LONDON, March 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Social enterprise, Pepal, launches its new executive development programme - Innovation in India. Private-sector professionals will work with Indian non-profit organisations, tackling issues such as HIV/AIDS, child health and women's rights. Each participant will be paired with a non-profit partner and after receiving management and innovation training from the LSE will deliver their own project for a unique personal development experience.

Pepal today launches its Innovation in India programme, providing a fresh approach to executive development. The programme pairs private-sector professionals, over a six month period, with senior staff from Indian non-profit organisations to devise and deliver community projects in India, tackling complex problems such as HIV/AIDS, women's empowerment and youth unemployment. Partners will also receive joint training by LSE Professor of Innovation and Management, Harry Barkema, to arm them with the theoretical tools they need to conceive and implement these new business initiatives.

What sets the Innovation in India programme apart is the introduction of management training into the leveraging of private sector skills in a non-profit environment. The training component allows for the creation of more equitable partnerships and thereby significantly increases the knowledge exchange, both theoretical and practical, between participants.

Julie Saunders, Executive Director of Pepal, comments: I expect this to be a life-changing journey for many of our private-sector participants. They will be working on challenging problems in new and often difficult circumstances. It will push them to innovate, reflect on and develop their personal and management skills.

It's a win-win situation because our non-profit participants will also learn from their private sector partners. They are very excited to receive support in reaching the communities they serve. Some of the projects they have already identified include establishing income-generating businesses for women; setting up a training centre for health charities, and designing a web based initiative to support fundraising for maternal and adolescent health.

About Pepal: Pepal is a social enterprise that was set up in 2009 to facilitate partnerships between the private and non-profit sectors to bring about sustainable social change in the developing world. Pepal is supported by Fondation Hoffmann and has programmes with INSEAD that focus on health systems internationally.

For more information visit: http://pepal.org/innovation-in-india/ or email: diya.raj@pepal.org, phone: +44(0)2077591822

SOURCE: Pepal

CONTACT: For more information visit: http://pepal.org/innovation-in-india/or email: diya.raj@pepal.org, phone: +44(0)2077591822