DBS Foundation Commits ₹34.4 Crore to 22 Impact Enterprises, Including Three from India

New Delhi, April 08, 2026: DBS Foundation has announced grant funding of ₹34.4 crore (SGD 4.9 million) for its 2025 cohort, supporting 22 purpose-driven businesses across Asia. The initiative aims to strengthen social and financial resilience in vulnerable communities, with three selected enterprises from India among the beneficiaries.

Now in its 11th edition, the DBS Foundation grant programme supports social enterprises and SMEs addressing pressing societal challenges through scalable and innovative solutions. Each selected enterprise can receive funding of up to ₹1.75 crore (SGD 250,000), along with mentorship, capacity building, and access to DBS’s ecosystem to accelerate growth and impact.

The 2025 cohort is expected to collectively impact over 4.3 million people over the next two years, focusing on critical areas such as healthcare access, inclusive employment, and livelihood creation.

From India, the selected enterprises include Ikure Techsoft, which provides affordable primary healthcare through digital health centres in rural areas; Lernern, which focuses on enhancing youth employability through work-integrated learning and apprenticeship programmes; and Kadam Haat Basketry, which supports rural artisans by enabling market access for handcrafted products and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

Karen Ngui, Head of DBS Foundation, said, “In an increasingly uncertain world, helping vulnerable communities to build resilience is more important than ever. This calls for a whole-of-society effort, with businesses playing an important role alongside community and public sector partners. At DBS Foundation, we support purpose-driven businesses tackling real challenges on the ground, providing holistic support including capital and capacity building to scale their impact, while also working across the ecosystem to co-create interventions. Together, we seek to uplift the lives and livelihoods of those with less and help them face the future with confidence.”

Gaurav Rajput, Managing Director and Head, Group Marketing and Communications, DBS Bank India, said, “The impact enterprises selected from India this year demonstrate the power of purpose-driven innovation in addressing some of our country’s most urgent developmental needs. Whether it is expanding access to primary healthcare, strengthening youth employability or creating sustainable livelihoods for rural artisans, these organisations are building solutions that uplift underserved communities in meaningful and lasting ways. We are proud to champion their work and to play a part in helping more individuals across India build a stronger, more resilient future.”

The grantees were selected from nearly 2,200 applications through a rigorous evaluation process involving 415 DBS employee volunteers.

Since its inception in 2015, DBS Foundation has supported over 180 impact enterprises and continues to strengthen Asia’s social innovation ecosystem through funding, partnerships, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at delivering sustainable and scalable change.