Nuneseno Chase, Director and Chief Functionary of YouthNet receiving the 17th Social Entrepreneur of the Year India 2026 Award.
Dimapur, August 22 (MExN): YouthNet, Nagaland’s first and largest youth development and social enterprise, has been named one of five national finalists for the 17th Social Entrepreneur of the Year (SEOY) India 2026 Award.
The award, presented jointly by the Jubilant Bhartia Foundation (JBF) and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, a sister organisation of the World Economic Forum, was announced at a ceremony in New Delhi, stated a press release received here.
Nuneseno Chase, Director and Chief Functionary of YouthNet, represented the organisation among the five finalists selected from across India, recognised for driving youth-led development through education, livelihoods, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability initiatives across Nagaland and the wider northeast.
This year’s SEOY award went to Nidhi Pant, Co-Founder of S4S Technologies, honoured for biotechnology solutions that turn agricultural waste into eco-friendly products for smallholder women farmers. The four other finalists, including Nune, were selected from a national pool for work spanning healthcare, agriculture, disability-inclusive livelihoods and youth empowerment.
Chief Guest NK Singh, former Member of the Rajya Sabha and former Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission, addressed the gathering, describing the finalists as “people who have made a difference in their lives, transcending barriers to build a more wholesome society” and called for society to better support innovation and risk-taking among such change-makers.
Dr François Bonnici, Director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, noted that this year’s finalists show how social entrepreneurship can tackle complex challenges through innovation and systems-level thinking, offering lessons for India and the world. Aashti Bhartia, Director of Jubilant Ingrevia, added that the award is ultimately about spotlighting what is possible, and said this year’s finalists had shown exactly that through their conviction and resilience.
For YouthNet, the recognition affirms over 20 years of work in Nagaland. Since it’s founding in 2006, the organisation has grown into the region’s leading incubator, supporting entrepreneurs, livelihoods and NGOs across all eight northeastern states through programs in environmental education, entrepreneurship incubation, women’s economic empowerment, the Made in Nagaland (MIN) brand.
Speaking on the recognition, Nune Chase said, “This is not one person’s achievement. It belongs to every entrepreneur, artisan and community YouthNet has walked alongside these past years, and to Nagaland itself.”
