Working to end inter-generational poverty in India

Co-founder of Haqdarshak driven by loathing of inequity and injustice

- Wong Kim Hoh

At just 35, Mr Aniket Doegar speaks with the wisdom and confidence of someone twice his age.

Named one of Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs in 2019, he is the co-founder and chief executive of Haqdarshak, an Indian start-up that has become a lifeline for millions.

Launched in 2016, it is a mobile technology platform that helps citizens and businesses locate and apply to government schemes and services that can help them. Since its inception, it has worked with more than 6.5 million families across 25 states in India to access the welfare programmes they need.

Mr Doeger's motivation for founding Haqdarshak - meaning "a guide who shows you your rights" comes from a deep-seated loathing of inequity and injustice.

"I am not a philanthropist," he tells The Sunday Times during a recent visit to a small village in Bangalore. "I am just saying there is a constitutional right for citizens to access things like insurance, scholarships and pensions. Yet, no one seems to know how to get them." Indeed, research by Haqdarshak shows that India has over 20,000 social welfare programmes run by national, state and local governments. But with no centralised hub to guide citizens and micro businesses on what they qualify for and how to apply, many who are eligible miss out. Low application rates mean billions of dollars in allocated funds go unspent.

Mr Doeger, who says he lives out of suitcases and on couches because he is on the road so much, did not set out to become a social entrepreneur. He had dreams of earning a degree from Harvard or Stanford and making the world his oyster.