BP Agrawal , Aakash Ganga

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In 2003, Agrawal conceived Aakash Ganga, a sustainable rainwater harvesting scheme for underdeveloped regions. Six years later, Aakash Ganga - "river from the sky" - serves 10,000 people in six villages in the drought-stricken Indian state of Rajasthan, channeling rainwater from rooftops of local homes into shared reservoirs. By providing "water security," Agrawal helps improve health conditions, change social structures, and create economic opportunities in those communities. For roughly 30 years before developing Aakash Ganga, Agrawal worked in management positions at information technology companies and founded his own information services firm. In implementing Aakash Ganga, Agrawal created his own encore career. He recalls thinking: "Why not deploy the intellectual, financial, and managerial wealth to solve social problems that have defied solutions?" Agrawal tapped his technical know-how, applying modern technology and economic models to lower costs and ensure water quality, and he spurred public-private-community partnerships to implement the projects. Agrawal's decision to transform shared reservoirs into places of worship to avoid contamination demonstrates his intimate knowledge of local culture. In 2007, Agrawal founded the nonprofit Sustainable Innovations to foster social enterprises, such as Aakash Ganga.