In celebration of International Women’s Day this year, DBS Bank India debuted a new episode of its award-winning mini-series, SPARKS, featuring brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar. The series is centered around the theme “Everyday Heroes for a Better World” and focuses on innovative social enterprises addressing key social and environmental issues.
The episode traces the journey of Even Cargo, an Indian social enterprise that is paving the way for women delivery personnel. Even Cargo is a Delhi-based enterprise that trains and employs women from marginalized backgrounds as delivery associates with some of the world’s largest e-commerce companies.
Shoma Narayanan, Executive Director – Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at DBS Bank India said, “We are moving towards creating conversations and engaging customers through innovative storytelling and authentic content. Being purpose-driven has always been a part of DBS’ value system, and we aim to drive meaningful change through SPARKS.
SPARKS celebrates real-life heroes working towards creating a sustainable future, and on the occasion of International Women’s Day, we are bringing you the story of one such enterprise. Even Cargo helps women work in professions that have traditionally been inaccessible to them. We are delighted to join hands with Sachin Tendulkar for this episode of SPARKS, and are committed to championing our shared vision of gender equality.”
Yogesh Kumar – Founder and CEO, Even Cargo said, “At Even Cargo, our endeavor is to help in the skill development of women, leading to an increase in their participation in the labor market and therefore, helping them overcome the barriers of unemployment. Women are the driving force behind our organization’s mission, and we are delighted to celebrate their contribution this Women’s Day. DBS Bank and Sachin are equally passionate about championing inclusivity, and we thank them for supporting us in our journey.”
In 2016, DBS Bank launched SPARKS, the first-ever miniseries on bankers in Asia. The last two episodes of Season 1 were inspired by Sachin’s long standing mission of increasing access to play for less-privileged children. DBS partnered with Sachin to bring this purpose to life and together, lit a playground in the Mumbra district of Thane, transforming the lives of over 7,000 children. Since its debut, the SPARKS series has garnered more than 400 million views and over 34 million engagements from audiences across Asia.
Over the last five years, DBS has been ramping up efforts to integrate social enterprises into the bank’s ecosystem by providing them with business and learning opportunities. In 2014, DBS stepped up its commitment to the growth of social entrepreneurship with the establishment of the DBS Foundation. Last year, DBS Bank India entered into a strategic partnership with Social Alpha (a technology business incubator supported by Tata Trusts). Even Cargo is one of the three social enterprises that has received a grant as part of the DBS-Social Alpha program in addition to business mentoring and seed capital.
