Next Bharat Ventures (NBV), Suzuki Motor Corporation’s ₹340 crore impact fund, hosted its annual flagship event, the Next Billion Forum, focused on driving inclusive growth and fostering innovation for India’s rural and informal economy.
The event brought together over 200 influential leaders, including N.R. Narayana Murthy (Founder, Infosys), Amitabh Kant (G20 Sherpa, Government of India), T.V. Mohandas Pai (Chairman, Aarin Capital), Meena Ganesh (Portea Medical, Bahaar Foundation), Nilesh Shah (Kotak Mahindra AMC), Pramod Verma (BECKN Protocol), and Dhimant Parekh (The Better India), along with senior executives from Suzuki Motor Corporation. Highlights of the program included a fireside chat with Narayana Murthy and a panel discussion titled “Bharat 2047: Enabling Inclusive Growth through Policy, Partnerships, and Platforms.”
A major highlight of the event was the announcement of a strategic partnership between Atypical Advantage, India’s largest talent platform for persons with disabilities (PwDs) and an NBV portfolio company, and the Uno Minda Group, a leading automotive component manufacturer. This collaboration aims to create meaningful livelihood opportunities for PwDs across Uno Minda’s nationwide operations, setting a strong benchmark for inclusion and diversity in the manufacturing industry.
Speaking at the Forum, Vipul Jindal, Managing Director of NBV, highlighted the fund’s mission, stating, “At Next Bharat, we are committed to empowering entrepreneurs who create value for the next billion. This partnership reflects our goal of connecting innovators with industry leaders to drive lasting, meaningful impact.”
Sharing his perspective, Nirmal Minda, Executive Chairman of Uno Minda Group, said, “True progress comes from inclusive growth. Through this collaboration with Atypical Advantage and support from NBV, we aim to create equitable opportunities for persons with disabilities while contributing to India’s vision of sustainable and inclusive development.”
Vineet Saraiwala, Founder & CEO of Atypical Advantage, stated, “This partnership will create manufacturing job opportunities for PwDs, supported by NBV and Maruti Suzuki’s extensive supplier network. Our goal is to scale disability inclusion across the automotive industry and beyond.”
The Forum highlighted NBV’s pivotal role as a catalyst for social innovation, leveraging policy, partnerships, and entrepreneurship to shape the vision of Bharat 2047. With the Uno Minda collaboration, NBV has made a meaningful stride toward integrating disability representation into India’s growth story.
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