New Delhi, May 30, 2013: Gaurav Mehta, Founder and CEO of Project Dharma, was named winner of the 2013 BMW Foundation Young Leaders Awards at the Munich Economic Summit. The winners are provided tailored support from BMW Foundation and access to its Young Leaders Network and partners.

Established in 2009, Project Dharma is a social enterprise that has created a unique model to empower rural Indian households with affordable products and services that enhance their lives. Project Dharma creates and trains entrepreneurs in low-income communities who create a rural distribution network for socially relevant products such as solar lights, fortified drinks, water purifiers and clean cook stoves. Project Dharma currently operates out of 5 states in India with a network of over 2,500 village-level enterprises.

The BMW Young Leaders Awards are made to those who address social issues through innovative high-potential initiatives that can become sustainable in the mid-to-long term.

Mr. Gaurav Mehta, Founder and CEO, Project Dharma said, ?I am honored and humbled that such a grand, international forum has found our cause tenable and worthy of this recognition. It remains my endeavor to expand the reach of Dharma in order to generate more livelihoods at the base of the pyramid.?

Project Dharma shared the award with GreenHeat (Ghana), E3 (China) and The New American Leaders Project (USA).

Project Dharma -
Project Dharma / Gajam India Private Limited serves the needs of rural households at the Bottom of the Pyramid by creating a rural distribution network providing customized products and services sold at a socially affordable price point.

The company provides income generation opportunities for rural entrepreneurs and consumers in order to generate sustainable livelihoods at the rural level. Currently, Project Dharma has about 2500 Village-Level Entreprises in Maharashtra, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

The company was founded in September 2009. Project Dharma works in partnership with the Shell Foundation. http://www.dharma.net.in