I am building a Single Window platform designed for the informal workforce to access social welfare, job opportunities, and on-demand services such as travel, insurance, banking, healthcare, education, and skill development. Our local entrepreneurs, known as Saathis, use our technology to deliver these services at the grassroots level. I am leading this initiative with the vision of creating at least 5 lakh local entrepreneurs and impacting 10% of the informal workforce by 2047. My goal is to help transform the Indian economy into a 20 trillion dollar powerhouse by formalizing the income of the informal workforce. Want to know more? Reach out at: CEO@onlinesaathi.org.

With the help of Sewa International and its ecosystem, I am building Online Saathi. As an incubatee hosted by the volunteer-driven organization Youth for Seva in Bangalore, I am expanding Online Saathi services in Koppal, Chikballapura, and Bengaluru, Karnataka. My work involves collaborating with government entities, NGO partners, and leadership teams at YFS and Online Saathi to facilitate training and development. I have trained over 50 volunteers on government schemes and 30 village entrepreneurs to advance Online Saathi’s vision. Additionally, I am working to partner with the Karnataka Government to leverage their agent network for formal training and service delivery. Through this role, I am learning to leverage large-scale volunteer networks and gaining insights into people management, process optimization, and strategic planning to run a large organization effectively.

When I started my entrepreneurship journey, I felt the need for an ecosystem where I could share my story. I was selected for Jagriti Yatra, the world’s largest train journey for entrepreneurship, where I connected with 500 incredible individuals and had the opportunity to share my story on a larger stage. This experience marked a significant milestone in my journey. I became a brand ambassador, encouraging others to seize this opportunity to explore Bharat and contribute to making India better.

I lead an organization dedicated to helping the informal workforce understand their rights and entitlements. I founded Panah in 2015 to provide shelter and support to migrant workers seeking better livelihood opportunities in the city. Since its inception, I have worked with over 50,000 migrant workers, addressing their needs and helping them secure a better future. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I successfully raised 3 crore INR to support migrant workers in need. I have traveled across 100 districts in 10 states of India to raise awareness about the challenges faced by migrant workers and have filed thousands of RTI applications on their behalf. As a former migrant laborer, I deeply understand their struggles and am committed to making a difference. To date, more than 36,000 migrant workers have been connected with social security, jobs, and services through collaborations with various CSR companies. This work is my responsibility, driven by my personal experience and dedication to improving the lives of those in the informal workforce.

I participated in a fellowship where I explored social entrepreneurship, gaining insights into compliance, fundraising, and focusing on our vision. This experience inspired me to empower the informal workforce, igniting the #Chingari (spark) within me. Over nine months, alongside 16 incredible individuals, I engaged in three days of intensive learning and 27 days of practical application each month. This journey shaped me profoundly, and I embraced the philosophy of #LearningByDoing.

In this organization, I realized that life and service to society are intertwined. Witnessing the struggles of both my own life and those of the informal workforce, I received my first salary in written form, including EF, ESI, and social welfare benefits. It was then that I discovered these benefits were also available for the informal workforce. This ignited a fire within me to start something meaningful and make a difference in my community.