From the desk of President

Celebrating the first milestone!

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” said Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu several centuries ago.
It is with this vision that a year back in May, we launched our e-magazine, The Bridge , with an aim to become a facilitator between the non-government organisations (NGOs), corporate firms and the government sector to help bring a social renaissance.
Over a span of one year, the journal has witnessed remarkable growth, both in size and in reputation. Today, we are proud to have a readership base that has crossed over 5,000, with stakeholders from across sectors — NGOs, corporate firms, bilateral agencies, government bodies, researchers and academicians — turning to the journal to keep themselves abreast on the latest developments in the CSR sector.
Along with our aspiration to transform lives of the underprivileged, came the discovery of “what” and “how to” make it happen. We found a problem, and then presented a solution in the form of expert opinions. We wanted to be different. We wanted to produce purposeful media.
In this backdrop, The Bridge set out to tell stories that highlighted social initiatives of the government, challenges and achievements of NGOs, social impact made by corporate firms through their CSR initiatives and development happenings across sectors in the country.

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So far, we have been successful in being a key platform that focuses on issues, primarily related to health, education, infrastructure, women empowerment and disability.

Our stories also highlighted the journey of unsung heroes, who with their passion, hard work, intent and self help attitude are doing exemplary work to bring about a positive difference in the lives of the less privileged. While operating on small scale, they are making vital contribution in bringing a social renaissance in the society.

We did not stop there. Aligning with the motto of its parent organisation, ‘The Bridge’, one of the emerging social consulting firms in the country, the e-magazine also took upon the herculean task of addressing the issue of trust deficit between the NGOs and the corporate sector as well as facilitating the unsung heroes to build their capacities by way of connecting them with other resourceful organisations that are keen to support their initiatives.
It has indeed been a year of excitement, highs and lows, long work days and sleepless nights. But we believe, the best is yet to come. I am truly excited about the future of The Bridge . Over the coming months, we will continue to expand our content to achieve the largest reach, influence, and impact. We shall be privileged to have our readers feel included in the process. Our esteemed readers are more than welcome to share their valuable inputs.
The first year would not have been possible without the support of our readers, advisers, partners and stakeholders. I am also grateful to the entire The Bridge team, for working tirelessly towards bringing meaningful content for the e- magazine month on month. As we celebrate our first anniversary, I toast our collective well-being and development – here’s to our vision and effort towards making a new and inclusive India.

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Dr. U. D. Choubey

Compliments to the Bridge India for playing the catalyst

I am extremely happy to note that The Bridge E-Magazine is coming up with its Annual  Issue to show case the initiatives of Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR) of the enterprises and its impact on society and environment . I compliment The Bridge India on this initiative and also on playing a role of catalyst in bridging the gap that exists between Corporates and NGOs.

CSR is a commitment of enterprises to operate in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner for inclusive and equitable growth of the society. Enterprises, therefore, need to adopt a multipronged approach to integrate their business processes with that of social processes. They should establish robust monitoring mechanism and transparent evaluation system to measure the direct impact of their CSR initiatives on society. In this context, social audit of the project undertaken under CSR programme would help in better compliance, efficient use of resources; improve processes and CSR eco system.

To meet the national priorities, enterprises and NGOs should work together to transform the lives of downtrodden people, bring innovation and achieve the goals of sustainable development. NGOs are also to earn the confidence of the civil society at large and keep them above the board.

I convey my best wishes to The Bridge and appreciate the efforts to accelerate development in the social sector.

Dr. U. D. ChoubeyDirector General
Vikash Prasad

The magazine has been on an iconic pedestal endeavoring relentlessly towards underlining current topics

I am privileged to be informed that the Bridge E-Magazine is coming up with its first annual issue. The Magazine has already impacted as a big source of useful information about the developments in the social sector. It has also given wide coverage to disability issues, be it their rights, empowerment or awareness about the schemes and initiative taken by the government.

It has been consistently covering events, social initiatives of the Government, challenges of the NGOs on a continuous basis, presence of big corporate houses through their CSR initiatives and tales of the journey of unsung heroes as a development happening.

The magazine has been on an iconic pedestal, in relentlessly trying to underline the current topics  which occur every month, especially which involves NGOs and corporate houses, spread over various social sectors. I acknowledge with gratitude the fact as to how much deeply you have endeavored to uphold the values across various issues which inter-alia involves various government departments or bureaucrat’s in extending social initiatives. You have relentlessly dwelt upon challenges being faced by the NGOs and their impact on the social sector and suggestions on how to get forward as well as the dynamic role that government is playing in making a virtual difference to various social sectors. Needless to say that nature needs to be replenished at regular intervals and your initiative plays  a pivotal  role.

I extend heartiest accolades to the Bridge India team on its first Anniversary issue and hope it continues with the good work.

Vikash PrasadDirector
Sudhir Kumar Sinha

Independent and unbiased voice on development matters

I am glad to learn that your magazine ‘The Bridge’ has completed one successful year and indeed it is a matter of pride and joy. The Bridge, in my view, has come out as an independent and unbiased voice on development matters. The magazine has so far done very well by covering a wide range of perspectives, essentially coming from stakeholders, and it is what makes the magazine an interesting compilation of knowledge and practices. The magazine for its content is surely useful for professionals, companies, NGOs, academicians and students.

I commend you for your honest and sincere efforts and congratulate you and your team for making this magazine reach such a great knowledge resource for readers. Also, I hope the magazine reaches greater heights in the future and keeps educating passionate readers.

Best wishes

Sudhir Kumar SinhaFounder & CEO

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