Punjab’s changemaker looks for collaborators

Patiala-born American entrepreneur and philanthropist, Gurpreet Sunny Singh, 60, is a man on a mission to build a better Punjab on three pillars of youth development, women empowerment and environment protection.

Through Roundglass Foundation, a non-profit organisation, set up in 2014, he has brought sustainable development in 2,400 villages of the state, impacting 24 lakh lives. “Rural Punjab is a sweet spot. For where your roots are, your heart is,” says the Seattle-based NRI, who visits his home state every two months.

“At Roundglass, we have the platform, experience and expertise with results to back. Besides the Punjab government, we look forward to joining hands with individuals, companies, organisations, NGOs, anybody who wants to make a difference and nurture their Punjabi roots. There is hope, all is not lost,” he says.

“Roundglass is about showing people how to live well, holistically and sustainably. Round symbolises completeness and glass reflects authenticity,” says the founder at his Mohali office.

Restoring sports culture

On youth development, Sunny Singh’s efforts have started bearing fruit for today his team, including village volunteers, runs 326 Learn Labs that engage 6,479 students after school hours. His organisation runs 540 sports centres in 497 villages, most of them focused on football and volleyball with 15,623 children enrolled, including 2,731 girls, in 12 districts. “I plan to address all 12,500 villages and bring back Punjab’s glorious sports culture for village children while giving an equal opportunity to boys and girls,” he says.

Roundglass empowers women, the catalysts of change, through health interventions and entrepreneurship initiatives that ensure economic independence.

Regenerative agriculture

On the environment front, its Billion Tree Project is aimed at planting 100 crore indigenous trees by 2035. “We have planted over 30 lakh saplings, particularly local varieties, in 1,594 villages with a 90% survival rate,” he says.

He bats for regenerative agriculture over chemical farming to rejuvenate soil health, foster biodiversity, and improve air quality.

As many as 287 villages have benefited from waste management practices that have improved cleanliness due to segregation at source, proper disposal and compost generation. “Behavioural changes have led to cleaner surroundings and improved health. Pre-preventive health is the best system of care,” says the founder of Edifecs, a market leader in healthcare data interchange in the US.