Enterprises Funded; Social Enterprises Financed
Capital Deployed
Waste Diverted from Landfill
MTCo2 avoided; Co2 emissions avoided
Households practicing waste segregation
Livelihoods improved; Waste workers formalized; 31% income increase
Navaka offers flexible debt financing to early- and growth-stage social businesses that often struggle to access traditional bank funding. This enables mission-driven enterprises to scale sustainably without losing their social focus.
The fund backs enterprises working in sectors such as agriculture, waste management, healthcare, education, and livelihoods — directly improving access to essential services for low-income and vulnerable populations across India.
Through investments in recycling, waste segregation, and circular economy businesses, Navaka helps reduce landfill waste, lower carbon emissions, and encourage sustainable consumption practices.
Portfolio companies supported by Navaka generate dignified employment opportunities, especially for informal workers such as waste pickers, artisans, farmers, and rural entrepreneurs, helping improve income stability and working conditions.
Beyond financing, Navaka supports social enterprises with strategic guidance, governance support, ecosystem connections, and operational strengthening to improve long-term resilience and scalability.
Navaka tracks measurable social and environmental outcomes — such as households reached, waste processed, emissions avoided, and income improvements — ensuring accountability and evidence-based scaling of impact initiatives.
For mission-driven enterprises
Across social and climate indicators
For underserved communities
Through waste and recycling ecosystems
With strategic and operational support
Across multiple sectors and geographies
Designed to help social enterprises manage day-to-day operational expenses, inventory cycles, vendor payments, and short-term liquidity needs. This product supports businesses during growth phases and seasonal demand fluctuations.
Provides extended-duration financing for enterprises looking to scale operations, expand into new markets, strengthen supply chains, or increase production capacity without equity dilution.
Capital expenditure loans help enterprises invest in infrastructure, machinery, technology, processing units, waste management systems, or other long-term productive assets that improve operational efficiency and impact scale.
Navaka specializes in patient capital — flexible financing with repayment structures aligned to the realities of social enterprises. This allows founders to prioritize long-term impact creation alongside financial sustainability.
The fund combines catalytic capital, strategic partnerships, and impact-focused financing structures to support businesses addressing climate, livelihood, agriculture, healthcare, WASH, and circular economy challenges.
Beyond financing, Navaka provides technical assistance, strategic guidance, ecosystem connections, and operational support to help social enterprises become scalable and investment-ready.
The two entities were founded on the philosophy of “social business”—using business tools to solve social problems such as poverty, waste, livelihoods and other issues. This approach draws inspiration from Muhammad Yunus, globally acclaimed for his pioneering work in microfinance and poverty alleviation. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (2006) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009) by US President Barack Obama, and has deeply influenced India’s microfinance sector, inspiring the creation of many of India’s leading MFIs and Small Finance banks. In India, he has been honored widely, including receiving a gold medal from PM Narendra Modi at the 102nd Indian Science Congress for “giving the poorest a life of hope, opportunity and dignity”
Since August 2024, Muhammad Yunus has taken on a new role as a political advisor in Bangladesh. This changes things for us. We are non-political organizations focused on India, and we strongly condemn & disagree with any anti-India comments made by anyone. When we first started, we used “Yunus” in our names to show respect for Muhammad Yunus’s ideas about social business. However, our two organizations in India have no legal connection to Professor Yunus. Given the current
Keeping your community clean and green, one pickup at a time for a healthier tomorrow for a clean earth & clear future.
