E-cell

TISS
TULJAPUR

13
SEPTEMBER

2020
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Few woRDS fRoM The facUlTY 1

2. Case STUDY: ShRee GoaT Milk 2

3. MisFiTS 5

4. HUMans of TUlJapUR 6

5. News of The Week 9

6. BhaRaT 10

7. PiTCh iT oR DiTCh iT 11

8. MeeT OUR TeaM 12

Wan T T o colla B o R a T e? Reach US a T

ecellti sstuljapur@gmail.com
FEW WORDS FROM THE FACULTY
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tuljapur campus envisioned to carry education, research,
capacity building and field work with the social contemporaneity, with the blend of praxis
and core concepts. The programme M.A in Social Innovations and Entrepreneurship (M.A.
SIE), is evidencing the same by training the enthusiastic, and energetic minds, to be the
changemakers, which can sense the humanity and turn as catalyst to add the worth. The
programme of
M.A. SIE will generate a new cohort, with the architects of new waves in society, especially
among rural folks, to seize the opportunities by realizing and materialising the prevailing
resource of the genera, by applying the business and entrepreneurial acumen. This would
aggravate to create more sociopreneurs than the entrepreneurs or businessman, where from
the conception of ideas of enterprise till the commercialization of verture, it all would have
a wholistic flavour, in larger sense for the society. The M.A. SIE programme initiated in
2014 and till 2020 it has trained and transformed more than 200 energetic minds, which
contributed in making a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem and landscaping with the new
insignia of making self-reliant.
E-Cell, is the platform, which expressions the endeavor of opportunities on
entrepreneurial canvas, to accomplish the variants of business with social intinction, with
the objective to reinforce the entrepreneurial landscape among the cohorts, from TISS,
Tuljapur campus.

The field of Entrepreneurship where obstacles, transmute into stepping stones and elevate the
triumph of embellishment, the ingenuity taken by the M.A. SIE, Tuljapur campus students
is amazing. I would congratulate and wish them all the best, to the committee of E-Cell,
where it would be a substance of delight to create more and more millstones and
achievements, which transform the society, from TISS,

School of Rural Development, Tuljapur

campus Thank you
Dr Neelam Yadava
M.A. Social Innovation &
Entrepreneurship (Convener)
1
 Shree Goat Milk

A Social Entrepreneur and a Nobel Peace Prize

winner himself, Muhammad Yunus describes it
accurately - what the responsibility of a Social
Entrepreneur is in our society. Our esteemed
institution, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tuljapur
Campus dedicates an entire 2- year course to
breeding such individuals commonly known as
Social Entrepreneurs (them who measure success
in what kind of impact they create and
not the mere profit numbers).
We dedicate this segment of our newly
established newsletter to those individuals out there
“People should wake up
in the morning and say
who wish to seek the same, do their bit for the
‘I am not a job society and make it a better place to live in.
seeker, I am a job Our first case study is the story of, now an
creator’. established Social Entrepreneur, Premkumar
Danane. Reigning from a family of landless
- Muhammad Yunus
labourers, living in the Kohlapur City of
Maharasthra, his family's only source of sustenance
was fetching milk from animals like cows and goats
to sell it to earn their livelihood. Witnessing an
unfortunate loss such as losing his father at a young
age, pushed Prem to fend for his younger siblings.
These circumstances made him pick up several jobs
like driving and working at mobile shops to make
ends meet. Joining the Social Innovation and
Entrepreneurship course at TISS changed things for
him.
2
 Shree Goat Milk
Continued....
During his time at the institution, knowing or choosing what problem to solve was
not cumbersome for him. Being a part of the community and coming from the
same background, surrounded with struggles seen by his own eyes, he was able to
tap the untouched resource - The Goat Milk.

