MUMBAI: The Harvard Business Publishing (HBP), a not-for-profit subsidiary of Harvard University specializing in technology enabled leadership development solutions, has joined hands with Dasra to create India’s first leadership development program for social enterprises – the Dasra Social Impact Leadership Program. The program is set to begin in May and will be hosted on the campuses of Dasra’s strategic partner, the American School of Bombay.
Crafted for the needs of founders, executive directors and senior management of high potential social enterprises, the Dasra Social Impact Leadership Program will help them expand their potential and the impact of their social enterprises. With case studies from Harvard Business School (HBS) included in the Program, these leaders will develop the worldview, strategic skills and leadership capacity needed to master the complex challenges that face their organizations as they scale.
Dasra Social Impact (DSI) is Dasra’s flagship accelerator program for high potential growth stage social enterprises poised for scale. Employing a training format that fosters peer learning, organizational skill development, network building and collaboration; the program trains organizations to be the next Magic Bus, Educate Girls and Akshaya Patra in India’s social space. Since DSI’s inception in 2006, a record 180 participants have graduated from it.
For the inaugural edition of the DSI Leadership program, Dasra has curated a cohort of high-impact leaders. The program will train 30 representatives from leading non-profits and social businesses across India and help them develop transformational leadership skills critical to building sustainable and scalable organizations.
The curriculum comprises four modules – Leadership & Strategy, Developing Your Organization, Building Your Brand and Creating a Professional Firm, delivered over a period of nine months. A blended delivery format will feature Harvard Business School faculty webinars, case based workshops, action learning assignments and collaborative learning.
Commenting on the partnership, Vivek Chachra, Country Manager – India, Harvard Business Publishing, said, “We are proud to be associated with Dasra and the DSI Leadership program being developed to meet the needs of India’s social entrepreneurs. This nine month program, slated to start in May 2014, will help participants improve their leadership and organizational skills through a customized blend of high quality learning tools and world class facilitators.”
Neera Nundy, Partner and Co-Founder, Dasra, said, “Since its inception, the Dasra Social Impact Program has helped visionary social change makers build the skills required to operate their organizations at scale. We are delighted that HBP, globally recognised in creating world-class leadership development solutions, is partnering with us to improve the practice of management and enhance skill sets among social organizations.”
She further added, “The program becomes especially relevant with the passing of the Indian Companies Act 2013 recommending a 2% spend on CSR which will bring approximately INR 20,000 crore per year into the social sector. It is critical that social enterprises possess the capacity and capability to leverage this large capital to scale and maximize their impact.”
“Both Dasra and Harvard Business School share a common vision of developing leaders for tomorrow. Dasra has collaborated with HBS on several learning and knowledge sharing initiatives in the past. The DSI Leadership Alliance with HBP adds to our already existing portfolio of work with them and we look forward to furthering our partnership in the future.” added Nundy.