DBS Foundation Awards ₹34.4 Cr Grants to 22 Impact Enterprises Across Asia, Including Ikure, Lernern & Kadam Haat from India

• Grantees will collectively impact more than 4.3 million people over the next two years. 
• New cohort of grantees addresses critical and emerging needs in their communities, from healthcare and inclusive employment to caregiving support

DBS Foundation has announced INR 34.40 crore [1] (SGD 4.9 million) in grant funding for its 2025 cohort of grantees, comprising 22 businesses for impact – purpose-driven social enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises – across its core markets in Asia. The winners include three innovative impact enterprises from India: Ikure Techsoft, Lernern and Kadam Haat Basketry.

This marks the 11th edition of DBS Foundation’s grant programme, which was launched in 2015 to support entrepreneurs tackling pressing societal challenges through innovative and scalable solutions. Beyond funding of up to INR 1.75 CR[i] (SGD 250,000) each, grantees will also gain access to holistic support from DBS Foundation’s and DBS’ ecosystem, including mentorship, capacity building, preferential banking solutions and collaboration opportunities with other like-minded players, to accelerate their growth and impact.

In line with DBS Foundation’s mission to strengthen the social and financial resilience of vulnerable communities, the 2025 cohort addresses critical needs such as access to healthcare and income opportunities. Many are leveraging innovative approaches, including AI and digital tools, gamification, circular economy solutions and community-driven models, to scale their impact and reach underserved populations more effectively.

The grantees were selected from nearly 2,200 applications following a rigorous evaluation process, which involved 415 DBS employee volunteers, including senior management, who contributed their skills and expertise as grant evaluators.

The 2025 cohort reflects how businesses for impact are responding to emerging themes in their communities through innovative and scalable approaches.

The three grant awardees from India are:

• Ikure Techsoft, which provides affordable primary healthcare to rural communities through a network of digital health centres supported by trained community health workers, helping to improve access to essential medical services in underserved regions. 
• Lernern, an enterprise that aims to strengthen youth employability through work-integrated learning, skills training and apprenticeship programmes that connect young people to job opportunities and industry networks
• Kadam Haat Basketry, which supports rural artisans by enabling responsible market access for handcrafted products, helping create sustainable livelihoods while preserving traditional skills and crafts

Karen Ngui, Head of DBS Foundation, said “In an increasingly uncertain world, helping vulnerable communities to build resilience is more important than ever. This calls for a whole-of-society effort, with businesses playing an important role alongside community and public sector partners. At DBS Foundation, we support purpose-driven businesses tackling real challenges on the ground, providing holistic support including capital and capacity building to scale their impact, while also working across the ecosystem to co-create interventions. Together, we seek to uplift the lives and livelihoods of those with less and help them face the future with confidence.”

Gaurav Rajput, Managing Director and Head, Group Marketing and Communications, DBS Bank India, said “The impact enterprises selected from India this year demonstrate the power of purpose-driven innovation in addressing some of our country’s most urgent developmental needs. Whether it is expanding access to primary healthcare, strengthening youth employability or creating sustainable livelihoods for rural artisans, these organisations are building solutions that uplift underserved communities in meaningful and lasting ways. We are proud to champion their work and to play a part in helping more individuals across India build a stronger, more resilient future.”

Strengthening Asia’s impact ecosystem since 2015

To date, DBS Foundation has catalysed the growth of more than 180 businesses for impact through its grant programme and the Impact Beyond Award. The Impact Beyond Award supercharges businesses with transformative solutions that address urgent needs in ageing societies, with winners receiving up to SGD 1 million each to scale their impact.

In 2024, marking the start of DBS Foundation’s second decade, DBS strengthened its support for the Foundation’s work by pledging up to SGD 1 billion and 1.5 million employee volunteering hours over the next ten years. Of this, DBS Foundation has committed over SGD 160 million as at end-2025 to support 48 businesses for impact through grants and awards, and to launch 29 new impact programmes in partnership with community and public sector partners. These initiatives are projected to collectively impact over 8 million lives by 2029.

By galvanising an ecosystem-wide approach, DBS Foundation aims to drive meaningful, sustainable and scalable change, empowering those with less to build forward and progress towards better circumstances in the long term.

About DBS Foundation

Established in 2014, DBS Foundation is committed to uplifting lives and livelihoods of those in need. It provides essential needs to the underprivileged and fosters financial inclusion by equipping the underserved with financial and digital literacy skills. It also nurtures innovative social enterprises that create positive impact. It aims to bring hope to those with less today, so no one is left behind and we can all face the future with confidence.

In 2024, DBS committed up to SGD 1 billion dollars over the next decade to support vulnerable communities. It also pledged to contribute 1.5 million employee volunteer hours over the same period.

With ageing societies becoming a pressing concern, DBS Foundation is intensifying efforts to shape mindsets and spark interventions – so that regardless of life stage or circumstance, there is opportunity to age with dignity, purpose and joy.

Together with an ecosystem of like-minded partners, DBS Foundation seeks to create impact that goes beyond banking, beyond borders, and beyond generations.

About DBS

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world. In 2025, CRISIL Ratings reaffirmed its ‘CRISIL AAA/Stable’ rating on the corporate credit facility of DBS Bank India Ltd (DBIL). The rating on the certificate of deposits programme was also reaffirmed at ‘CRISIL A1+’.

Recognized for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance, “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney, and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney and the world’s “Most Innovative in Digital Banking” by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for 17 consecutive years from 2009 to 2025. DBS Bank India was recognized by CRISIL - Coalition Greenwich as the Best Bank for Corporate Banking and Best Bank for Corporate Cash Management in India in 2025. In the same year, Euromoney also named DBS Bank India the Best Digital Bank for SMEs in India. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets.

DBS Bank has been present in India for more than 30 years, opening its first office in Mumbai in 1994. DBS Bank India Limited is the first among the large foreign banks in India to start operating as a wholly owned, locally incorporated subsidiary of a leading global bank. As a trusted partner, DBS provides a range of banking services for large, medium, and small enterprises and individual consumers in India, focusing on a seamless customer experience that helps them ‘Live more, Bank less’. In November 2020, Lakshmi Vilas Bank was merged with DBS Bank India Limited. DBS Bank India is now present in ~350 locations in 19 Indian states.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.


[1] Currency conversion based on an exchange rate of SGD 1- INR 70.2.