In collaboration with DXC Technology, the Sambhav Foundation (A LabourNet Initiative) has developed ‘Upjeevika,' a social impact incubator.

Upjeevika is an initiative that seeks for and supports social companies in India that have the potential to create sustainable livelihoods.

This occurs at a time when a global health crisis of unprecedented proportions has prompted the company to rethink how they can collaborate and plan for the future as a society.

The three-month 'Telemedicine Livelihoods Challenge' kicked off Upjeevika 2021 in May. This challenge is open to everyone in India, and it's looking for answers to telemedicine's last-mile delivery problems.

The goal is to produce ideas that can help telemedicine succeed in low-resource settings, directly impacting thousands of lives while strengthening the country's healthcare infrastructure.

Teams with a proof-of-concept idea or early-stage companies with a minimal viable product will be asked to develop scalable livelihood solutions. A panel of experts from the fields of science and social innovation will assess the ideas, provide input to the participants, and sort through the teams to identify those with the most potential for scaling.

The winning ideas will be fostered and provided with the ecosystem, expertise, and mentoring that they require from Upjeevika to blossom into a sustainable social transformation.

"To build resilience in any sector, innovation is required in four very important areas. Innovation in skill enhancement can help workers and micro-entrepreneurs increase their earning potential and sources of income”, says Gayathri Vasudevan, Chairperson, LabourNet.

“At DXC, we believe in setting the right examples in the society and making meaningful impact. We are proud to support Sambhav Foundation in this incredible journey of creating Upjeevika. This initiative is aligned with DXC’s vision of building a better future for our youth and creating sustainable livelihoods”, remarks Lokendra Sethi, Head of Human Resources, DXC Technology India.

“Innovation in market linkage can provide better access to opportunities. Innovation in financial support systems can help individuals access the capital they need to transition to micro-entrepreneurship. And innovation in social security can help reduce workers' risks by ensuring access to healthcare, insurance, and income security”, continued Vasudevan.

Sambhav Foundation is a non-profit organisation that promotes social justice by providing infrastructure, education, and livelihood opportunities to the economically backward. Individuals and groups are mentored and nurtured as entrepreneurs by Sambhav, which also works with its partner, LabourNet Services India Private Limited, to provide vocational training and improve livelihoods in the informal sector.

The vision of the foundation is to enable dignity and livelihood of the disadvantaged and the differently abled. Followed by a mission which translates to enabling dignity and sustainability of the disadvantaged youth including special needs children by building an ecosystem that fosters growth through lifelong learning.