Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 459,692 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,236 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 321,366 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,236 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 321,366 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,208 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 459,692 cutting edge ideas.

Suvankar Mishra of eKutir (INTERVIEW)

Agricultural Social Business in India

— July 25, 2014 — Social Good
SocialBusiness.org got to talk with Suvankar Mishra of the innovative enterprise eKutir. He discusses his work in agricultural social business and technology in India.

Four Questions with Suvankar Mishra

1. How did the idea for the business come about?

Suvankar Mishra: I studied engineering and social business was a leap of faith, primarily inspired by the work of my father, a prominent social entrepreneur and Ashoka Fellow in India and Asia. Through his work with farmers in rural India, I saw both the challenges and opportunities that rural development presents and thought technology would be a great enabler to effectively harness this sector and improve the lives of the less privileged (circa 120 million rural households in India alone). I ventured into designing and executing new ideas to positively benefit rural farming communities via digital technologies, from software and mobile-based services to crowdfunding and e-commerce platforms.

2. How did you decide to join this sector?

Suvankar Mishra: Straight after completing my bachelors in engineering, I became a stakeholder in a start-up social business based in India. With my initial experience in setting up a micro-savings platform to promote micro-savings through mobile banking in rural communities, I learnt the basics of how financial behavior, savings, and credit is perceived by people and households that are at the threshold of poverty. With two years of extensively working in the field and managing small to medium-sized projects, I realized that finance alone would not suffice to bridge the gap between sustainable livelihoods and poverty.

I therefore established a social business that would provide digital solutions for social impact via eKutir and BoP Connect. Technologies and digital platforms are a great facilitator to support, connect and empower the multiple field institutions, non-profits and public sector organizations working in rural development alongside the 4 billion people at the bottom of the pyramid (BoP). However technology and digital empowerment also need to be combined with human engagement, trust and strong relationships to engender a lasting positive impact.

3. How do you get your inspiration?

Suvankar Mishra: Empathy with the people I meet and serve through the social businesses is a great driver for my inspiration. Empathy creates optimism that a change is inevitable and will happen if you consider the people less fortunate than you, to be contributors rather than just recipients. This two way flow helps to action the empathy and design solutions for long-term impact.

Also, I firmly believe that if an educated mind is not put in service to others for a broader, positive impact to society, then the mind and soul will not be at peace.

4. How do you reset yourself to be creative? Do you have any rituals?

Suvankar Mishra: For me, creativity relates to the slightest thing that could ignite a thought of change. It does not necessarily have to be innovation, but a mere improvement of the existing equipoise. I firmly believe in consistency and thrive to be steady in my endeavors through my daily work. This trickles the creativity in me. At a personal level, I am an ambivert, limiting towards the introvert side. Reading an enthralling biography or stories of changemakers or a dialogue with a friend ignites creativity in me and keeps me at the brink of excitement to learn something novel.

My ritual is to read the Thought of the Day, a practice I have strictly followed since I was 12.
Trend Themes
1. Digital Solutions for Social Impact - The use of technology and digital platforms to support and empower field institutions, non-profits, and public sector organizations working in rural development presents disruptive innovation opportunities.
2. Empathy-driven Design - Designing solutions for long-term impact by considering the less fortunate as contributors rather than just recipients creates disruptive innovation opportunities.
3. Consistency for Creativity - The practice of consistency and steady work can spark creativity and lead to improvements or innovations in existing systems or processes, presenting disruptive innovation opportunities.
Industry Implications
1. Agriculture Technology - Applying digital solutions and technology platforms to the agricultural sector can revolutionize rural farming communities and improve livelihoods, presenting disruptive innovation opportunities.
2. Social Business - The integration of technology, finance, and human engagement in social businesses can create lasting positive impact and bridge the gap between sustainable livelihoods and poverty, presenting disruptive innovation opportunities.
3. Personal Development - Exploring practices like empathy-driven design, consistency, and interdisciplinary learning can foster personal development and inspire individuals to create positive change, presenting disruptive innovation opportunities in personal development industries.
6.2
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness