In a nation as vast and complex as India, impactful change often begins at the grassroots. Recognizing this, Infosys Foundation launched the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards in 2018 to spotlight and support groundbreaking ideas with the potential to address critical social challenges through technology. In this interview with TheCSRUniverse, Sunil Kumar Dhareshwar, Trustee, Infosys Foundation, delves into the vision behind Aarohan and its alignment with the Foundation’s broader mission of inclusive development.
Now in its fourth edition, the awards celebrate innovations in Education, Healthcare, and Environmental Sustainability—sectors deemed vital for India’s long-term progress. From AI-powered smart glasses for the visually impaired to low-cost neonatal devices saving lives in rural clinics, the awards have brought forward inspiring changemakers who blend empathy with ingenuity.
Dhareshwar discusses how Aarohan goes beyond funding—offering mentorship, visibility, and a collaborative ecosystem—and shares key lessons from Infosys Foundation’s three-decade journey. His insights underline the power of technology, community partnership, and sustained commitment in shaping a more equitable future.
Q&A
Q. We’d like to go back a little- what inspired the Infosys Foundation to conceptualize the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards and how do they align with the Foundation’s broader social commitments?
A. The Aarohan Social Innovation Awards, launched by Infosys Foundation in 2018, are founded on the belief that grassroots innovation can drive impactful, scalable solutions to critical social challenges. The initiative was established to identify and support individuals, teams, and NGOs developing transformative ideas that address pressing societal needs. These awards are closely aligned with the Foundation’s commitment to inclusive development and community upliftment. By providing financial support, national recognition, and strategic validation, Aarohan amplifies pioneering solutions in Education, Healthcare, and Environmental Sustainability—fostering social impact at scale. Now in its fourth edition, the program continues to empower changemakers shaping a more equitable future.
Q. Technology lies at the heart of Aarohan. In what specific ways do you see tech-led solutions addressing India's most pressing challenges in broad domains with multifaceted problems?
A. Technology serves as a catalyst for systemic change, particularly in sectors like healthcare, education, and environmental sustainability. Tech-led innovations break traditional barriers of access, affordability, and efficiency, driving lasting impact.
Past winners of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards illustrate this potential:
- Smart Vision Glasses, created by Seetharam Muthangi from Bengaluru, leverage AI to enhance independence for the visually impaired by assisting with reading, navigation, and object recognition.
- nLite360, a portable smart phototherapy device built by Subrahmanyam Prasad Muddam and AkithaKolloju from Hyderabad, provides intelligent phototherapy for neonatal jaundice, addressing gaps in maternal and infant healthcare.
- One Home One Toilet by Shelter Associates, a Pune NGO, applies data analytics to map sanitation needs, facilitating infrastructure development in urban slums with a gender-focused approach.
- Saans, created by Nitesh Kumar Jangir, a 2019 Aarohan winner, is a portable, battery-operated neonatal C-PAP device. Unlike traditional bulky hospital equipment, Saans works on multiple power sources, including electricity, battery, hand-pump, and even a car socket, making it ideal for rural clinics, ambulances, and emergency transport. Today, over 1,000 Saans devices are deployed across India, saving countless lives and providing timely respiratory support in underserved areas.
These innovations exemplify how technology acts as a force multiplier, delivering sustainable and inclusive solutions at scale.
Q. This year’s awards focus on three sectors — Education, Healthcare, and Environmental Sustainability. Could you elaborate on why these categories were chosen for 2025 and what kind of innovations you’re hoping to see?
A. The three categories—Education, Healthcare, and Environmental Sustainability—at the heart of the 2025 edition of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards are crucial pillars of inclusive and long-term development.
In education, we are seeking innovations that bridge learning gaps, promote digital inclusion, and improve access and outcomes for underserved communities. In healthcare, we aim to identify solutions that make quality care more accessible and affordable, particularly in maternal and child health, mental well-being, and early diagnostics. For environmental sustainability, we are looking for scalable, tech-enabled approaches to water conservation, clean energy, waste management, and climate resilience.
Across all categories, we are focused on solutions that can be implemented and scaled from the grassroots level to deliver transformative, tech-driven impact.
Q. From your experience with previous editions, what sets a winning application apart? What parameters are used to shortlist the entries?
A. The winning applications for the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards excel in originality, impact, and scalability. The concept must be novel and executed through a clear, actionable solution that addresses a real-world problem in a sustainable and inclusive way.
