In India and across the Group, DBS focuses on building a more inclusive Asia by championing social entrepreneurship and encouraging the development of businesses for good.
Nurturing social enterprises - self-sustaining businesses that creatively and effectively address social needs, is our way of addressing the myriad social challenges associated with a rapidly-growing Asia. In developing commercially sustainable solutions, social enterprises provide jobs, goods and services to the disadvantaged and marginalized. The support for social enterprises resonates with our heritage as a 'development bank', while leveraging on our expertise in serving the SME sector.
Cross–sector collaboration is crucial in helping social enterprises develop and grow. To this end, we invest in programmes that bring people and corporations together to increase consciousness of the challenges faced by social enterprises and to provide support for their causes.
In 2019, DBS Bank India Limited and Social Alpha (established as Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship) announced a strategic partnership, aimed at bolstering the growth of social enterprises and supporting innovators through business mentoring and seed capital. The DBS-Social Alpha Social Entrepreneurship Program will strengthen the ecosystem for enterprises focusing on the areas of Inclusion, Healthcare and Environment.
Social Alpha is a Technology Business Incubator (TBI), approved by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India that helps create high quality, accessible and affordable solutions through its incubation, accelerator and seed capital programs. The DBS-Social Alpha Social Entrepreneurship Program will focus on providing holistic support to entrepreneurs and equipping them with resources for creating successful go-to market strategies, developing sustainable business models and accelerating their product development efforts.
The DBS Foundation, set up in 2014 with an SGD 50M fund, is an endeavor from DBS Bank to make an even greater impact in addressing Asia’s evolving social needs. The DBS Foundation works with Social Enterprises and Social Entrepreneurs in Singapore, India, Indonesia, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong with programmes ranging from venture challenges, learning forums, grant support, financing and skilled volunteer mentoring.
Social enterprises creating a zero food waste future.
Know how Sampurn(e)arth processed 60,000 tones of food waste.
Asia’s Safest Bank, 2009 – 2023, Global Finance
Best Bank in the World 2022, Global Finance
World’s Best Bank 2021, Euromoney
India’s Best International Bank 2021, Asiamoney
World’s Best Banks - #1 in India 2021, Forbes
World’s Safest Commercial Bank 2021, Global Finance
