So, you’re dreaming of building a social impact startup? Awesome! But let’s be real, it’s not just about making money — it’s about tackling tough issues and making the world a better place. And yes, figuring out how to turn your awesome idea into a reality can feel a bit daunting.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a curated list of eight insightful pieces of advice from successful entrepreneurs who are churning a profit while also contributing to a better tomorrow.
1. Identify a local problem with global impact
Jagat Kalyan, born into a farming family in Hajipur, Bihar, co-founded Taruwar Agro in 2021 with Satyam Kumar and Nitish Verma. Their startup addresses the issue of banana tree waste, which is commonly discarded after harvesting.
Jagat’s inspiration came from his local community, “Since Hajipur is known for its banana production, why don’t we focus on banana waste — an issue that all of us grew up seeing on our fields?”
By turning banana tree waste into valuable products like yarn, handicrafts, and banana leather, they’ve created a zero-waste business that benefits both the environment and local farmers.
2. Focus on the bigger picture
Jagat believes the success of Taruwar Agro is rooted in its positive environmental and social impact. He explains, “Today, I am glad that banana waste in a radius of 10 kilometres from our factory is being used as raw materials for useful products. With this, farmers are also getting extra monetary benefits. Banana waste is no longer a headache for them now.”
By focusing on sustainability and creating value from waste, they’ve made a significant difference to both the local community and the environment.
3. Leverage local resources for impact
Aman Kumar, a 29-year-old entrepreneur from Unnao, Uttar Pradesh, founded Nutty Village in 2022 to address the challenges faced by local peanut farmers.
Drawing inspiration from his background in computer applications and the agricultural potential in his hometown, he shares, “I saw businesses like Phool, a Kanpur-based brand that was just starting out at the time, doing great work. That gave me the confidence to believe that if someone from my part of the world could create something like that, so could I.”
By using the locally grown peanuts in his region, he was able to create a sustainable business that empowers farmers and supports local growth.
4. Invest in innovation and product development
Aman believes innovation is an important step in growing a startup. He adds, “I started secondary processing because I wanted to take this enterprise to newer heights.”
Nutty Village expanded its offerings beyond raw peanuts into products like peanut butter, which not only increased profitability but also opened up new markets while providing added value to local agriculture.
5. Create deep connections between beneficiaries
Shantanu Naidu, co-founder of ‘The Goodfellows’, along with Niki Thakur and Gargi Sandu, launched their startup in 2021 to address loneliness among the elderly. The initiative connects young people, called ‘goodfellows’ with seniors, or ‘grandpals’ to provide companionship and assist with daily tasks.
“We wanted the bond between the grandpal and the goodfellow to be similar to the relationship shared between a grandparent and grandchild,” shares Niki Thakur.
By fostering emotional connections, The Goodfellows enhances the lives of both young people and seniors involved.
6. Develop based on feedback
Shantanu believes in constantly improving the service based on user feedback.
“We asked people we knew to nominate senior citizens looking for company,” he recalls.
This feedback helped ‘The Goodfellows’ to refine their model to better meet the needs of the elderly and their families, ensuring that the service was effective and impactful.
7. Offer holistic solutions
Padmini Janaki, a product manager from Chennai, founded Mind & Mom in 2021 to offer comprehensive support for women on their fertility journeys. Inspired by a transformative work trip to the United States in 2019, she developed an AI-powered app designed to guide women through IVF, fertility, and holistic health.
“The focus is on improving holistic health,” Padmini emphasises. By integrating mental, physical, and emotional well-being into the app’s offerings, Mind & Mom ensures women receive support across every aspect of their fertility journey. She believes this step is important to building a successful social impact startup.
8. Be persistent and overcome challenges
In the early days of starting Mind & Mom, Padmini faced criticism with people asking, “India has a population of 140 crores. Why do you want to add to it?” Undeterred, she responded, “Let’s say a child wishes to study in an English medium school but can’t afford the fees. Will you try to help or would you suggest he stops his education or moves to a regional school?”
Through her persistence, Padmini stood firm in defending the right to motherhood without societal judgment.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee
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