A Case Study on

BHAVA INDIA Based

on Secondary Data
Abstract
This case study focuses on famous social enterprise Bhava India, which is working in the
state of Kerala, India. Bhava India mainly working in the field of up cycling saris and cloths
which are would be ends up as pollutant in environment. Cloths are usually a major pollutant
in the world and taking years to disintegrate. Perhaps the cloths are ending up as landfill and
pollution in water bodies. A cotton bag is not much better than plastic bag, both will effect
water bodies and as well as environment. Bhava India addressed the problem of women
surrounds Vembanad lake those who are depending fishing for their daily livelihood. The
pollution of saris and cloths are affected their lives. Sanju Soman had noticed the problem
and came up with an excellent innovative solution. He had suggested up cycling of dumped
saris and cloths in Vembanad Lake. It would reduce the environmental issues regards waste
cloths in environment as well as water bodies.

Prabeen C

Department of Social Engineering

Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of

Youth Development,
Sriperumbudur , Tamil Nadu

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I, Prabeen C, Student of First year M.A. Social Innovations and Entrepreneurship

would like to convey my immense gratitude to my respected faculty supervisor Dr. Jayanta
Choudhury Associate Professor, National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati
Raj North Eastern Regional Centre (NIRDPR -NERC), who has kept faith in me and gave his
valuable suggestions and guidance whenever required and stand up with me as a facilitator.

I would like to thanks to the Head of the Department Social Engineering Dr.
Sharmistha Bhatacharejee for given me the opportunity to gain my professional
knowledge.

Prabeen C

1|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

 CONTENTS

No. Title Page no.

1 Introduction 3

2 Differences between traditional and social 3-4

entrepreneurship
2.1 Table
4

3 Social entrepreneurship and social changes 4-5

4 Methodology 5

5 Bhava India 6–9

5.1 figure 7

6 Conclusion 9

7 References 9

8 Photographs 10

2|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

 1. Introduction
Social entrepreneurship is an emerging area in Kerala as well as in India. According to
Lehnar social entrepreneurship denotes business model of non-governmental organizations,
aimed at fulfilling social issues and needs, by employing market oriented and income
generation methods that would achieve sustainability. Here in India don’t have any special
policies or scheme for the growth of social entrepreneurship, but many institutions are
providing social entrepreneurship courses to promote social entrepreneurship in India.

Social entrepreneurship will create and deliver social values, by applying business
strategies and techniques. It’s actually addressing the social problems such as environmental,
educational, malnutrition and health, unemployment, livelihood, etc. They are envisioning
entire development of the nation as well as the society. Many Indian social enterprises are
working in the grassroots of India and creating positive impact in peoples.

Some authors are defining social entrepreneurship as a combination of traditional charity

and traditional entrepreneurship. The profits of social enterprises are reinvesting in market
again, it has differentiating social entrepreneurship from traditional business. Literally social
entrepreneurship is a process of identifying the social issues such as poverty, unemployment,
education etc. and inventing sustainable solutions to solve it.

Social entrepreneurships are reversed form of businesses, utmost priority is to create social
impact and earing profits for the sustainability of the business. It has been contributing
towards overall development of the nation.

2. Differences between traditional entrepreneurship and social

entrepreneurship
Traditional and social entrepreneurship is similar in its approaches to fulfill the
market needs and earn sustainable profit. But the main difference is that Social
entrepreneurship will focuses beyond simply generating profit. Generally social
entrepreneurship focuses on creating positive impacts in the society by adopting
entrepreneurship tools. But traditional entrepreneurs focus on profit maximization. So
we could say that they are profit motives.

3|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

 Traditional Entrepreneurship Social Entrepreneurship

Produces goods and Services Produces goods and services for the
community

Profit driven Societal benefits rather than profit

Its focused on market It’s focused on finding solution to

community problems.

Its performance measure on profit Its performance measure on social

It seeks to satisfy the need of the
customers
Business with similar product and
services are competitors
Innovations and creativities are based
on market situation
impact
It seeks to respect people at social risk
Organization with similar product and
services are collaborators
Innovation and creativities are based
on the problem of society.

