Bangalore, January 7:

They call themselves social entrepreneurs and their business is to make the world a better place. Donning various roles and leading various organisations, these men and women are not only winning praise for their innovativeness but helping to change the lives of communities they touch with their altruism. Pioneering Indian names like Stan Thaekkaekara, Milind Ranade, Vishal Talreja, Sunil Abraham, Anand Shah, Rahul Barkatky and Shalabh Sahai among others are building and sharing ideas on how entrepreneurs can help re-engineer society - even while earning profits.

A social entrepreneur recognises a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organise, create and manage a venture to make social change. Unlike business entrepreneurs, they don’t measure performance in profit and returns but assess success by the impact they have on society and often work through non-profit and citizen groups.