26 February 2024 – Prashanthi Balamandira Trust (PBT) has been officially registered on the National Stock Exchange's Social Stock Exchange as a Social Entity – Not for Profit Organisation.
An event on the Social Stock Exchange segment jointly hosted by Prashanthi Balamandira Trust, National Stock Exchange of India Ltd, and Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd., was held today. The Social Stock Exchange segment provides new avenues for social enterprises to finance social initiatives, provide them visibility and bring in increased transparency in fund mobilisation and utilisation by social enterprises.
The event saw a large audience from the financial sector, banking sector and the NGO community. Mr Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD and CEO, National Stock Exchange of India Ltd, presided over the event along with Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai who is at the helm of Prashanthi Balamandira Trust; Dr R Balasubramaniam, Member – Human Resources, Capacity Building Commission, Govt. of India; and Mr A Balasubramanian, MD and CEO of Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd.
Hon’ble Finance Minister, Govt. of India, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, as part of the Budget Speech for FY 2019-20 proposed the idea of an electronic fund-raising platform “Social Stock Exchange”, under the regulatory ambit of SEBI for listing social enterprises and voluntary organisations working for the realisation of a social welfare objective.
There was also a panel discussion, where inspirational panellists delved into the multifaceted dimensions of the Social Stock Exchange, with the topic – Understanding Donors’ Perspective.
Ms Dhruvi Shah - Executive Trustee and Chief Executive Officer, Axis Bank Foundation; Sri Shailesh Haribhakti - Chairman, Shailesh Haribhakti and Associates; Sri Raman Malik - GM Admin and CSR, CO, BPCL; Sri J N Gupta - Founder and Managing Director at Stakeholders Empowerment Services; Sri Anuj K Agarwal - Chief Operating Officer, ICICI Foundation; Dr Harish K Ahuja - Sr Vice President, National Stock Exchange; brought a wealth of knowledge, diverse perspectives, and profound wisdom to the table, which was ably moderated by Sri Nikunj Dalmia – Managing Editor and the face of the channels – ET NOW and ET NOW Swadesh.
A humble recipient of many recognitions and accolades, the Prashanthi Balamandira Trust is also an Organization in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since June 2023. ECOSOC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for bringing people and issues together to promote collective action for a sustainable world.
The event was not just a gathering of individuals or organisations, but it was a collective force driven by a common goal – to foster positive change that transcends boundaries and uplifts communities.