Charcha ‘23 promises to create a thriving, tech-first livelihoods ecosystem

Over two days, the gathering of over 130 speakers and 750 livelihood professionals focused on how the joint efforts of stakeholders can accelerate the pace at which India’s poor find pathways to sustainable livelihoods and improved quality of life.

“For India to achieve its dream of being the leader in innovation, it is important that all the stakeholders ranging from policy, academia, industry, and government come together to enable upskilling and innovation,” said Satish Reddy, Chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, during a session. “We need to collectively create an atmosphere and environment for industry to flourish through policy and industry-academia collaboration. This will ultimately leverage the great population potential and opportunity that India possesses,” he added.

At charcha ’23, 40 teams took part in a 24-hour hackathon curated by Google. The aim? To solve problems faced by small and marginal farmers. The hackathon was won by team Agriheros from Hyderabad, for their idea of bridging the gap between academia and agri-tech through deep tech learning.

Another track, aptly named ‘Deshruption’, spotlighted women-led organizations that are creating economic opportunities in financing and skilling. This series centered the discussion on the role of Artificial Intelligence in creating livelihoods, and the potential of adapting regional languages to upskill and reskill the informal workforce.

A panel on Agri Innovations and Safeguarding Rural Livelihoods, held with Reliance Foundation, sparked a discussion between industry experts and practitioners on education, skill development, and entrepreneurship.

charcha '23 also showcased The/Nudge Institute’s Agri-IKIGAI Report, which introduced an integrated approach for a sustainable agricultural future that uses technology, innovation, and environmental consciousness to help smallholder farmers increase their income while also having a positive climate impact.

A common thread ran through all discussions at charcha ‘23, following the tone set by chief guest Padma Shri Dr Abhay Bang, the founder & chairman of SEARCH, who opened the convening by saying, “Poverty is not uni-dimensional; it's multi-dimensional. It's not just income-related, but also encompasses the empowerment gained through opening windows of knowledge, giving responsibility, and autonomy to women and families.”

 

Leaders across sectors agreed the path ahead would require collaborative action and technology adoption; and that the need of the hour was outcome-oriented skilling of the youth. They spoke on what is needed to bolster social innovation and entrepreneurship, and what should be done to translate these discussions into tangible actions on the ground — through strategic partnerships and establishing thriving ecosystems that promote progress.

Celebrating the event's success, Jerold Chagas Pereira, Senior Director of The/Nudge Forum, said, "charcha ‘23 has reinforced our belief in convening as a powerful mechanism to spotlight, learn from and recognise important work being done by participants and leaders from civil society, government and markets. Beyond charcha, The/Nudge Forum’s mandate remains to attract talent, capital and enable policies necessary for expanding and strengthening the social development ecosystem."

charcha ‘23 was made possible by partners Google, LinkedIn, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Reliance Foundation, KPMG, GAME, Generation India, ACT Grants, Tata Steel Foundation, The Bridgespan Group, and the Indian School of Business (ISB): i-venture, Hyderabad. Click here for more details