Table No. 2.1

3. Social entrepreneurship and social changes

“Being a social entrepreneur is a balancing act between growing and sustaining a business
while also growing the company’s ability to give back"

Lauren Bush

Social entrepreneurship creates the innovative ideas and techniques to find the solutions for
the social problems. They don’t aim to make financial profit; it is the Combination of the
nonprofit organization or charity organization and profit organization. The profit
organizations generate economic value of society and the nonprofit organizations generate
social values in the society. But the social entrepreneurship is able to generate the both social
and economic values, because the social enterprises give the priority to the social benefits
more than financial profit. If there have any profits, will use for creating further social
benefits. This is making the social entrepreneurship different from the other organizations.
Someone see the negative indicates of the Education, Health, etc. but the social entrepreneurs

4|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

see the opportunities available in these field, and they will utilize the opportunities in the best
way. It differentiates the social entrepreneurs from the other managerial persons.

Social entrepreneurship is a way to bring changes in society. But the profit organizations
are not able to make social changes in the country because they don’t have any obligations
more than creating profit. Profit organizations are using the entrepreneurial skills and
techniques for making profits for the betterment of their lives. Even though some profit
organizations are created fabulous changes in the world. Jio network is the best example for
that, although successful organizations strengthening the financial background of the Nation.
The nonprofit organizations or charity organization focuses on the solutions for the social
problems. Now days we can see that these organizations are not sustaining without any
donations and other external supports. Mainly they are serving the society with the help of
governments and other private donors. Whereas, the social enterprises are making changes in
the society by adopting the entrepreneurial skills and techniques in the charity work. It will
make them sustainable. The social entrepreneurs mobilizing the funds and utilizing the funds
in a productive manner, and they charging some amount from the society for their endeavor
but it is affordable to them.

Now a day, social entrepreneurship creates more employment opportunities to the

marginalized peoples who have the skill to do and ensure the livelihoods of the society. Some
social enterprises creating the savings mind in our villagers, and some others are working in
health sectors as well. For the example the Foodshala foundation focused in serving the
nutrition food to the school children and Aravind eye care hospital focuses on the
ophthalmology. Each of the organizations is meeting different areas of social problems and
they introducing the new innovative ideas again and again for make more social impacts in
society.

4. Methodology

The Global Pandemic COVID-19 is to being a barrier for the data Collection of overall
research works in world. Thus, here I have used secondary data for the entire case study
which includes articles, websites, books and E-journals. Secondary data is a one of the best
way to do case studies and researches. In this case study elaborated the existing data and
presented in analytical way for the better understanding.

5|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

 5. Bhava India
Bhava India is a social enterprise that up cycle saris and cloths into bags and various fabric
products. The social entrepreneur Sanju Soman and his friends Deepa Ananth, and Dr.
Vinayak Warrier are started Bhava India in 2017. The initiative combines sustainability and
women empowerment in Muhamma Panchayath, Kerala. Sanju soman has come up with a
utilitarian product line of dumped saris and cloths that would have been as a pollutant in
Vembanad Lake.

Cloths are usually a major pollutant in the world and taking years to disintegrate. Perhaps
the cloths are ending up as landfill and pollution in water bodies. A cotton bag is not much
better than plastic bag, both will effect water bodies and as well as environment. Bhava India
addressed the problem of women surrounds Vembanad lake those who are depending fishing
for their daily livelihood. The pollution of saris and cloths are affected their lives. Sanju
Soman had noticed the problem and came up with an excellent innovative solution. He had
suggested up cyclings of dumped saris and cloths in Vembanad Lake. It would reduce the
environmental issues regards waste cloths in environment as well as water bodies.

At a limit Bhava India could fill the gap between employment and unemployment among
the women. Bhava has been noticed the unemployment of women’s in Muhamma, as well as
lower demand of tailoring women in there. So they have started Women self helps groups and
trained local women to make bags out of saris. This have been covered the problem of
women in their daily lives.

Bhava India also addressed the problem of customers in India as well as the world. Many
customers not able to reach out the quality fabric products, cotton bags and Natural products
since launching bhava India

Beneficiaries of Bhava:-

 Women self-help groups are the main beneficiary of Bhava India. Majority of the
employees are from the women. Bhava creating self-help groups among the women
and giving training to them makes products from the saris and cloths. It has enabling
women’s to meet the daily expenses.
 Schools, Colleges and collection drives are the main sources of used and waste saris
and cloths. Bhava collecting material from the schools, colleges and Collection drives

6|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

 that have been dumped as a pollutant in Vembanad lakes and surroundings, and there
has to be an incentive.
 Fishing women are another beneficiary of Bhava India. Bhava has started in the
contest of huge pollution in Vembanad Lake. Many women are not able to do fishing
in Vembanad Lake due to the pollution of cotton waste; bhava could remove the
cotton waste at some extent.

