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Innovating Waste Management: Elemantra's Success Story Fueled by PrISE Cohort

Transformative Support Enhances Business Viability and Community Impact

Elemantra is a pioneering social enterprise focused on providing innovative sanitation and waste management solutions. Despite its promising start, the organization faced numerous challenges in scaling its operations and maximizing its social impact. With an initial product and some revenue, the team realized the importance of obtaining expert guidance to navigate the complexities of the market.

“Before engaging with the PrISE Cohort, our operations lacked the structure needed for effective growth. We struggled to articulate our market strategy and develop financial plans, which ultimately constrained our potential,” reflects Arun, Elemantra’s Founder.

Prior to joining the PrISE Cohort, Elemantra encountered several hurdles that impeded its growth trajectory. The startup recognized the need to refine its competitive strategies amidst a landscape of emerging technologies targeting similar waste management issues. The PrISE Cohort provided Elemantra with a comprehensive program designed to address its specific challenges. 

Over the course of six months, the team participated in 15 to 20 focused sessions covering various critical topics, including:

  • Strategic Product Development: Gaining insights into effective market positioning and product enhancement.
  • Financial Strategy: Learning about financial modeling and accurate product costing.
  • Sales and Marketing: Leveraging social media for effective outreach and creating impactful sales proposals.
  • Pitching Skills: Mastering techniques for compelling presentations to potential investors.

“The workshops on product strategy and market positioning were particularly beneficial. The guidance we received allowed us to clarify our objectives and improve our market approach. Furthermore, the insights on financial planning were invaluable, helping us develop persuasive proposals for investors,” the Founder notes.

According to him, the key highlights of PrISE Cohort are:

  • Comprehensive Needs Assessments: The detailed assessments conducted allowed us to receive tailored support that directly aligned with the specific challenges we faced.
  • Focused Mentorship: The selection process for startups was based on our unique objectives, which enabled a personalized approach rather than a one-size-fits-all framework.
  • Collaboration Opportunities: The program encouraged connections between us and other startups tackling similar issues, facilitating shared learning and potential partnerships that have been invaluable.
  • Practical Workshops: The hands-on activities and workshops provided us with real-world experience, making the learning process both engaging and effective.
  • Expert Access: The trainers, selected for their expertise, were readily available beyond scheduled sessions, offering ongoing guidance and support that we found incredibly helpful.

After joining the PrISE Cohort, Elemantra successfully tapped into new funding sources, including government programs, CSR initiatives, and partnerships with NGOs, which broadened its financial base. The team also gained valuable experience through mock pitches, enhancing their confidence for real investor meetings and improving their ability to deliver a compelling elevator pitch. Additionally, Elemantra acquired essential knowledge in design thinking and financial strategies, boosting its overall competency. Post-incubation, the startup refined its business model for sustainability and scalability, crafted targeted marketing strategies, and improved its financial management. Further to it, Keyblocks Strategic Consultancy has given a soft assurance of investment during the launch of the “Own A Startup” program at T-Hub on June 19, 2024.

Ramana Gupta is an extremely accomplished financial professional with more than 30 years of experience in banking, finance, and corporate treasury. He is also co-founder of Wealth First Finserv, an independent investment advisory firm directed by senior-level partners. Ramana Gupta is a person who influences top-ranking finance professionals; whose opinion is highly sought after; and whose judgment is widely respected and trusted.
Ramana Gupta graduated in economics from Osmania University and qualified as a Financial Risk Manager from a banking institution. After graduation, he started his career as a banker with State Bank and worked across the country in various departments gaining insights in all aspects of banking. Known for his quick decision making and expertise in foreign exchange, he developed a passion for financial markets early in his career.

In 1995, he joined a leading corporate house to broaden his horizon. With the dawn of liberalization, the 1990s provided him with a huge scope for structuring innovative practices in risk management and capital expenditure. He went on to create several benchmarks in long term sustainability and low-cost financing.
Apart from this, he has also been proactive in social work as the inherent penchant of giving back to society is part of his personality. As a result, he became part of Bala Vikasa CSRB, where he is unleashing his passion through helping zealous social entrepreneurs. As a mentor, he is putting his best foot to bring up new aspects and angles to solve problems innovatively.

Ramana Gupta

Advisor and Board Member, Bala Vikasa

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Shoury Reddy, a charismatic leader, is an integral part of Bala Vikasa since its inception. He has been holding the reigns of the organization since 2009 and ensuring constant growth. His supervision, BalaVikasa spread across six Indian states in 6000 villages impacting the lives of over five million rural poor through innovative community empowerment initiatives.
Shoury Reddy did his post-graduation in Social Work from AcharyaNagarjuna University and a diploma in Community Development from St. F.X. University, Canada. While working closely with the grassroots communities, he designed some of the most effective community development models. These models have inspired several NGOs, development professionals, and central/state governments. He spearheaded projects such as tank desiltation, water purification, model villages, and Sujal ATWs.

