Strengthening and Amplifying Resilience Through Innovation (SARTHI) -Grants upto 10,000USD

Disaster Risk Management operations are becoming complex and require changing technologies, approaches, tools, and more efficient and cost-effective solutions that are easily accessible and adaptable across the spectrum of the disaster management cycle. Furthermore, disasters such as floods, cyclones, wildfires, droughts, storms etc. which directly affect human health in terms of loss of life and injury and have further impacts through loss of houses, population displacement, contamination of water supplies, loss of food production and increased risk of epidemics of infectious diseases. Notably, climate change has been a key factor in the rapid surge of health emergencies that arise out of such disaster events. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic posed an additional burden on already strained health infrastructure.  

In line with this effort to promote self-reliance, the SARTHI Initiative for Building Resilience in the New Normal seeks to identify, curate, nurture, and promote RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH & INNOVATIONS by State governments, academia, private entrepreneurs, and civil society for identifying relevant DRM innovations for supporting India’s socio-economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as strengthening capabilities for tackling future crises, including public health emergencies.  

The SARTHI Initiative is being spearheaded by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) to amplify diverse and burgeoning innovations in India in the ‘New Normal’ context, with a focus on disaster and pandemic preparedness. The initiative aims to support mature innovation solutions derived from the Indian context to be given global prominence through showcasing the products, tools and approaches for tackling DRM and health emergency related challenges at regional and global platforms.

A maximum of 10 SARTHI FINALISTS will be facilitated in showcasing their innovations at national, regional, and global platforms for knowledge sharing and exchange. Furthermore, from the pool of 10, the 3 most promising SARTHI CHAMPIONS will be awarded Sustainability Grants (up to a maximum of $10,000 US Dollars) to support the most promising innovators to continuously develop their solutions, exchange ideas on innovation and stimulate networking between like-minded stakeholders.