For those who are unaware, Goat Milk has proven to be filled with immense
qualities of all nutrients from protein, calcium, vitamins and potassium. All this
information is vital to look at how Prem decided to curb the problems of small,
marginal and landless farmers, who were struggling to earn a livelihood. With
about 150 goat owners and a total of 358 goats, Prem decided to start a Shree Goat
Milk - A social venture based on the principles of a Self Help Group. With the
help of Shree Goat Milk, Prem was able to help these farmers utilise the resource
(goats) efficiently. Before Shree Goat Milk intervened within the community, it
was a common practice to sell the goat at a minimal price to earn some money.
However, these earnings were never enough. With the venture coming in, Prem was
able to improve the socio-economic status of women in the village by empowering
them and using the full potential of the goats.

Just like any other entrepreneur, Prem started small and had to also face various
challenges at the inception of the project. Wanting to work with the women of
these villages, it was tough for him to convince the male heads of the families to let
their wives work with him. Determined to make this venture work, Prem was
eventually able to get 10 women on board with him who are now indirectly linked
with about 100 women in the nearby villages. Starting with a limited sum of money,
Prem had to also compromise on his infrastructural needs. With just 2 litres of
milk being sold in the first month, it rose quickly to a larger quantity and is now
on its way to a larger geographic expansion.

A socially progressive venture, Shree Goat Milk also makes sure to cover the base
with all its environmental concerns. The Goat Milk is 100% organic, with absolutely
no use of chemicals or water in it.
3
 Shree Goat Milk
Continued....
The milk is only distributed in glass bottles, to avoid the use of plastic and also
increases reuse practices with the repeated use of the glass bottles. Shree Goat Milk
has made life easier for its customers by providing them with door-step delivery,
which in turn has increased and provided employment for several others.

It is safe to say that Prem, with Shree Goat Milk, has truly emerged as a change
maker. The venture has provided the women with immense confidence to continue
to live their lives as wage earners and as dignified members of the family. He has
helped several families improve their standard of living and enhance their economic
status through this livelihood opportunity. He has also been rightly recognized by
national newspapers for his work, which has also given him an edge to his
counterparts.

We believe that Prem and Shree Goat Milk will continue to impact the lives of
many disadvantaged families and women out there. We wish him the power and
luck to create such moving changes.
4
 MisFits
by Vruksh Organization
Amidst this pandemic, most of us are wondering about life beyond all the tragedy, whereas
some of you might be focusing on creating a new alternative for everything. As we all
continue to ponder about our business ideas within the current economic condition of the
country, Vruksh Organization has taken an initiative called ‘MisFits’, to present a global
platform for all young, aspiring entrepreneurs to come forward and pitch their ideas.
Vruksh Ecosystem is an organisation that works efficiently to create an environment
that encourages various innovations and entrepreneurial ideas amongst the young generation. As
the new age term of ‘startups’ becomes a popularly known concept, Vruksh Ecosystem has
taken this opportunity to give wings to the dreams of budding entrepreneurs.
The sectors that are mostly covered by
Vruksh include affordable and accessible
healthcare; new-age agriculture and clean
urban mobility among other upcoming
sectors. This organisation is globally
recognised to be one of the best incubation
providers for new business ideas.
Besides other activities, this year, the
organization has decided to organise a virtual
pitch event called ‘MisFits’. In this event, the
individuals who have an intention to create
change with their ideas are invited to pitch
their business plans. This particular event is
going to be held at 15 different cities across
the whole of South Asia, the applications for
which have
already began. Besides all the amazing benefits that Vruksh plans to offer, the winners of
this event will get world-class mentoring support from esteemed institutions like IIT
Hyderabad and AIC Banasthali, with extra perks like a startup license that will be free for
one year. Other than that there are exciting entrepreneurial opportunities for all the
participants including a Pro License of Entrepedia along with additional credit benefits and
funding assistance.
The most unique factor about this event is that it will bring all the stakeholders including
entrepreneurs and change-makers on the same platform. Furthermore, this event plans to
showcase the top 30 entrepreneurs. Since the focus is on the emerging economies of South
Asia, there are many more benefits that you might gain in addition to receiving the right
kind of exposure.
It is therefore an amazing chance for those who are innovators and have the will to make a
difference in the society. As the whole economic situation in the country takes a wild turn
this year this pandemic, this will most definitely prove to be one of the golden
opportunities for those who are creative thinkers and are looking to expand their ideas into
a reality.
5
Humans of Tuljapur
Rikin’s Khane Ka Khazana
"Two of the most important creations in the world
for me have been ‘M.S. Dhoni’ and ‘Khaana’. Me
being a Gujarati has only made me cherish my love
for cricket
and food even more although I believe that the
latter influences my life significantly. Food reminds
you of a lot of the ‘Dependency theory’, doesn’t it?
You see the providers of food, our farmers, lose lives
trying to feed us while we take the liberty of
benefitting from it without giving it due respect
and that hurts me on a constant basis. I just hate it
when someone in ourcollege canteen throws a pile
of leftover food away just because he/she
overestimated the amount they could consume. I
live by two rules when it comes to food. Rule no.1:
Never disrespect what you have on your plate and
Rule no.2: No enmity with food whatsoever.
Doing so only adds a new meaning
to the word ‘respect’. You can try it
too!

Did I tell you that I was a Gujarati? I did, yeah?

Then you can safely assume that doing business runs
in my genes and that brought me here to Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, Tuljapur, where I joined
as a student of the Social Innovations and
Entrepreneurship programme. I do now see a
remarkable change in myself.
6
 Rikin’s Khane Ka Khazana
Continued....

I had come here with a unidirectional objective to get the degree and land myself
a safe job but now I find myself busy identifying social problems in everything.
It is this very art of questioning the injustice that pushed me to help the needy
during the Covid19 imposed lockdown.

Doing an act of ‘punya’ is a compulsion for every Gujarati on their birthdays.

My friend Denise Patel had his birthday coming up and we hence decided to
donate some home cooked food for this orphanage that was around 25 kms away
from our house. It was then, that we realized that the orphanage was facing
major fund crisis during the lockdown as the donations being received
significantly declined, 30 children housed by the orphanage were on a brink of
going hungry. We then decided to do something about it! The major problems
that we mapped were the food being less nutritious and the low quantity that
were being made available to them. We got in touch with 4-5 restaurants that
were partially operating in nearby areas. It then took some convincing to do in
persuading each of the restaurants to make them cook 4-5 extra meals free of
charge for the orphanage. We were then able to collect the food from the
restaurants and transport the same regularly to the orphanage.The owners were
being a bit sceptical regarding our work for which we had to carry out online
video calls regularly from the orphanage to instill their trust in us. 7 days
later, a few restaurants backed out and we saw that our transport cost likewise
was shooting beyond our financial limits which brought the mission to a halt.
But the idea of not being able to do anything was making me more restless than
usual. We had to look for alternatives that could help us either with funds or
charity. Temples became a ‘go-to’ solution. We contacted a trust called the
‘Jain Aram’ group who were then told about the situation. They are now
making sure that every child there sleeps well fed and its not just them but
also a Rikin Modi who can now enjoy a restful sleep.
7
 Rikin’s Khane Ka Khazana
Continued....

That story is not the full stop though. I wanted do more and when I looked
out of my window, I saw a policeman strolling through the streets in the
heat. He must have needed some water and not just him but a majority of the
force that was busy policing. I with the help of a common friend of my dad’s,
who’s a lemon farmer, formed a pact. The mission should we choose to accept it
was to reach a glass of lime juice to every police man. 25 Kgs of lemons, 4 jars
with a capacity of 20 litres each, 2 cars and 400 policemen. We did it day in and
day out for twenty straight days. Them waiting for us kept us moving. Ha!