To take sustainable development works to the next level, Shoury Reddy and BalaVikasa board spearheaded to establish India’s biggest incubation center for social entrepreneurs – Bala Vikasa CSRB in Hyderabad.
Known for his work with grassroots communities, Shoury Reddy has a vast skill set ranging from networking with multi-level stakeholders to carrying out effective PR and capacity building. His dedication to social work has been successfully driving the organization’s mission and vision forward.

Shoury Reddy Singareddy

Executive Director, Bala Vikasa

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Rahul Bhardwaj is an accomplished strategy and management consultant with nearly 20 years of experience. Before starting his journey with BVCSRB, Rahul has worked with big corporate houses such as Deloitte, KPMG, and Aditya Birla Group, where he handled multi-million projects and assignments. These projects were spread through various business sectors and geographic locations including the UK, India, Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
He is an alumnus of Hansraj College, Delhi University, and London Business School, London. He is a member of the CSR Panel of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Telangana Chapter. After successfully working as a seasoned consultant in corporate strategy and management, Rahul is now holding the baton of BVCSRB.

Being an entrepreneur himself, his interest in promoting entrepreneurship doesn’t come as a surprise. In BVCSRB, he is supporting and nurturing Social Entrepreneurs through its flagship program – SOCENT Fellowship. He also advises and engages with corporate partners to support and implement their CSR programs.
Rahul’s areas of expertise include strategy and business development, investment advisory, team building, start-up financing and advisory, and social entrepreneurship. He is also an avid reader and cricket lover.

Rahul Bhardwaj

Senior Director and Head, Bala Vikasa CSRB

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With over a decade of experience in working with communities and the development sector, Vijender Mogili is an Social Entrepreneurship professional and contributes to the constantly evolving Social Entrepreneurship ecosystem through his observations, research, and experience. He also strongly believes that Social Entrepreneurship accelerates community development.

Vijender is a graduate in MA Social Entrepreneurship from Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai. He has an experience of working with various government agencies and private companies that work for the welfare of communities and human rights like ALC India, Dr Reddy’s Foundation, Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty, StreeNidhi Credit Cooperative Federation Limited, WASSAN and Universal Dalit Welfare Society in business planning and development and program implementation. Besides being a Social Entrepreneurship professional Vijender is affiliated with Indigenous Development Organization, JNV Vattem Alumni Association as an advisor. 
With this dynamic experience and approach to community he brings an inclusive perspective in providing tailored service to Social Entrepreneurs at Bala Vikasa CSRB. He leads the Social Entrepreneurship team and contributes in Incubation of social startups and capacity building to strengthen the Social Entrepreneurship ecosystem.

A robust advocate of social equality and tribal rights, Vijender is actively volunteering in rural and tribal development initiatives.

Vijender Mogili

Manager, Social Entrepreneurship

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Parvathy is a graduate in MA Development Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad and is interested in working on improving livelihood opportunities for rural communities, social inequality, human rights and urban and rural development. 

Intrigued by the socio-economic and cultural aspects that contribute to community development, she did intensive research on how these factors affect the livelihood of tribal women, intergenerational occupational mobility along with the predicaments of the handloom sector and the push and pull of migration affecting the housing market. Besides this, she also worked with  GRAAM (Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement), Mitraniketan and Palle Srujan as a research intern. 

At Bala Vikasa CSRB, Parvathy contributes in developing, designing and conducting Capacity Building projects for social entrepreneurs to help them understand communities at Bala Vikasa CSRB. She was also actively involved in planning and implementing Bala Vikasa CSRB’s flagship event, Social Entrepreneurship Summit - Impulse and webinar series on Social Entrepreneurship. Parvathy is an avid music lover, enjoys everything that adds value to life and is looking forward to making a difference in the development sector while making the best of every opportunity life offers her.

Parvathy

Associate, Social Entrepreneurship

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Sahithi, a postgraduate in Public Policy and Governance from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad is passionate about conducting Impact Assessments and schemes of welfare schemes. She firmly believes that the right impact assessment of development projects is the foundation for designing and implementing more community specific and impact oriented development initiatives.

Previously, Sahiti was a Senior Executive For Monitoring and Evaluation in the Program Development Department of Apollo Tele-Health Services. At Bala Vikasa CSRB, she will be contributing to monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment, data analysis, proposal writing, secondary research and program implementation

A voracious reader, classical music and a Kathak dance student, Sahithi wishes to work for community well being and effective implementation of development initiatives through her work.

Venkata Sahithi Kompella

Senior Associate, Responsible Business & CSR

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