The Manthan AwardmBillionth AwardMobile for Good AwardsE-NGO ChallengeSocial Media for Empowerment: Summit &Award

Manthan Awards

Discovering and honouring interventions and innovations in the field of ICT for Development Manthan Award is a first-of-its-kind initiative to discover, recognise and honour the best use of ICT and digital tools for developmental purposes. The Award is less about technology and digital media but more about the right use of digital and technological tools to empower people. The main purpose of the award is to bring to the attention of all stakeholders such as governments, businesses, industry and civil society organisations engaged in the development sector significant ICTD initiatives and valuable digital content that are successfully serving underserved communities especially in rural areas and urban slums. Most of these success stories go unheralded in the mainstream media as these ICT interventions often operate in media-blind areas and sectors. Consequently, there is little knowledge-sharing among the progenitors of these initiatives which in turn hinders the emergence of an eco-system that feeds on this knowledge and enables scaling up of these initiatives and coordination among them for much larger impact. The Manthan Award seeks to bridge this gap and create a platform that will not only highlight such ICTD initiatives but also help to create a network and database of such players that will enable all stakeholders to contribute in a way that will enhance the overall impact of such ICT interventions. The vision of this award platform is to create an information rich society where everyone, irrespective of caste, religion, race, region or gender is empowered to create, receive, share and utilise information and knowledge through digital content for their economic, social, cultural and political development. The core objective of the Manthan Award process is to highlight ICTD interventions that are already working on the ground and, thereby, demonstrate the richness and diversity of such interventions to those interested in understanding and planning for an Information Society. The Award tries to demonstrate to every stakeholder the existing range of creativity and excellence in the use of ICT tools and communication networks for development. The award seeks to enable and empower ICTD innovators and practitioners producing e-content and digital interventions of high quality and great economic and commercial value to benefit from access to networks and ICT platforms. Moreover, through publication of case studies, the Award process seeks to advocate policy changes and customized market interventions that would make production of such digital interventions and high quality e-content economically sustainable. Over the years, Manthan Awards has helped to create a knowledge database of more than 3,950 unique digital interventions that serve the developmental needs of underserved and marginalised communities. Today, it is a platform for all innovators and practitioners of ICTD to network, forge partnerships and get mentoring and funding to scale up for greater impact. Website manthanaward.org

Knowledge Network & Database

This programmatic area addresses the goal of creating knowledge network and database to know about best practices in the field of ICT for Development across India and South Asia. All projects in this area have the overarching goal of creating a common platform — for all kinds of digital interventions aimed at socio-economic development and empowerment of people and communities — for recognizing the best practices, facilitating collaborations and initiating dialogues between experts and individuals from varied fields with a similar goal. The projects seek to cover interventions across different categories of digital media, including mobile phones and social media platform, in South Asia and Asia Pacific.


Contact Details


Lucky Tamang

+91-9643391021 E-Mail: lucky@defindia.net

mBillionth Awards

Recognising mobile phone based interventions and innovations in the area of telecom from across eight countries in South Asia.

mbillionth

With the rapid increase in penetration of mobile technology across almost all socio-economic strata around the world, the mobile phone has emerged as the most powerful digital tool for empowerment across the world. This is more so in South Asia, Asia Pacific and other parts of the developing world. Recognising this phenomenon, in 2010 the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) spun off from its highly successful Manthan Awards a separate award – the mBillionth Award South Asia – only for recognising excellence in mobile innovations for development.

