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Simple Steps, Big Change—How Indian Benefits Reach Every Family | Indus Action 2026 #SkollAwardee

Skoll Foundation
Skoll Foundation•Apr 7, 2026

Why It Matters

By digitizing benefit delivery, Indus Action not only accelerates poverty alleviation for millions of Indians but also demonstrates a scalable, low‑cost blueprint for inclusive social protection worldwide.

Key Takeaways

  • •Over 80% of eligible Indians miss benefits due to bureaucracy.
  • •Indus Action reduces registration time from weeks to 15 minutes.
  • •Mobile app streamlines document upload, cutting field worker workload.
  • •Pilot reached 2.7 million beneficiaries across 20 states since 2013.
  • •Goal: unified platform for 30 million users by 2030.

Summary

The video spotlights Indus Action’s mission to overhaul India’s social‑protection delivery by turning a labyrinth of paperwork into a streamlined digital experience. Historically, 80‑90% of eligible citizens fail to receive entitlements such as scholarships, maternity aid, or labor benefits because they must navigate multiple government offices, provide extensive documentation, and overcome literacy or language barriers.

Indus Action identified six critical life events—birth, school entry, employment, job loss, health shocks, and permanent disability—and mapped them to existing schemes. By deploying a mobile application that digitizes document submission and verification, the organization cut average registration time from one‑to‑six weeks down to 15‑20 minutes. Since 2013, the pilot has helped 2.7 million people across 20 states secure benefits ranging from food rations to education grants.

Stories from construction worker Jagdish, electric‑rickshaw driver Bofanishwari, and other low‑income families illustrate the transformation: a single photo upload replaced multiple trips to bureaucratic offices, unlocking meal subsidies, health insurance, and school scholarships for their children. The program’s field teams act as trusted intermediaries, guiding users through the app and advocating for policy tweaks with state officials.

Looking ahead, Indus Action aims to launch a unified, government‑owned benefits portal by 2030, targeting 30 million users. If successful, the model could dramatically reduce poverty traps, improve fiscal efficiency, and serve as a blueprint for other emerging economies grappling with fragmented social‑welfare systems.

Original Description

India has some of the world’s most comprehensive social benefits for citizens. Yet complex and onerous processes mean hundreds of millions of dollars in allocated funding never reach their intended recipients, including students, workers, and new mothers. This gap between policy intent and real-world impact traps millions of Indians in cycles of poverty. Indus Action works to change that. By redesigning how governments deliver benefits and conducting direct community outreach, Indus Action helps citizens understand and access all the entitlements they are eligible for—ensuring everyone has the support they need to thrive.
This film explores how tech-enabled, community-driven innovation can move an entire country forward. That’s impact at scale.
Visit Indus Action here: https://indusaction.org/
Check out the Skoll Profile here: https://skoll.wf/indusaction
About Tarun Cherukuri, Founder and CEO
Growing up in rural Andhra Pradesh with his single grandmother, Tarun Cherukuri accessed quality education across India and the world through public scholarships. After last-mile leadership roles as a chemical engineer at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Unilever, the loss of his grandmother motivated him to join the inaugural cohort of TeachForIndia in 2009. As a Fellow, Cherukuri experienced the struggles of translating the promise of the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009 into practical development outcomes for his children.   
In 2013, Cherukuri founded Indus Action to bridge the divide between delivery of social protection policies and vulnerable communities. The organization has since evolved into a leading policy implementation nonprofit that has enabled over 2.7 million vulnerable families in India to access entitlements, including education, maternity, livelihoods, and social security entitlements.
Cherukuri is a 2022 Ashoka Fellow, a 2021 GLG Social Impact Fellow, a 2019 Obama Foundation Fellow, a 2017 DRK Social Entrepreneur, a 2015 Harvard Kennedy School Emerging Global Leader, and a 2011 Fulbright and Joint Japan World Bank Scholar.
VIDEO CREDITS:
Directors - Abhijit V, Gabriel Diamond, Matthew Beighley
Editor - Matthew Beighley
Producer - Gabriel Diamond
Cinematography - Abhijit V, Hardhik T, Gabriel Diamond
Story Advisors - Jess Fleuti, Vu Dinh
Executive Producer - Phil Collis
Editorial - Alissa Gulin
Poster Design - Emily Lam
About the Skoll Awards For Social Innovation
The Skoll Foundation presents the Skoll Awards for Social Innovation each year to a select group of social innovators whose work targets the root causes of societal problems that are ripe for transformational social change.
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