Thought I’d take a break from narrating my usual shenanigans and help promote a pretty interesting project a close family friend Naman is currently working on. He’s spending a year in India doing a fellowship through Indicorps. One of his main projects is a social entrepreneurship competition called the Piramal Prize. In his words…

The Piramal Prize is focused on democratizing healthcare in India. The competition seeks to encourage and support bold entrepreneurial ideas which have a profound impact on access to higher standards of health for India’s rural and marginalized urban communities. The award recognizes high-impact, scalable business models that propose innovative solutions which directly or indirectly address India’s healthcare crisis. Entries may include, but are not limited to, innovations in service delivery, technology applications, health-related products, or mechanisms to address public health necessities such as potable water.

We are looking to make this into the premiere competition in India. Nothing of its size has been done yet in India. Winners of the competition will receive over $25,000 in seed funding and access to further venture capital support to get their ideas off the ground. Additionally, winning models will be given incubation support at the Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad (IIM-A).

Initial entries are due April 1st, 2008. I believe that this competition has the potential to produce some amazing ideas that will save lives and change the landscape of healthcare for India. Thanks for the support.

In you’re working in this field, attending medical school or business school, or even just remotely interested in healthcare, I encourage you to enter this competition. Check out the website at www.piramalprize.org or contact Naman directly at admin@piramalprize.org

To echo Naman’s words, thanks for your support.