The industry‐driven and peer‐acknowledged mBillionth Awards acknowledge South Asia as a key hub of the world’s mobile and telecom market in terms of penetration and innovation. The region, however, suffers from a significant digital divide. These Awards recognise that at the moment, mobile phones are surpassing all other media in terms of penetration in the region: TV, radio, Internet, newspapers, magazines and landlines. Mobile platforms are becoming the natural choice for smashing the information barrier and extending essential and innovative digital services to the broadest section of the population. The awards, therefore, seek to not only reward all those who are taking initiatives to bridge the digital divide, empower people and bring about greater socio-economic equality but also create an ecosystem and network of such innovators and developers so that they can learn from each other, collaborate and scale up. mBillionth Awards South Asia aims to become the most influential and leading platform to explore recognise and honour excellence in mobile innovations, applications and content services for development and empowerment across South Asia. The objective of this award platform is: • To recognise innovations and creativity in mobile and telecom solutions • To provide a platform for benchmarking people-oriented innovations in the telecom industry • To provide a wider forum for strategic networking, alliances and partnership building • To provide a South Asia Congress to exchange ideas, policy strengths & mobile advocacy • To facilitate in building a South Asia network for campaign and advocacy in mobile for mass empowerment and inclusive growth Website: mbillionth.in

Knowledge Network & Database

This programmatic area addresses the goal of creating knowledge network and database to know about best practices in the field of ICT for Development across India and South Asia. All projects in this area have the overarching goal of creating a common platform — for all kinds of digital interventions aimed at socio-economic development and empowerment of people and communities — for recognizing the best practices, facilitating collaborations and initiating dialogues between experts and individuals from varied fields with a similar goal. The projects seek to cover interventions across different categories of digital media, including mobile phones and social media platform, in South Asia and Asia Pacific.


Contact Details


Lucky Tamang

+91-9643391021 E-Mail: lucky@defindia.net

Mobile for Good Awards

Recognising, honouring, mentoring and providing financial support to mobile phone applications and innovations developed and used by non-profit organisations in India Vodafone Foundation has been working across many countries with a program called Mobile for Good to help mobile-based applications benefit communities at large in the domain of education, women, agriculture, and livelihood. In 2011, Vodafone Foundation launched the initiative in India by partnering with Digital Empowerment Foundation through the mBillionth Award, which has been identifying mobile and telecom-based applications in India and South Asia. Since 2011, Mobile for Good has identified and supported 18 projects by diverse not-for-profit organisations spread across the country. In 2014, Mobile for Good Awards became separate from mBillionth award and became an independent award. With the aim of motivating and encouraging innovations in mobile content and services delivery by NGOs, the objectives of this awards platform are: • To set up a sustainable, robust and scalable awards programme in India • To recognise NGOs/NPOs, social organisations and entrepreneurs that demonstrate innovation in mobile and wireless-related technology to address critical social issues • To conceptualise and launch a first-of-its-kind social apps marketplace for the social development sector • To incubating award winners with credible partners from media, universities, start-ups and incubators to help them upscale and build capacity of their projects. Under DEF and Vodafone Foundation’s partnership, 18 NGOs have received grants worth Rs. 16.9 million, and a database of 492 mobile interventions for development has been created. Website: http://www.vodafone.in/mobile-for-good/home.html

Knowledge Network & Database

This programmatic area addresses the goal of creating knowledge network and database to know about best practices in the field of ICT for Development across India and South Asia. All projects in this area have the overarching goal of creating a common platform — for all kinds of digital interventions aimed at socio-economic development and empowerment of people and communities — for recognizing the best practices, facilitating collaborations and initiating dialogues between experts and individuals from varied fields with a similar goal. The projects seek to cover interventions across different categories of digital media, including mobile phones and social media platform, in South Asia and Asia Pacific.


Contact Details


Chitra Chauhan

Programme Manager E-Mail: chitra@defindia.net

Promoting use of digital tools to bring efficiency and large-scale impact among non-profit communities by recognising NGOs that are using for mass impact