The shortlisting process is guided by several key criteria: the uniqueness of the innovation, a clear definition of the problem being addressed, the demonstrated or potential social impact, and the scalability of the solution, particularly in low-resource settings. We also evaluate the commitment and community insight of the applicants, favoring those who deeply understand the ecosystem they operate in and are driven by a passion to create lasting change.
We seek innovations that not only address immediate challenges but also have the potential to inspire systemic change across communities. Submissions with working prototypes, early user feedback, or measurable outcomes are especially valued.
Q. Can you share a few standout success stories from past winners whose innovations have made a measurable difference on the ground or scaled significantly post the recognition?
A. Many past winners of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards have gone on to create measurable change and significantly scale their impact.
PadCare Labs, for example, developed an eco-friendly and safe disposal system for menstrual hygiene waste. After winning Aarohan, their impact journey gained significant momentum, culminating in an all-shark deal on Shark Tank India for INR 1 crore. Today, PadCare operates in 24 cities, has impacted over 8 lakh lives, and recycled more than 5 million pads.
Prashant Gade, founder of Inali Foundation and a 2018 Aarohan Social Innovation Awards winner, is transforming lives with the Inali Arm—a low-cost prosthetic designed for those with limited access to expensive care. Receiving the Aarohan award provided him with credibility, resources to build a strong R&D team, and connections to influential networks. His innovative work has been featured on platforms like KBC and Shark Tank. To date, Prashant has distributed over 15,000 prosthetic limbs free of charge and is on a mission to bring hope to over 22 million disabled Indians.
These are just a couple of examples of how the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards provide innovators with the credibility, visibility, and momentum needed to scale their ideas and deepen their impact on the communities they serve.
Q. The Foundation offers up to ₹50 lakh to each winner. Beyond funding, what kind of support — mentorship, visibility, networking — do winners receive to help them scale their innovations?
A. The Aarohan Social Innovation Awards offer a total prize pool of ₹2 crore. In addition to the prize money, the Infosys Foundation provides winners with structured mentorship, strategic guidance, and incubation support to scale their innovations sustainably. Winners also gain national visibility, credibility, and access to a broader network of partners and changemakers. This support helps them refine their solutions, reach more communities, and create long-term impact.
Q. Over the years, have you observed any emerging trends or shifts in the nature of innovations being submitted — perhaps a stronger focus on sustainability, AI, or hyper-local issues?
A. Over the years, we have seen submissions evolve significantly. There’s been a growing emphasis on tech-driven innovations, with an increasing number of solutions rooted in hyper-local contexts that reflect a deeper understanding of community needs. Sustainability has also taken center stage, with more entries addressing environmental challenges like waste and water management. Additionally, the use of technologies such as AI, IoT, and data analytics is on the rise, signaling a shift toward smarter and more scalable solutions.
Q. Grassroots innovators often face barriers like lack of access, awareness, or technical expertise. In your view, what are the most significant challenges in empowering social entrepreneurs across India today?
A. Many grassroots innovators in India still have limited access to funding, mentorship, and scalable platforms. While they may have powerful ideas, they often lack the networks and visibility needed to scale their solutions. There are also significant technical gaps. Changemakers typically have deep insights into local problems but require support in areas such as prototyping, data utilization, and refining their solutions for broader adoption. Additional challenges, including language barriers, the digital divide, and a complex regulatory landscape, further complicate progress, particularly in rural regions.
To truly empower social entrepreneurs, we need ecosystems that provide capital, capacity-building, collaboration, and long-term support. It's about bridging these gaps and fostering a culture that recognizes grassroots innovation as a vital component of inclusive national development.
Q. Given the remarkable three-decade journey of Infosys Foundation, what learnings and suggestions would you like to share with other organizations in India that could help them elevate their social impact?
A. We have found that lasting social impact comes from deep and sustained engagement with communities. It begins with actively listening and co-creating solutions rooted in local realities and genuine needs. Initiatives should be designed to empower communities, rather than offering short-term aid. Sustainability must remain a core principle in all such efforts. Collaborating with governments, NGOs, and peer organizations can significantly enhance both the scale and impact of your solutions. Robust governance ensures accountability and measurable outcomes. Most importantly, embedding social responsibility into an organization’s culture fosters purpose-driven innovation and long-term commitment. At Infosys Foundation, we see social impact as a continuous journey guided by empathy, intent, and shared responsibility.
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