A Pune-based organisation dedicated to empowering students from rural areas and migrant youth has successfully graduated from a prestigious year-long incubation programme at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore. Samavesh, which works to bridge the educational divide, completed the programme conducted by the NSRCEL incubation centre at IIM-B, gaining significant institutional strength.
Scaling Impact: A Year of Structured Growth
The incubation programme at NSRCEL was specifically designed to strengthen the institutional capacity of selected social ventures. For Samavesh, the focus was on improving organisational systems and developing robust frameworks to measure their social impact effectively. This structured support has come at a crucial time as the organisation scales its operations.
Samavesh operates with a clear three-pillar model: providing documentation support, facilitating access to academic scholarships, and offering dedicated guidance for higher education. The results from the 2024–25 period are a testament to their focused approach. The organisation facilitated higher education guidance for over 1,130 students, supported more than 2,500 students in securing vital scholarships, and assisted over 500 youths in completing essential documents required for university admissions and government schemes.
From Grassroots Initiative to National Recognition
The journey of Samavesh began back in 2011, rooted in the personal experiences of its founders. Advocate Pravin Nikam, the founder, recalls that the organisation was born when a group of rural youth studying in Pune firsthand encountered and understood the immense challenges faced by students migrating from villages for higher education.
"Many students lack critical information about opportunities, career pathways, entrance exams, scholarships, and the documentation required for admissions," Nikam explained. "These gaps often become insurmountable barriers, preventing talented youth from entering good universities. Samavesh was created specifically to bridge this divide through our three structured initiatives."
This impactful work did not go unnoticed. Recognising its potential and proven model, NSRCEL selected Samavesh as one of the eight organisations for its coveted incubation cohort, placing it among a group of high-potential social enterprises.
Future Roadmap: Expanding Reach Across Rural India
Reflecting on the incubation experience, founder Adv. Pravin Nikam stated that the programme has added "significant strength and clarity" to the organisation's social initiatives. "Over the 12 months, we learned how to structure our programmes better, expand our reach effectively, and build a strong organisational framework," he said. "NSRCEL's support and expertise will empower us to work with more awareness, focus, and readiness in the future."
Notably, Samavesh's guidance has also opened international doors for many rural students, with several being successfully guided for admissions to foreign universities with scholarships. With the formal completion of the IIM Bangalore incubation programme, Samavesh is now poised to scale its interventions further. The organisation aims to reach a larger number of students across India's rural regions, systematically breaking down the information and access barriers that hinder educational equity.