The eNGO Challenge aspires to create an ecosystem of NGOs, which use Information Communication Technology (ICT) and digital media tools for good governance practices for the benefit of societies and communities at large. The challenge seeks to recognise, salute and honour best NGO practices using ICT in any part of the world. The eNGO challenge is a joint initiative of Public Interest Registry (PIR) and Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), and it focuses on encouraging NGOs working in the field of ICT for Development or using ICT4D for mass impact. The objectives of the eNGO Challenge are: • To promote and encourage best ICT practices by NGOs for community development • To create an ecosystem of NGOs who uses ICTs and digital media for good governance practice for community serving purpose • To create and build a network of NGOs into innovative ICT practices for learning, experience sharing and promoting good practices • To encourage bottom up NGO led local content development and population, information and community work experiences on ICT platforms through the web especially for wider access and partnership • To advocate the wider need for good ICT practice among NGOs as the third sector working partner hand in hand with the public and the private sectors Over the years, eNGO Challenge has created a database of 647 ICT for Development interventions by NGOs from eight countries in Asia and Africa. In its three editions so far, the eNGO Challenge has honoured and felicitated 27 winners. Website: www.engochallenge.org

Knowledge Network & Database

This programmatic area addresses the goal of creating knowledge network and database to know about best practices in the field of ICT for Development across India and South Asia. All projects in this area have the overarching goal of creating a common platform — for all kinds of digital interventions aimed at socio-economic development and empowerment of people and communities — for recognizing the best practices, facilitating collaborations and initiating dialogues between experts and individuals from varied fields with a similar goal. The projects seek to cover interventions across different categories of digital media, including mobile phones and social media platform, in South Asia and Asia Pacific.


Contact Details


Sachin Ralhan

+91-9999154793 E-Mail: sachin.ralhan@defindia.net

Social Media for Empowerment Awards

A platform for recognising best practices on social media platforms and giving different stakeholders an opportunity to connect and become a part of social media experts’ network social media award   Social Media for Empowerment Awards by Digital Empowerment Foundation greets the very spirit of social media and the potential it possesses. This initiative not only focuses on and honours the best social media initiatives for the empowerment of the deprived and marginalised sections but also brings social media experts and government agents from eight South Asian countries on one platform to share their best practices and success stories with participants to inspire them. The first Social media for Empowerment Summit Awards was launched in 2013 by DEF to facilitate and encourage innovative use of social media for development in South Asia, followed by the second edition in partnership with the American Center and third in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF). Social Media aficionados who are enthusiastic to gain insight from social media experts and willing to share their own ideas and practices attend and participate in the Awards. This provides all the participants and attendees an opportunity to connect and become a part of social media experts’ network to gain a greater understanding of social and digital media uses as well as share their own best practices and experiences. We encourage government stakeholders, young journalists, activists, professionals, entrepreneurs, civil society, private stakeholders, social media network providers, social media stakeholders, students, experts, and individuals to participate at the Awards. The objectives of this awards platform are: • To synergise efforts and dialogues on social media and how it can become an efficient tool for real work and inspire others to utilise it in bringing positive changes • To make a vast pool of talent of social media evangelists to share and feed knowledge so that decision making can be improved • To recognise, honour and encourage best social media practices • To organise workshops on different project locations to impart knowledge on social media tools in order to empower communities • To create a regional network of social media experts to encourage regional cooperation, collaboration and network • To demonstrate the best social media initiatives, practices and success stories from eight South Asian countries • To provide attendees with a wider forum for strategic alliances, partnerships building and structured network opportunity • To build a tribe of followers through social media that grows organically and contributes in overall development of the region • To create effective community network that shares authentic information on social changes and developmental activities through social media • To provide a platform to the existing as well as upcoming social media initiatives for scaling up In the last three years, Social Media for Empowerment has created a database of 553 social media for development and good governance interventions, and felicitated 44 of them. Website:www.sm4e.org

Knowledge Network & Database

This programmatic area addresses the goal of creating knowledge network and database to know about best practices in the field of ICT for Development across India and South Asia. All projects in this area have the overarching goal of creating a common platform — for all kinds of digital interventions aimed at socio-economic development and empowerment of people and communities — for recognizing the best practices, facilitating collaborations and initiating dialogues between experts and individuals from varied fields with a similar goal. The projects seek to cover interventions across different categories of digital media, including mobile phones and social media platform, in South Asia and Asia Pacific.


Meha Mishra

+91-9899262993 E-Mail: meha@defindia.org