13th National Conference on Social Innovation (NCSI)
The Pune International Centre (PIC) Social Innovation Lab hosted the 13th National Conference on Social Innovation (NCSI) at the PIC Campus, Pashan, bringing together social innovators, CSR leaders, impact investors, policymakers, development sector organisations, and academicians from across India. The conference showcased breakthrough solutions addressing India’s most pressing socio-economic and environmental challenges.
The conference commenced with welcome remarks by Mr. Prashant Girbane, General Secretary of PIC, who highlighted the significance of hosting NCSI for the first time at PIC’s new campus.
The inaugural session featured Dr. R.A. Mashelkar, President of PIC and Founder Chairman of the Anjani Mashelkar Foundation, who reflected on PIC’s evolution into a national social innovation ecosystem. He reiterated PIC’s five foundational pillars — independence, integrity, innovation, integration, and influence — and emphasised that innovation must be inclusive and purpose-driven.
The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Siddharth Sharma, CEO of Tata Trusts, who stressed the importance of community-rooted, home-grown innovation, greater investment in R&D, and stronger collaboration between philanthropy, civil society, government, and markets to ensure equitable growth.
Innovation Showcases and Panel Discussions
The conference received approximately 200 applications from across the country, from which 21 finalists were shortlisted. Three innovators each from the Tribal, Rural, and Urban categories presented their solutions live at the conference.
The day featured three engaging panel discussions exploring:
- Success Stories of Social Entrepreneurs
- CSR Funding Opportunities
- Impact Investors’ Panel Discussion
Speakers highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration, long-term partnerships, and measurable impact in scaling social innovations across India.
Awards and Key Highlights
Tribal Category Winner
RISE Foundation (Acharya Rushikesh Sopan Khilare)
Rise Foundation preserves and promotes tribal heritage through Bhashakosh, a multilingual cultural encyclopedia translating tribal languages into Marathi, Hindi, and English. It documents tribal education, environment, traditions, and art — bridging indigenous knowledge with mainstream learning and expanding educational and livelihood opportunities for tribal communities.
Rural Category Winner
Wingrow Agritech (Vrinda Borkar)
Wingrow Agritech builds weekly farmer markets and a digital stall-booking platform that connects small farmers and women’s self-help groups directly with consumers — eliminating middlemen, boosting incomes by up to 50%, reducing wastage, and ensuring sustainable rural livelihoods.
Urban Category Winner
Social Compact (Sonvi A. Khanna)
Social Compact is a platform that partners with industry and NGOs to improve systems affecting informal workers, amplifying their voices and shaping equitable practices. In five years, it has advised 65+ companies, impacting over 600,000 workers.
The awards were presented by Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar, Maj. Gen. Nitin Gadkari (Retd.), and Mr. Prashant Girbane, recognising scalable, community-centred, and high-impact innovations.
The conference concluded with a vote of thanks by Maj. Gen. Nitin Gadkari (Retd.), Director of PIC, who expressed gratitude to all finalists, winners, speakers, partners, and delegates, and reaffirmed PIC’s commitment to strengthening India’s social innovation ecosystem through collaborative platforms.