SABERA 2024: Honoring India's leaders in social impact and sustainability

The 7th edition of SABERA™ 2024 celebrated the achievements of impactful leaders and organizations dedicated to social impact and sustainability, hosting its annual awards ceremony today at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Organized by Simply Suparnaa © Media Network, a UN WOMEN awardee, SABERA continues to honor individuals and groups contributing to India's sustainable and inclusive growth. The overarching theme of this year’s awards, Viksit Bharat (Developed India), centered on collaborative and cross-sector efforts driving India’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The anchor for SABERA was Sanjana- a beneficiary of past SABERA awardee Samarpan Foundation. Sanjana’s father works as a carpenter, and her mother as a sweeper.

Commending SABERA's efforts to foster dialogue beyond sensationalized media portrayals, IPS Chhaya Sharma, the Guest of Honour, "Men have a pivotal role to play in advocating inclusivity. There needs to be a societal shift towards creating environments where women can thrive without fear, and men are not threatened by their empowerment, thereby truly enabling the nation."

Mr Sanjay Prakash, Managing Director at SBI Foundation, said, "Discussions on 'Viksit Bharat' are crucial to drive sustainable development in the country and create lasting impact across sectors for collective progress. Our mission at SBI Foundation is also aligned with these."

The audience particularly enjoyed the exclusive Bharatanatyam performance by Bhadra Sinha and Gayathri Sharma, specially choreographed to promote India's divine wisdom and symbolize inclusion.

Viksit Bharat Panel: A highlight of the event was the Viksit Bharat panel, featuring leaders from BFSI, Technology, Energy and Media sectors. Notable speakers included Jagannath Sahoo, COO SBI Foundation (BFSI); Jaideep Karnik, Head of Content at Amar Ujjala (Media), Anirban Mukerji, experienced Technology enthusiast for good, and Ashish Gupta, BPCL (Energy). As India aspires to become a $5 trillion economy, these sectors play a pivotal role in driving growth. India's strong stance at COP29 highlights the stark contrast between the massive environmental footprints of developed nations and the energy security needs of developing economies. The panel emphasized that achieving self-reliance will require a focused commitment to domestic innovation and robust inter-sectoral collaboration

Other notable dignitaries included George Muthoot George, Deputy Managing Director of Muthoot Finance, Sandeep Jain, Co-Founder and Managing Director of AKUMs Pharma amidst other corporate leaders.

Honoring Excellence in Social Impact SABERA 2024 awarded exemplary contributions across categories, showcasing initiatives from major corporations, educational institutions, and grassroots organizations. This year’s awardees included:

Paryavaran (Environment):

Karma Moksha Nirvana Foundation for "RagBag" – a sustainable initiative promoting eco-friendly products.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited for its "CBG Plant at Pathmeda" – a project dedicated to sustainable energy generation.
SBI Foundation for "CONSERW" – a project focused on environmental conservation and resource management.

Shiksha (Education):

Udayan Care for the "Udayan Shalini Fellowship Program" – an initiative empowering young women through education and mentorship.
Transform Schools, People For Action for "Transform Learning" – a program enhancing learning outcomes in schools.
AJSA India for "Bridge School cum CLDC's" – an educational initiative bridging learning gaps in underserved communities.

Sashaktikaran (Empowerment):

SBI Foundation for its "Centre of Excellence for PwDs" – a facility empowering persons with disabilities.
My Angels Academy – promoting empowerment and development for marginalized children.

Swasthya (Health):

The Hans Foundation for "Health on Wheels" – delivering healthcare to remote communities.
Sachin Sarcoma Society (SSS) for "Sahayak Setu" – supporting sarcoma patients with treatment and care.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited for "Project Dil without Bill" – providing healthcare support to the underprivileged.

Krishi and Gramin (Agriculture and Rural Development):

Centre for Collective Development (Farmveda) – supporting rural farmers with sustainable agricultural practices.
Dabur India Limited for "Herbal Kingdom" – focusing on herbal and sustainable agriculture.

Langyik Samanta

Jindal Steel and Power for “Sakalaya Vikash” focusing on inclusion of women in development

Behavioural Change

United Way Bengaluru Addressing Malnutrition among tribal children in Wayanad - An integrated behavioural change model

Most Innovative:

Vaidic Srijan LLP for "Cownomics® Technology" – promoting environmental sustainability through innovative agricultural solutions.
Foundation For Excellence India Trust for "FFE Scholarship & Beyond Scholarship Program" – supporting deserving students with scholarships.
Good Earth Eco Futures Pvt. Ltd. for "Saarang" – driving eco-friendly development and sustainable business practices.

Promoting Responsible Organisations and Individuals Further recognizing the contribution of innovative thinkers and businesses, SABERA 2024 honored:

Social Enterprise:

Rangeet – a social enterprise dedicated to social change through innovative education models.

Social Leader of the Year:

Vishal Kumar from Waste Warriors Society and Amit Bhatia from Aspire Impact.

Change Makers:

Deepa Mahajan addressing child labour exploitation through Sahyog Care for you, Dr Manish Jain empowering the trans community through Kineer and Gayathri Vasudevan for skilling through Sambhav Foundation

Promising Responsible Business

Stonesoup and Recykal creating market places for recycling & zero waste living

Emerging Think Tanks

Nikore associates working on the invisible female labour force

Responsible Business of the Year

Zydus Life Sciences

Responsible Business Leader of the Year:

Nitin Paranjape of HUL for his commitment to a purpose driven business

Lifetime Achievement:

Meenakshi Nayar of ETASHA Society committed to skilling youth and women

Supporting SABERA 2024’s Mission of Social Impact, esteemed partners for the event included SBI Foundation as Sustainability Partner, Adfactors PR as PR Partner, Amar Ujala as Excellence Partner, ADGULLY as Online Media Partner, and HavishM as Consulting Partner. Together, they amplified SABERA's mission to foster social impact and sustainability in India.

Not For Profit of the Year

o BansiVidya Memorial Trust - Provide rapid financial support to leukemia patients, which helps in improving survival rate

o Cancer Awareness and Early Detection Trust(CAPED) – Working on efforts to eliminate cervical cancer from India, making it Cervical Cancer Mukt Bharat

o Wadhwani Foundation – Driving impact in entrepreneurship, skill development, digital transformation and innovation.

Promising Responsible Business Leader of the Year
Aayush S from Ecohoy for sustainable everyday products
Tanya Singhal of SolaArise & Mynzo Carbon for leveraging IOT and AI for personalized carbon neutrality solutions

Find the complete awardee list at - https://www.sabera.co/awardees-list/

Also Read: SABERA 2024 - celebrating social impact excellence 7th year in a row