AISECT – India’s leading social enterprise that aims at bringing about an inclusive change in the semi-urban and rural areas of the country through skills and ICT based interventions – has been awarded the Hall of Fame at MyEO Engage Social Impact Business Awards held recently in New York. The honour has been bestowed on the organisation for its innovative initiatives and services and the impact they have had on the society, as per the United Nation’s (UN’s) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). AISECT also received a cash prize of US$1,000 in recognition of its concerted efforts in leading and inspiring Indian businesses towards social change.

Owing to the organisation’s extensive experience of almost 35 years in this area, AISECT’s executive director Pallavi Rao Chaturvedi was invited to represent India at the “International Entrepreneurial Summit to address the Sustainable Development Goals” held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Organised by MyEO Engage, a special interest group that promotes social change by inspiring and supporting EO members’ initiatives, MyEO Engage Social Impact Business Awards recognises organisations whose actions and mandates are aligned with the UN SDGs in their own chapters.

AISECT has enabled the lives of rural people through skill development, placement assistance, financial inclusion and B2C and G2C services. The organization’s social initiatives are not only creating a positive social impact but are also helping achieve UN SDGs aimed at providing Quality Education, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth and Reducing Inequalities.

Apart from executing numerous initiatives, AISECT has also established five premier higher education institutions in the remote corners of India. These institutions have been crucial in establishing a complete holistic framework, addressing the need for access to quality education and reducing the inequalities persisting between urban and rural India.

Talking about the achievement, Chaturvedi said, “AISECT has been working to bridge the urban and rural divide across the country through its path-breaking initiatives aimed at generating employment and creating entrepreneurial opportunities for the rural youth for over three decades. It is an honour to be recognised for our efforts and this award further cements our leadership in the social domain.”

She further added, “While pursuing our goals, we have been inevitably working towards UN SDGs by providing access to quality education and employment opportunities through our initiatives which have been crucial in raising the living standards of the people in the rural areas and reducing income inequalities. We will continue to expand our reach in the rural fringes of the country and offer more services that will benefit the people across different socio-economic backgrounds.”

Launched in 1985, AISECT has till date imparted skills-based training to over 20 lakh people, created employment opportunities within the AISECT network for more than 75,000 people and empowered the lives of over 50 lakh people through various innovative products and services.