Strategy

Focusing on four areas – Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Skills Colleges and Policy, the Foundation

  • Launches and supports niche, high impact and high value initiatives
  • Plays the role of a catalyst and innovates through pilots
  • Engages Government, Industry and Foundations for nation-wide scale-up

Economic Growth

Encompassing Targets

  • Large scale Job Creation
  • Market Linked Skill Development
  • Policy Research and Advocacy for National Impact

Scalable Models

  • Conceive niche high-impact Initiatives
  • Build Innovative models for scale and impact
  • Demonstrate via Pilots

Nurturing with Partners

  • Partner with Government, Industry & Foundations for Scale
  • Drive self-sustainability through Market Forces

The Foundation funds initiatives with significant pro-bono investments and supports them until they are well established with the right models, at scale and self-sustainable before exiting.

Since being established, we have demonstrated success by picking the right niche, supporting it over long periods and establishing the right models.

Effective partnerships forged with other organizations that share our vision – other NGOs, foundations, Government, corporate and academic institutions – has contributed to our success.

Demonstrated success

Our first major initiative – the non-profit National Entrepreneurship Network(NEN) launched in 2003, is now the largest, most vibrant community of India's new and future entrepreneurs.

Initiated by the Wadhwani Foundation, and co-founded by IIT Bombay; IIM Ahmedabad; BITS, Pilani; SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai; and the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore, the NEN works with academic institutes, students and faculty to create awareness, inspire, prepare and launch high potential entrepreneurs.

Today, NEN's membership comprises more than 500 top-tier academic institutes across India, a motivated pool of over 1100 entrepreneurship faculty members, over 380 student Entrepreneurship Cells with more than 80,000 student members. In addition, over a 1000 entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and specialists volunteer as mentors to help NEN entrepreneurs realise their dreams and increase their chances of success.

Leveraging the resources and programs of the NEN Trust, these members - the NEN institutes, faculty, E Cells, and E Clubs – each year run thousands of programs that create and support entrepreneurship. The NEN has now entered into a public-private partnership with the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Introduction & Mission

The Wadhwani Foundation is a not-for-profit initiative more

Leadership

A team of experienced, passionate and driven individuals more