DBS DEBUTS SECOND SEASON OF SPARKS, AN AWARD-WINNING MINI-SERIES, FOCUSED ON TRUE STORIES OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES BUILDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD
Reaffirming its commitment to sustainability and social entrepreneurship, DBS Bank debuted the second season of Sparks in India, an award-winning mini-series.
Themed “Everyday Heroes for a Better World” and inspired by true stories, the new season follows a group of dynamic DBS bankers as they partner with social enterprises to address some of the most pressing social and environmental issues of the day. The episodes are inspired by the true stories of social enterprises (SEs) supported and mentored by the Bank. Evoware from Indonesia, Bettr Barista from Singapore and Eco-Greenergy from Hong Kong are all Business For Good- driven by both purpose and profit, supported by the DBS Foundation. The DBS Foundation was set up five years ago to champion social entrepreneurship and has since nurtured over 300 SEs in its markets, awarding SGD 5 million in grants across the region.
Through the second season of Sparks, DBS aims to galvanize change around key sustainability challenges such as plastic pollution, food waste, social inequality, fast fashion and ageing by sparking conversations about edible packaging solutions, upcycling, sustainable fashion, etc.
In 2018, DBS Bank India Limited joined hands with brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar to launch Sparks, first ever mini-series on bankers, in India. The last two episodes were inspired by Sachin’s long standing mission of increasing access to play for less-privileged children. DBS not only dramatized this mission in the mini-series but also made it a joint mission, partnering with Sachin to bring this purpose to life. In December 2018, Sachin and DBS together lit a playground in the Mumbra district of Thane, transforming the lives of over 7,000 children and furthering the #SparkingTheFuture movement. Since its 2016 debut, the 10 episodes of the first season of Sparks have garnered more than 250 million views and over 24 million digital engagements from audiences across Asia.
Karen Ngui, Head of DBS Group Strategic Marketing & Communications and Board Member of DBS Foundation said: “As a purpose-driven bank that’s deeply rooted in the heart of Singapore and the region, we believe we have a central role to play in creating a sustainable future that goes beyond banking. We are acutely aware that such a huge endeavor requires us to join hands with businesses, communities and the public. Fundamentally, we also believe that there is an everyday hero in each and every one of us, and together, we can all drive change – in big and small ways – for a better world.”
Recently, DBS Bank India entered into a strategic partnership with Social Alpha (a technology business incubator supported by Tata Trusts). Earlier, DBS had partnered with a leading social sciences academic institution from 2012-2017 in India, to provide crucial monetary and non-monetary support to over 40 budding social entrepreneurs. DBS Sparks pays an ode to such entrepreneurs, who are positively impacting lives through their sustianable businesses.