EAD Delhi

Date : 5th October, 2009
Time : 11:30 a.m.
Venue : Delhi College of Engineering

Speaker : Mr. Arbind Singh, Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2008

Mr. Arbind Singh, Social Entrepreneur of the year 2008, is the founder and executive director of Nidan, a non-profit organisation working in Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi and Rajasthan.

Founded by Arbind Singh in 1995, Nidan builds profitable businesses and ‘people’s organizations’ that are led by assetless, informal workers. A range of cooperatives, Self Help Groups (SHGs), trade unions, and individual and community businesses launched by Nidan have positioned unorganized workers as legitimate competitors in globalizing markets of India.

In 12 years, Nidan has launched and promoted 20 independent businesses and organizations that are governed and owned through shares by 60,000 urban and rural poor members. The enterprises include 4618 SHGS, 75 market committees, 19 co-operatives, two societies and one company—all envisioned and led by a complex of waste workers, rag pickers, vegetable vendors, construction labourers, domestic helpers, micro-farmers, street traders and other marginalized occupation groups.