It will be an understatement to say that a wind of change has swept India in the business sector. With the government backing the youth for entrepreneurship, it is hardly a wonder that these young minds are working on solutions to help the country grow socially and economically.

In his recent address to the public, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned how startups are not just about the IT sector. Citing an example of a startup in Sikkim, which offers organic products in the market, he said that after this event (referring to the Start Up India, Stand Up India initiative), this illusion has been broken. It’s increasingly evident that India is giving rise to entrepreneurs who are determined to improve the life of the common man.

Here are 5 such social enterprises in different fields that are contributing towards the overall growth of the society.

1. Habba

Founders, Smita Ram and Ramakrishna NK started this e-commerce site as an extension to their microcredit initiative, Rang De, to help artisans lead an independent and better life. The duo promote the traditional artisans of rural India by providing them Habba as a platform to help artisans reach a wider audience consisting of connoisseurs of ethnic, handmade fabric, apparel and handicrafts. Habba ensures fair and adequate compensation or ‘100% honest pricing’, to help these artisans lead better lives.

2. Mentor Together

Founded by Dr Rajeev Gowda and Arundhuti Gupta in Bangalore, Mentor Together provides children and youth with mentors, who help them achieve their goals and dreams through continuous counselling. A volunteer takes on mentoring functions like providing emotional regulation and collaborative skill-building which help mentees overcome fear of public speaking, examinations, speech defects, etc.

The programme aims to improve lives of orphans, girls, and children with an abusive past and youth from low-income groups, who don’t have access to the latest technology, information and opportunities.

3. ERC Eye Care

ERC Eye Care was started by Dr Parveez Ubed in Jorhat, Assam, as a standalone clinic with regular community outreach camps. While working with NGOs and government facilities, he realised the need for an eye care centre, that will offer affordable, accessible and sustainable eye care for all.

Besides consulting and surgery charges at nominal rates, the organisation’s primary objective is to develop products that are accessible and affordable to people, irrespective of their economical background. Apart from expanding eye care services, Dr Parveez is also interested in local skill development in the eye care segment, and has been facilitating several local youth to undergo training to become employable in eye care services.

4. Animal Angels Foundation

Animal Angels was founded in 2003 by Mrs Minal Lonkar-Kavishwar along with other like-minded people, who believe in the healing power of pets. Animal Angels work with children with developmental disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome, hyperactivity etc. It also provides support to adults with depression, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), Alzheimer’s disease among others.

It is a team of pet owners, volunteers and therapists who together work for human wellness with animals. With focused and individual based programmes, the team has been witness to several success stories, where children with developmental disabilities have learned to speak, socialise and lead a normal life with their families and friends.

5. Parvata Foods

Parvata Foods is a socio-commercial enterprise started by two graduates of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) – Anurag Agrawal and Siddhi Karnani. They aim to build a value chain in fruits, vegetables and spices from Sikkim and other backward states in North East (NE) and Eastern India, to elevate the standard of living of farmers in hilly areas. The two have employed around 300 farmers and are planning to hire more than 5,000 people over the next three years in Naxal-affected areas of Orissa.