Mumbai NGO Voice Vision seeks to encourage entrepreneurship among blind & low vision people

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If you have a business idea but have no clue about how to develop it, or if you want to scale up an existing business, here’s some news for you! Mumbai-based NGO Voice Vision has announced the Entrepreneurial Idea Award 2019 for people who are blind and low vision. Read on to know more.

Starting a new business can be an intimidating prospect and if you are a person who is blind or low vision, it can seem even more of a challenge. Recognising this, Mumbai-based NGO Voice Vision has announced the Entrepreneurial Award 2019 that seeks to uncover and nurture the entrepreneurial streak in people with vision disabilities.

The awards are for people who have a business idea or have a prototype ready of their idea or wish to scale their an existing business. The idea should be of that individual or group’s aloe and people with specific qualification or training relating to the business idea would be preferred. However, applications from people without any academic qualifications are also welcome.

The first edition of this award in 2016 saw 10 contenders from across India out of which three were finalised. This time there is one difference and that is a substantial amount of time is being devoted in the pre-internship stage to building important skills with the help of experts like negotiations skills, marketing, etc. – Sushmeetha Bubna, Founder, NGO Voice Vision

Voice Vision has partnered with the K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research (SIMSR) in Mumbai for the programme. MBA students of the institute will be teamed up with the contenders for vital inputs. “The students, given their experience and knowledge, can mentor them and give vital inputs on how to make their businesses sustainable and scaleable”, says Bubna.

The three winners will be finalised on 1 December this year and the jury panel will be made up of incubators, who Bubna hopes, will find some of the ideas generated promising. “My goal is to enable them to be entrepreneurs”, she laughs. She says one of the finalists will be a woman. In case a woman who is blind or low vision fails to qualify, a seat will be given to another eligible participant.

Dr Asha Bhatia, Faculty, SIMSR believes that the collaboration with Voice Vision has many learnings for students at the institute as well

“We want our students to get sensitised to the needs of people with disabilities. We did something similar earlier and the response from the students was really good”. The students will be split up into groups and each group will be dedicated to one contestant. “The things they are learning in class, they can actually put into practice and see them benefitting people. This way they are not just talking about entrepreneurship, but also building it”, says Bhatia.

So, if you are a blind or low vision people with a business idea, do not miss this opportunity! Click on this website to get details of the documents needed and the registration form. Remember, the deadline is 14 October.

Call 022-40400000 and +91- 98205-66010 to know more.