XLRI Jamshedpur resources to create tribal entrepreneurs

B-School hosts inaugural XL-JESEY awards and explores tribal entrepreneurship

Jamshedpur, Feb 12: XLRI Jamshedpur successfully concluded the seventh edition of their Social Entrepreneurship Conclave (SEC-7) today, bringing together key stakeholders to explore the theme of “Tribal Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Transformation.”

The event saw participation from 200+ individuals including students, members of tribal communities, current social entrepreneurs, field experts and faculty. The Conclave and the award were organized by Team SIGMA-oikos, a student committee and Centre for Inclusiveness of XLRI Jamshedpur.

The conclave deliberated on how, if assistance is provided to people belonging to indigenous communities, they can initiate significant enterprises and carry out commendable work.

In this conclave, extensive discussions centered around the potential upliftment of indigenous communities through targeted assistance, emphasizing the prospect of enabling them to establish significant enterprises and engage in commendable initiatives. The discourse highlighted the transformative impact that support tailored to the needs of these communities could have, paving the way for the initiation of large-scale entrepreneurial ventures and the accomplishment of noteworthy endeavors.

Pravir Krishna, retd. IAS officer and former Managing Director of TRIFED, delivered the keynote address, sharing his insights on building a tribal enterprise strategy for India’s development. He highlighted the impact of initiatives like MSP for forest produce, Van Dhan Yojana, and Retail & Marketing, emphasizing the role of collaboration and digital interventions in scaling them up.

Two panel discussions provided diverse perspectives on this crucial topic.

The first, moderated by Prof. Sunil Kumar Sarangi, saw esteemed panelists Pravir Krishna,  Akshay Soni (The/Nudge Institute),  Nitish Kumar Sinha (SPM, JSLPS, Govt. of Jharkhand), and Father Joseph Marianus Kujur (Director, XISS, Ranchi) discuss “Leveraging Government Policy and Corporate Houses for Tribal Entrepreneurship.” Key takeaways included the need for micro-gains, way forward lying in facilitation and assistance rather than imposing policies, and an ecosystem respecting tribal values resolve the dissonance between modern development and traditional development.

The second panel featured successful tribal entrepreneurs: Doman Tudu (Rusicaa Group),  Kumar Abhishek Oraon (The Open Fields), Dr. Ruby Gupta (Duosis Bio-innovations), and Mohit Mohan Samad (Ong Apparels). They openly discussed challenges like financial access and overcoming stereotypes, showcasing how they used innovation and partnerships to achieve growth.

SIGMA-oikos also organized Catalyst, a Social Startup Pitch Competition powered by The/Nudge Institute. Final rounds of the startup pitch contest that saw participation from 25+ teams were conducted where the finalists presented their ideas to Mr. Akshay Soni and Prof. Kalyan Bhaskar. The pitches were judged on their idea, scalability, clarity, feasibility of implementation and impact on society. The winners received attractive cash prizes and critical expert input.

The day culminated with the presentation of the inaugural XLRI Jamshedpur Emerging Social Entrepreneur of the Year (XL-JESEY) Awards 2024. Doman Tudu, founder of Rusicaa Trends Pvt Ltd., received the top honour for his work bridging tribal traditions with mainstream markets. Special mentions were awarded to Manju Meena (Sakhi Shakti Samiti), Zawar, Rajasthan and Dr. Manisha Oraon (The Open Field), Khunti for their contributions to tribal empowerment and sustainable development.

The XL-JESEY award was presented by the Director, XLRI Jamshedpur, Father S. George, SJ and the special mention awards were presented by Dean Academics Prof. Sanjay Patro and Dean Administration & Finance, Father Donald D’ Silva. All the awards consisted of a certificate and a cash award. The awards were instituted by the Centre for Inclusiveness at XLRI Jamshedpur. Speaking on the occasion, the Director, Dean Academics and Convenor of the Centre for Inclusiveness Prof. Saurav Snehvrat reaffirmed XLRI Jamshedpur’s commitment towards building a more inclusive and prosperous India.