Mumbai, Mar 23: Salaam Bombay Foundation in collaboration with NMIMS School of Business Management hosted the 5th edition of its flagship entrepreneurial platform, Dolphin Tanki. This unique platform is designed to nurture and accelerate young entrepreneurs from resource-challenged backgrounds and replicates real investor settings, giving participants vital exposure and feedback showcased ventures across diverse sectors including beauty and wellness, mobile repairing, beauty and wellness, photography, video editing, graphic designing, and more. Mentorship is provided by the MBA students from SBM, NMIMS through the We Care – Civic Engagement Internship, combining grassroot ambition with operational business expertise. The initiative’s geographic reach has expanded beyond Mumbai to Pune, Kolkata and rural regions such as Dindori in Nashik, taking opportunity to aspiring more young entrepreneurs across the country.
At a time when India’s informal sector contributes 43.1% GDP and employs 83.5% of the workforce, yet continues to struggle with underemployment and limited growth, initiatives like Dolphin Tanki aim to transform job seekers into job creators at the grassroots. Over five editions, Dolphin Tanki has supported 700+ entrepreneurs, with 100+ directly benefitting through the platform and of which 70% are women entrepreneurs. Among past winners’ monthly incomes have grown by an average of 2.5-3 times after receiving seed funding, mentorship and market linkages.
This year’s event featured 36 young entrepreneurs pitching for a total funding pool of INR 12 lakh, competing for Gold (Rs. 50,000/-), Silver (Rs. 30,000/-) and Bronze (Rs. 20,000/-) support. These finalists emerged from a cohort of more than 150 entrepreneurs who completed a year long incubation journey under Salaam Bombay Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Incubator programme.
Mr. Gaurav Arora, Chief Growth Officer and Sr. VP – skills@school & Sports, Salaam Bombay Foundation said, “Dolphin Tanki serves as a launchpad for entrepreneurs who often lack access to capital, networks and formal training. By investing in these entrepreneurs, we facilitate their transition from job seekers to job creators by promoting entrepreneurship within grassroot communities and contribute to a more inclusive economy and help them break the cycle of poverty and limited opportunity. The results speak for themselves, with many participants significantly increasing their incomes, opening their own shops, employing their peers and thus becoming role models for others. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners and mentors for their invaluable support in bringing this vision to life.”
Dr. Meena Galliara Director, Jasani Center for Social Entrepreneurship & Sustainability Management, SBM, NMIMS added, “Our collaboration with Salaam Bombay Foundation through the We Care Internship allows our MBA students to engage meaningfully with real-world entrepreneurship challenges and developing early stage business acumen among grassroot entrepreneurs. Dolphin Tanki demonstrates how academic institutions and social organisations can collaborate and empower young changemakers to make sustainable social impact.”
As India moves towards a more self-reliant and inclusive economy, Dolphin Tanki continues to champion the spirit of grassroots entrepreneurship. Across its four previous editions, 100 entrepreneurs have pitched on the Dolphin Tanki stage with 62 winners receiving funding support.
