BACKGROUND:

In a world where the have-nots are more widespread than the haves, the Social Development sector adresses the largest segment of the world's population. Still the sector is considered as an industry that survives on the favors of the haves. This limits the sector by all means to innovate widely, and develop approaches, that can bring the haves and have-nots closer, to form a more equitable society.

While all sectors and industries have Innovation laboratories to churn out new technologies, products and services, the Social Sector is deprived of such a laboratory. Reason: All doles and favors prefer to support only age-old practices (so called 'Proven'), as returns on these investments are not always tangible or profit making, and therefore risking such investments on innovations, are discouraged. Result: As the world of haves grows leaps and bounds, the world of have-nots remains comparatively deprived always, with its numbers swelling, as world economy slowly but steadily concentrates towards the haves.

Identifying the need of a laboratory, as a virgin land that required exploration, a group of professionals with many years of corporate experience, but with socially inclined hearts, decided to dedicate the rest of their lives in this quest.

Thus OASiS -  SOCIAL INNOVATIONS LABORATORY was born.

With a mission to continuously innovate for the sector, and devise models and approaches that can help social sector organizations and deprived sections of society, solve their long standing problems, OASiS set out on a path untraced and unpaved.

OASiS identifies gaps/problems in the social sector; researches reasons behind their long existence; develops innovative, simple, practical and easily replicable solutions to address them; pilots the solutions itself; develop them into models; and then gives them out to the social sector for replication.

Since 2003, OASiS has developed  TEN  Social Innovations out of which:

    Two have been nationally implemented by the Government of India.

    Two have been replicated by the Government of a State of India.

    Five have been replicated by various NGOs and Citizen Groups. 

    One has been replicated by Foreign and Indian Universities.

    Many  on the Drawing Board.

With a mission to continuously innovate for the sector, and devise models and approaches that can help social sector organizations and deprived sections of society, solve their long standing problems, OASiS has set out on a path untraced and unpaved.

With enough experience and fresh ideas in its bags, OASiS is also helping budding and aspiring Social Entrepreneurs. People willing to dedicate the rest of their lives towards social good, use OASiS as their stepping stone. They either replicate the models developed by OASiS in their own regions, or bring their fresh ideas to the table. OASiS helps the Social Entrepreneurs take their ideas from the ideation stage to the pilot stage. Once their pilot becomes operationally and financially self-sustainable, OASiS helps the Entrepreneurs develop them as model for replication, and take them forward.

Many Social Entrepreneurs have used the Social Innovation Lab, and have made big strides in the sector with their models. Almost all models that have come out of the Lab, have won Innovation Awards at national and international levels. Two Social Entrepreneurs mentored by the Social Innovations Lab have been listed in Forbes 30 under 30 (Asia).

OASiS has now opened its doors to Universities and Institutes, who would like their students with brilliant ideas, to walk the roads of social entrepreneurship. These students can use OASiS’s mentoring program to take their ideas to the pilot stage and beyond. 

Students not exposed to this earlier but having the passion to bring change, can take OASiS’s Mentoring Program, and develop new ideas for Development. They can then take their ideas further, through the mentoring program as well. 

MENTORING PROGRAM for Social Entrepreneurship:

If you are a Corporate professional taking a break with a wish to do something for society and environment, OR a Student wishing to do something great and long enough for society, YOU ARE WELCOME TO OASiS. 

Click here to know how Mentoring by the Social Innovations Lab can help you start your journey. 

Helping CSOs and CSRs with Social Innovations:

SOCIAL SECTOR ORGANISATIONS (NGOs, CBOs, CSR, etc.) that have identified some unresolved problems in the communities they serve, and want solutions, are also welcome to share their problems with OASiS. 

Please write to us at oasisorg.india@gmail.com, and let's start communicating.

Using our unique Social Innovation approach, we can together design innovative solutions for all the socio-economic-environmental problems and unresolved issues you are facing.