Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur (IITJ) and Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Foundation (JCKIF) have entered into a partnership with a social enterprise, Contact Base (banglanatak.com) which shares a special consultative status with UN ECOSOC, UNWTO and UNESCO, to facilitate safeguarding heritage and grass-root entrepreneurship development using technology and other innovative means. The objective is to harness citizen artisans` innovative capabilities for entrepreneurial outcomes generating social and economic change.

The partnership builds on previous and on-going work by Contact Base centred around the concept of `Entrepreneurship as a Social Movement` developed as part of a global R&D project on citizen engagement, Citizen Entrepreneurship` led by Professor Jay Mitra, Essex Business School, University of Essex, UK. The latest chapter of this project is based on the idea of developing a `Social Lab` focusing on cultural heritage and the creative economy with citizen artisans working with key public and private stakeholders to design, develop, demonstrate and deliver, entrepreneurial projects aimed at establishing a unique cultural heritage ecosystem in specific regions. 

The plan now is to bring together the key stakeholders to a creative conference with the aim of giving a practical shape to this endeavor through a conference titled Entrepreneurship as a Social Movement - Engaging Citizens with Institutions for Entrepreneurial Outcomes which has been scheduled on April 5-7, 2023 to be hosted at IIT Jodhpur.

To Register for the Conference, Click here

The Conference will be conducted on the premises of the Jodhpur Club at IIT Jodhpur campus which will have all the speakers in-person (refer the section 'speakers' for complete list) 

For the benefit fo those who are not in a position to travel to IIT Jodhpur for the conference but woudl like to witness the proceedings, the following links can be accessed for live streaming of conference

April 5 - Youtube Link - https://youtube.com/live/Pg6op4xfoHU?feature=share
April  6 - Youtube Link - https://youtube.com/live/cXdqEo1lY3w?feature=share

The following is the list of Conference sessions:

DAY 1: Talks and Panel Discussions

 1. Towards Entrepreneurship as a Social Movement: Ideas for Social and Cultural Change and Sustainability Issues: This session will focus on the changing landscape of entrepreneurship, economic and social development in India. With special emphasis to the changing socio-economic and cultural scenario, the session will throw light on factors, which are critical to initiate and nurture  sustainable, culturally rich entrepreneurial ventures that engage citizens in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and how that could initiate a social movement.

2. Networks, Ecosystems and Cultural Dynamics: This session will focus on existing business and engagement models for sustaining entrepreneurial ventures involving investors who are active in the space of cultural and creative entrepreneurship. The session will identify the creative entrepreneurial ecosystem of India, focusing on the creative and cultural industries and the underpinning financial networks and cultural dynamics that influence and shape the ecosystem. The idea would be to highlight current good practice and how that can be harnessed to facilitate purposeful collaboration involving grass-roots participation in its research, design, methods and implementation.

3. Tourism and Social Innovation: This session will flesh out the different ideas and practices through which tourism-centred entrepreneurship can be developed as a key instrument to support social innovation involving citizen participation. The session will also focus on innovative usage of digital medium to promote alternative tourism offerings. This session will be dedicated to discussions on how community led initiatives can change the tourism landscape and enable responsible and inclusive tourism

DAY 2 : Panel Discussions and Performances

4. Technology and Social Mission in Entrepreneurship and Innovation: This session will explore ways in which technology can be used in innovative ways to enable and strengthen optimal levels of citizen engagement for the cause of entrepreneurship, innovation, economic and social development in India.

5. Public Policy Making on Citizen Focussed Entrepreneruship, Economic and Social Development: This session will be dedicated to discuss the ways in   which   policy   formulation   on   entrepreneurship   development can engage citizens and in-turn be inclusive and field-informed. The session will demystify the importance of gender representation in entrepreneurship development in India and how enhanced participation from marginalized gender groups   can   promote   entrepreneurial ventures and bring about social transformation along a holistic axis.

Session will present the skits sharing snippets of conversation in Citizen Research

6. Citizen’s Entrepreneurship: Research/Data Analytics to Support Entrepreneurship Research, Policy and Practice: This session will be dedicated to unveil the concept of citizen’s entrepreneurship drawing from a recent global research project of the Regional Studies Association, UK and led by the University of Essex, involving partners from Germany, India and Poland. This session will showcase ways of conceptualizing citizen engagement in inclusive entrepreneurship and how citizens can be involved in designing and conducting research with a view to generate a base for addressing SDG goals at the local level through entrepreneurial activism in partnership with the government and the private sector.

Canvases from citizen research will be presented

DAY 3: Field Trip (Covering Salawas and Barnawa Jageer)

Barnawa Jageer - Soulful seat of Langa folk music

Barnawa Jageer, a village in the Barmer district of western Rajasthan, is the hamlet of the folk music of the Langas. The Langas are folk musicians, with a rich repertoire of folklore, Sufi songs and Qawali, integral to their life and way of living. Barnawa Jageer is the abode of over 250 Langa musicians. Situated amidst the rolling desert dunes, the heritage of Langa folk music serves to be the primary source of existence of the village.

Salawas - The abode to handcrafted wonders

Salawas, a village in Jodhpur district in western Rajasthan, is the hamlet to the Durrie weavers, who have been involved in the art form for generations. Durries are handwoven rugs for everyday use and this handicraft practice dates back to the mid-nineteenth century. Salawas, a living museum with over hundreds of Durrie weavers, is a classic destination, where the serenity of nature meets the riches of culture.

Jodhpur, the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan is popularly known as the “Blue City” as also the “Sun city”. It is a popular tourist destination featuring many palaces, forts and temples, at the edge of the Thar Desert. Some of the prominent attractions are

   -- Mehrangarh fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mandore Garden, Balsamand Lake, Ghanta Ghar, 

Historically, it served as the seat of princely state of Jodhpur and has now evolved into an academic and research hub with the following prominent institutes dotting the city:

• Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Arid Forest Research Institute, Defence Research and Development Organization, National Institute of Fashion Technology Jodhpur, National Law University Jodhpur, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University, National Institute for Implementation Research on Non-Communicable Diseases, Jai Narain Vyas University (JNVU), Dr. S.N. Medical College, Jodhpur, MBM Engineering College, Footwear Design and Development Institute Jodhpur, Indian Institute of Handloom Technology, Sardar Patel University of Police, Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Jodhpur