaping the future through our people and our pursuit of new frontiers in knowledge. In a single century, we have become a university of global influence and an Asian thought leader. Our location at the crossroads of Asia informs our mission and gives us a tremendous vantage point to help create opportunities and address the pressing issues facing Singapore, Asia and the world. At NUS, we believe in education, research and service that change lives. Read our social media community guidelines here: https://nus.edu/socialmediaguidelines.

Aasadeep Projects was established in December 2012 with the mission of overcoming employment barriers for more than eighty million challenged people, and to provide sustainable and competitive employment to disabled people with and without education in India. Aasadeep currently fulfills its mission through eco-friendly disposable consumer products and packaging industry. The manufacturing plant employs uneducated disabled employees to produce various natural leaf and paper based consumer products. The company is also providing customized packaging solutions. Currently, Aasadeep employs 50 employees with various disabilities. Aasadeep is backed by a strong management team that includes visually challenged, but visionary social entrepreneur and MIT graduate, Srikanth Bolla and a Rehabilitation Counsel of India recognized special educator, Swarnalatha Takkilapati. The company is also backed by generous impact investors who help Aasadeep establish itself as a socially conscious multi-billion business conglomerate in the coming years.

Action For India’s mission is to help entrepreneurs overcome barriers to scale and achieve greater impact, especially in reaching unserved markets and unaddressed needs. AFI is positioned in the heart of the social enterprise ecosystem in India, offering national and regional forums, networking events, competitions and online platforms to mobilize growth resources for young social entrepreneurs (e.g. suitable technology, government contacts, impact investors.) We also seek fruitful collaborations with the government and public policy initiatives that might offer even greater scale and long-term funding for innovative solutions. AFI is inspired by and formed with the support of Sam Pitroda, advisor to the Prime Minister of India and Chairman of the National Innovation Council of India.