iDiya is ISB's Social Venture Competition conceived in 2009 by the  student Net Impact Club at the Indian School of Business (ISB) . Within six years, iDiya has come up as a promising platform for dynamic entrepreneurs with a social bent, from around the world to showcase their ideas to enthusiastic partners. In its seventh year now, iDiya has been successful in attracting several entrepreneurs and also raised a seed pool of Rs 1.8 crore from investors

The US Counsel General in Hyderabad, Michael Mullins gave away the prizes. Speaking to the entrepreneurs, the Counsel General said “Platforms like the “iDiya Social Venture Competition” are critical meeting grounds for diaspora efforts and social entrepreneurship. Supporting innovation and entrepreneurial activity is hard work, but so important!

The HelpUsGreen team comprising Ankit Agarwal and Karan Rastogi took the honours as the winner with Daniela Gheorghe and Anil Bishnoi of the vChalk team as the first runner up and the Aadhan team comprising Nikhil Dugal, Priyamwada Singh and Akshat Goel emerging the second runner up. The top three winners are eligible for prize money apart from being pitched for funding from social venture capital firms.

The top 10 finalists this year comprised ventures that are working in a plethora of areas ranging from preserving river Ganges and the Ghats to utilising discarded shipping containers and converting them into mobile, sustainable and convenient infrastructure solutions for mass-generation of renewable energy in rural areas, to providing equitable opportunities for at-risk children in orphanages and shelters.

Since its inception iDiya has been constantly evolving in an attempt to improve the support and experience that it provides to its participants and winner. Business ideas and plans that were entered for the competition, were evaluated by faculty, potential investors including social venture capital firms and social entrepreneurs and student evaluators. Submissions were evaluated on various parameters, including measurable social impact, criticality of the social need and sustainability of the enterprise.