There are three important area of impact where they have already made changes through
their activities. First one is reduce, reuse and recycle of saris and cloths which have dumped
as a pollutant. They have up cycled 7000 kilos of used cloths in to cotton bags and Bhava has
made 15000 cotton bags that replaced 150000 plastic bags approximately. The second area is
eco-friendly products which has made a difference in society. The range of products of Bhava
includes eco-friendly product and a sustainable alternative of plastics products such as steel
straws, Neem wood combs, handmade paper and bamboo toothbrush. Women empowerment
is the last important area which Bhava made a change, Bhava works with around 60 women,
the number will vary according to demand and they have generated additional income of
3000 to 5000 rupees in a month.

Figure: 5.1

7|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

 The vision of Bhava is creating multiple level of impact in the area of sustainability and
social responsibility. In addition reduce and recycle used cloths and saris that would have end
up as a pollutant in environment as well as water bodies. And provide eco-friendly products
to the customers as a sustainable alternative of plastic products. Another objective of Bhava
is empowering women by giving employment and permanent income.

The activities of Bhava are mainly up cycling used saris and cloths into cotton bags and
selling to customers. Bhava came up with a solution without any environmental cost that
extending the life of fabrics before it ends up in water bodies and somewhere as pollutant.
Bhava collecting their raw materials from the student of schools and colleges and from
collection drives by giving incentives. Bhava introduced one program for the school
children’s that a seed pen for every sari. Now 95% of their raw materials are saris but they
have a plan to include other cloths such as t-shirts, denims as well.

Bhava has a dynamic web site to attract customers as well as the crowd, through the site
bhava selling their final products and services to the customers, mainly through the home
delivery and online payment. The web site had designed in a very attractive manner that
shows the Deep details of products with the price in dollars and rupees as well for targeting
the foreigners.

Bhava conducting green act workshops, it’s a series of workshops in Kochi and
Thiruvananthapuram that aimed to educating urban people about the impact of emission,
plastic consumption, climate change, up cycling, recycling and an introduction of eco-
friendly alternative products to plastics.

Products of Bhava are cotton bags, steel straws, neem wood combs, handmade papers, and
bamboo toothbrush

So far bhava undergoing various researches to invent something new, a new project is
underway that is making paper out of water hyacinth. They had made the first prototype of
the product as well. And another plan is implement the same model to the urban areas by
identifying similar groups and engaging with other mentally, physically challenged people.

Collaboration of Bhava:-

 Sustera, is a NGO that works on the field of climate change. Literally it’s focusses on
climate change awareness and action. It supports Bhava by collecting saris and cloths
during its awareness session.

8|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

  Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), has an important
role on Bhava it’s giving training women to make cotton bags out of used saris and
cloths and designs various products for Bhava India.

6. Conclusion

Bhava India is a social enterprise that up cycle saris and cloths into bags and various fabric
products. Every social enterprise has their own structures and visions might be different from
others. In addition social enterprises may not copy any innovations which are already
invented by others for solving the same social problem. it might be different.

In India many social enterprises are working with the state and central governments in
various emergency situations such as flood, earthquake, pandemics and natural disasters.
Goonj is a social enterprise that worked with Kerala government at the time of flood and
them also doing much social work in amidst of COVID-19 pandemic as well.

7. References
i. Website of Bhava India, https://www.bhavaindia.com/
ii. “A social enterprise in Kerala combines sustainability and women’s
empowerment”, article by Shilpa Anand Nair, https://www.thehindu.com/life-
and-style/a-group-of-women-in-muhamma-near-cherthala-tailor-a-utilitarian-
product-line-from-saris-that-would-have-ended-up-as-a-pollutant-in-the-
vembanad-lake/article29971795.ece

iii. https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=699842840388452&_rdr
iv. https://www.bhavaindia.com/post/8-cool-ways-gen%E0%A4%8B-tribe-
is practising-sustainability-in-fashion

9|Page

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815

8. Photographs

10 | P a g e

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3770815