Isn’t it amazing to see that it’s food that keeps us alive and the very same
need to have the hunger in order to do things that make you feel alive? The
journey was an unforgettable lesson learnt. The tangible smiles make you
realize that there is still some hope that we can keep from the world and that
there continues to be an inner
you that exists to bring that hope to life in this world. "
8
 NEWS OF THE WEEK
Heard of INDIA’s only corporate panchayat?
Twenty20 Kizhakkambalam marches steadfast to
their 2020 goal

Cummins India launched ‘UDGAM’ to uplift young girls and

women in rural areas living in ‘period poverty’

PI Green Solutions and Oxy-Garden have emerged as

start- ups sanitizing air in the Covid-19 era

Tamil Nadu Weavers’ Cooperative known as Co-

optex, launches a handloom café/eatery on 7th
August to mark National Handloom Day

14-year-old Maya Anandan turns entrepreneur during

the lockdown as she cashes on tie-dye fashion trend

Farm to UAE: Blockchain platform Agriota to connect

Indian farmers directly to the MENA region

‘Go-Eco’ is the hot trend as start- ups like Eco Right,

Chalks and Chuckles, Love Organically and MINC look
forward to disrupt the eco-friendly market

Amul with turnover of $5.5 Billion Became the first

Indian Dairy Company to get featured in top 20 list of
Rabobank
9
 গৃহিশ B ক ও লকডাউন
িফেরাজ হক্

u মশ নুন আনেত পা\া ফু রে

ঝঁােক ঝঁােক পািখরা ছ টেছ
খাদ⎠সðােন।

আমােদর প থবী িবপয´েয়র মুেখ

খবর রােখ না C কউ।
u মশ বেয় C বড়াি ট টাফাটা সBান
ঘেরর বাইের C যেত পাির না।
About the poet-
Firoz Haaq is a private primary আমােদর নিথপE
school teacher and is Cনই আিদম য গর
currently pursuing his মেতাই চ পচাপ
master's in Bengali from North কের চিল লড়েত
Bengal University. পাির না
He is also a News Editorand
ffকাশহীন!
hails from Matelli, Jalpaiguri
District ,West Bengal.
িমেথ⎠র ফু লঝু িড়
িনেয় C বশ আিছ। ভােলা
আিছ।

BHARAT
Under this segment we explore some literary works in
regional languages. Language of the week-
 Bengali.
10

Wish to get featured in the next

issue of our newsletter? Read on! PITCH IT
‘Sparkling Water’ is able to successfully market
their Packaged Drinking Water as they claim
OR
DITCH
that their water is added naturally with 100%
Organic Minerals and having a perfect PH
balance because they source the water from
the cleanest source of Himalayas. They have
invested a lot in setting up the Manufacturing IT
and Processing Unit near the source of water,
coming from Himalayan Glacier, in a village Steps to
somewhere in the Himalayas. As cities like Follow:
Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai and others are
1)Brainstorm,
already in water crises so their product is in
great demand at almost every corner of the 2) Sharpen your
nation. The company also invests extensively in entrepreneurial skills and
the advertisement of their product and this provide help to
has resulted in a continuous spike in demand “Sparkling Water”
for them on a weekly basis. navigate through these
challenges

Due to their increasing popularity and to 3) Follow

meet the demand they have started taking more https://docs.google.com/for
water from their source. This has resulted in ms/d/1mv67U7LfQFpXZP
aggression in multiple villages downstream HpDRtvMfu7b2HA7Fgy_S
as the lack of water for these villages results 3uY2g99zw/edit to submit
your answers to us
in hindrance in performing various
agricultural activities. The villagers are 4) Sit back, Relax and wait
protesting against the company and this is for our team to contact
disturbing the good image ‘SPARKLING you
WATER’ has created in years
5) Get excited because your answer could be the best one!!

Being the responsible official of the company describe your

plan to tackle the situation that leads to peace amongst the
villagers downstream. Sparkling Water must sustain their
share in water from the source according to its demand in
your action plan.

11
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OUR TEAM

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 RIKIN

MITALI

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ASHUTOSH

TEAM
MEMBERS SURAJ
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15
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