DBS Foundation (DBSF) has selected 22 Businesses for Impact (BFIs) across its key markets, including four enterprises from India, to receive funding under its Annual Grant Award programme. Chosen from over 1,500 applicants, the cohort will receive a total of SGD 4.5 million to scale their businesses and support communities in need. The impact from these ventures is projected to benefit over 800,000 individuals in the next two years.
The grants focus on providing essential services such as education, nutrition, and healthcare, while also fostering inclusion through upskilling, employability, and other opportunities. Addressing the challenges of ageing societies is a key priority, particularly in India, and a quarter of this year’s grantees are dedicated to this cause. The programme builds on DBSF’s broader efforts to support longevity-focused businesses that enable individuals to age with dignity and purpose.
Beyond financial support, DBSF provides comprehensive assistance to grantees, including mentorship, guidance, capacity-building, and networking opportunities. Since 2015, the foundation has awarded over SGD 21.5 million to more than 160 Businesses for Impact, with alumni subsequently raising ten times the initial grant in additional funding.
The four Indian grant recipients represent a range of sectors addressing social and environmental challenges. Hasiru Dala Innovations empowers waste pickers to become green-collar professionals, upgrading plastic waste processing and expanding to new markets. Atypical Advantage is India’s largest livelihood platform for persons with disabilities, providing skills-training centers and inclusive training materials. Neurosynaptic Communications delivers healthcare through telemedicine to rural communities, aiming to make quality medical services accessible to 100 million Indians by 2027. Last Mile Care offers comprehensive workplace healthcare and plans to scale its model with a phygital healthcare unit in Odisha for industrial workers.
In addition to the grants, DBS Foundation collaborates with private, public, and civil sector partners to implement programmes that support vulnerable communities. In November 2024, DBSF deployed SGD 88 million to launch 15 new initiatives across its markets. The foundation has also committed up to SGD 1 billion over the next ten years, alongside 1.5 million employee volunteering hours, to enhance lives and livelihoods across its regions.
