Here, we hope to present you with stimulating content in the area of 'Social Innovation' and 'Social Entrepreneurship'—two topics close to our heart. We also invite you to the DCID campus to get inspired via talks, workshops and other public activities that we regularly organize, or maybe you want to sign up for a weekend skilling workshop and augment your personal/team capabilities? If you're serious about pursuing Social Entrepreneurship, do get in touch for a discussion on our M2M [Mentoring to Market] offerings, that include startup incubation as well. About DCID
India is faced with the opportunity of the so-called ‘Demographic Dividend’ which also throws up the challenge of youth unable to fulfill aspirations or realize their talents & potential—due to lack of enabling institutional settings, inappropriate educational environment, and lack of mentoring spaces. Recognizing the challenge of creating employment opportunities, governments are now promoting innovation and entrepreneurship to leverage the potential of the youth dividend instead of relying on job creation alone. This is also being celebrated in the media in the form of success stories of young innovator-entrepreneurs in recent times, inspiring the youth to consider this as a serious career option, rapidly bringing this niche area into the mainstream of popular imagination. When coupled with the idea of Social Entrepreneurship, a rapidly-growing field that applies business methods and innovation to solving social problems and generating Social Capital, we have a possibility of making a powerful social impact in a sustainable and scalable form. Leading universities worldwide are starting to offer specialised Masters programs in this growing area. Nurturing a Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Deccan Centre for Innovation and Design is an initiative to develop and nurture the field of social innovation, and skill & enable next-generation social entrepreneurs. Its initial plan is to a) become a hub to build a social innovation/entrepreneur community - by organizing frequent events aimed at attracting the lay public and also at various institutes/campuses, b) offer short-term and low-cost skilling programs led by experts and hands-on achievers for those curious to get a sampler or first-person experience of social innovation, and c) offer long-term engagement opportunities for those serious and committed to launching social impact ventures, by providing them with a co-working space, a team of mentors and senior advisors, and connecting them with co-practitioners and networks as well as investors and funders in this area.
