Overview

Sustainable Development through Social Innovation and Responsible Business

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The Center for Social and Responsible Business (CSRB) was established in the year 2014 by Bala Vikasa Social Service Society, one of the biggest community development organizations in India, widely recognized for its community-led, results-driven sustainable development programs. 

History of Bala VIkasa

Over the past 45 years, Bala Vikasa, supported by SOPAR (Canada), has pioneered several innovative and highly successful Community-Driven Sustainable Development interventions in the areas of women empowerment, water, education, agriculture, environment and model village development impacting over 10 Million people, especially from rural poor communities, belonging to 7000+ villages of 9 Indian States. Some of the initiatives have inspired central and state government development programs, like Telangana State’s Mission Kakatiya and the Government of India’s National Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, while some have been adjudged as the best models for CSR. 

Bala Vikasa’s Community-Driven Development (CDD) approaches that accord the highest regard for ideas like community participation and contribution, capacity-building (building communities before building projects), community ownership, collective responsibility, and such in program implementation, have ensured widespread success and sustainable impact in all its interventions. This has been attracting the interest of diverse development stakeholders – ranging from development students to professionals working in multilateral development agencies from all over the world. 

Bala Vikasa began to share its knowledge, best practices and successful approaches in the form of structured short-term and long-term professional training courses to development workers through the People Development Training Center (PDTC), an institution established in 2002 to strengthen the capacities of changemakers and the efficacy of development practice, globally. Over the past 20 years, Bala Vikasa has trained over 20,000+ development stakeholders from 85+ countries representing over 3000+ national and international NGOs, 160+ Government Departments and Public/Private Universities. 

The Origin of Bala Vikasa CSRB

The emergence of business approaches like the triple bottom line and the redefining of business interests, to take sustainability into serious consideration, highlighted the all important role of businesses in achieving Sustainable Development. As a pioneering non-profit committed to sustainable development in India, Bala Vikasa’s leadership decided to work closely with businesses and corporates to build bridges between conventional forms of philanthropic work and financially sustainable development approaches and practices. In other words, to combine the seemingly opposite agendas of social good and profitability through innovative program designs and business models.

This gave birth to the Center for Social and Responsible Business (CSRB), a flagship institution leveraging Bala Vikasa’s broad-ranging expertise in driving high-impact Community-Driven Sustainable Development and rich experience in delivering multi-stakeholder capacity building programs to motivate and transform businesses into potent catalysts of social change and sustainable impact. 

Key Agendas of Bala Vikasa CSRB 

  • Incubating early‐stage, innovative startups trying to solve a social issue or creating a positive social impact
  • Working with corporates on developing innovative and growth oriented Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agendas and programs
  • Training the interested stakeholders in the areas of Social and Responsible Business

The Iconic Bala Vikasa CSRB Hyderabad Campus

In the efforts to be the biggest social startup incubator in the country and the go-to center for businesses and corporates seeking world class capacity building and advisory in business responsibility and sustainability, Bala Vikasa has established a state-of-the-art training and residential facility in a sprawling 20-acre campus with scenic hillside and lakefront views on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The Training and Incubation Block with nearly 1,40,000 sq. ft. of work area is a bustling hub of programs that foster social innovation, drive social businesses, and promote responsible business practices. The Residential Block, with modern amenities on par with any luxury stay, will offer the participants not just a great view but a time of peace and tranquility away from the city during their entire stay.

Through its programs and facilities Bala Vikasa CSRB seeks to work with businesses proactively to make a big and lasting impact in the development ecosystem, thereby helping communities help themselves.

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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