{{short description|Indian social entrepreneur}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Anshu Gupta | image = Anshu Gupta (8).jpg | alt = | birth_name = | birth_date = <!-- | Birth date|df=yes|1970|12|24}} --> | birth_place = Meerut | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Founder Director, Goonj | education = Indian Institute of Mass Communication | alma_mater = [[Indian Institute of Mass Communication]], New Delhi | known_for = Founder and director of [[Goonj (NGO)|Goonj]] and Gram Swabhimaan | spouse = Meenakshi | children = Urvi | awards = [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] 2015 <br/>Ashoka Fellowship 2004<br/> Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2012 }}'''Anshu Gupta''' is an Indian entrepreneur and founder of [[Goonj (NGO)|Goonj]], a [[non-governmental organisation|non-governmental organization]] based in Delhi.<ref name="Anju gupta reference1">{{cite news |last1=Rout |first1=Srinibas |title=10 things to know about Magsaysay award winner Anshu Gupta of Goonj |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/10-things-to-know-about-magsaysay-award-winner-anshu-gupta-of-goonj-115072900365_1.html |access-date=30 March 2021 |publisher=Business Standard India |date=29 July 2015}}</ref> Goonj transfers urban material, particularly cloth, with rural villages, undertaking disaster relief, rural community development and humanitarian aid in parts of 23 states in India. Through Goonj, Gupta built a barter system between rural communities and urban surplus material, transferring material resources like clothing, utensils, food grains as compensation for labour- digging wells, building schools within the community, repairing roads and general community development.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Meet The Man Who Has Changed The Way We Look at Giving|url=https://www.readersdigest.in/true-stories/story-power-to-the-people-124827|access-date=2022-01-27|website=readersdigest.in}}</ref> Gupta has been recognized by the Ramon Magsaysay foundation for his "creative vision in transforming the culture of giving in India".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gupta, Anshu – The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation – Honoring greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia |url=https://rmaward.asia/awardee/abadiano-benjamin |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=rmaward.asia}}</ref>
== Early life == Anshu Gupta was born in [[Meerut]]. He spent his early years in [[Chakrata]], [[Banbasa]] while his father was posted in the Indian Army's [[Military Engineer Services (India)|Military Engineer Services]] (MES).<ref>https://www.theceo.in/leaders/anshu-gupta</ref>
== Career == Gupta worked as a freelance journalist after completing his schooling, writing about history, monuments and humanitarian issues<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anshu Gupta |url=https://www.weforum.org/people/anshu-gupta/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251229224509/https://www.weforum.org/people/anshu-gupta/ |archive-date=2025-12-29 |access-date=2026-03-06 |website=World Economic Forum |language=en}}</ref>. He was a copywriter at Chaitra followed by [[Power Grid Corporation of India|Power Grid Corporation]], and then Escorts Communication.<ref name="insideiim">{{Cite web|last=SINHA|first=PRASHANT|date=2014-08-16|title="The Clothing Man", Interview with Anshu Gupta, Founder – Goonj|url=https://insideiim.com/the-clothing-man-interview-with-anshu-gupta-founder-goonj|access-date=2022-01-27|website=InsideIIM|language=en}}</ref>
=== Goonj === In 1999, he started Goonj with his wife, Meenakshi, to work on rural aid using the barter of clothing and other material resources for labour and community development. Beginning with 67 pieces of cloth collected in [[Sarita Vihar]], the organization expanded operation across 28 states and 4000 villages, employing over 1000 workers as of 2022.<ref name="insideiim" />
=== Cloth for Work === Under Goonj's initiative 'Cloth for Work', village communities across India work on their issues and get urban material for their efforts. Cloth for Work and other Goonj initiatives have received various national and international recognition.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-30|title=Anshu Gupta: Changed the culture of giving in India|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/magsaysay-award-winner-anshu-gupta-changed-the-culture-of-giving-in-india/|access-date=2022-01-27|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref> Goonj also provides aid to victims of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Rout|first=Srinibas|date=2015-07-29|title=10 things to know about Magsaysay award winner Anshu Gupta of Goonj|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/10-things-to-know-about-magsaysay-award-winner-anshu-gupta-of-goonj-115072900365_1.html|access-date=2022-01-27}}</ref>
Anshu Gupta has been called by media as ''The Clothing Man of India'' for establishing clothing as an important developmental work.<ref name="Anshu Reference1">{{cite news |last1=Goldapple |first1=Lisa |title=India's 'Clothing Man' goes beyond cloth |url=https://atlasofthefuture.org/project/goonj/ |access-date=30 March 2021 |date=1 March 2021 |ref=Atlas of the Future}}</ref>
In "Cloth for Work", communities have built bamboo bridges, dug up wells, done bunding of acres of land, developed small irrigation canals, have built drainage systems, built village schools, repaired roads, and developed water harvesting systems to clean up water bodies. The organization emphasizes the importance of self-reliance in a community.<ref name="KnowYourStar">{{cite news |url=http://www.knowyourstar.com/anshu-gupta-goonj/ |title=Anshu Gupta – Goonj Founder Who Taught India The Joy of Giving |date=2016-10-03 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/donation-is-about-the-receivers-dignity-magsaysay-award-winner-anshu-gupta-1201751|title=Donation is About the Receiver's Dignity: Magsaysay Award-Winner Anshu Gupta| date=2015-07-29 |newspaper= NDTV}}</ref>
=== School to School === Goonj's School to School initiative, launched in [[Coimbatore]] in 2010, encouraged students in cities to donate school materials to have them redistributed to rural schools.<ref>{{Cite news |author=Staff Reporter |date=2020-02-18 |title=Goonj launches 'School to School' scheme in Coimbatore |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/goonj-launches-school-to-school-scheme-in-coimbatore/article30854893.ece |access-date=2023-04-21 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
=== Not Just a Piece of Cloth === Gupta initiated the "Not Just a Piece of Cloth" campaign following the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami|2004 Indian Ocean tsunami]]. The initiative was started after Gupta observed over a 100 truckloads worth of cloth, deemed unwearable, be discarded as waste. The material was recycled into reusable cotton cloth.<ref name="KnowYourStar" /> In the absence of affordable health and hygiene products, unhygienic alternatives like sand, ash or rags are employed with no real alternatives. The initiative aims to help women with the risk of infection and the [[Social stigma|social stigma against periods]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Ankita |date=2022-04-12 |title=Circular Economy & Not Just A Piece of Cloth |url=https://thelogicalindian.com/health/not-just-a-piece-of-cloth-menstruation-34953 |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=thelogicalindian.com |language=en}}</ref>
=== Rahat === An earthquake in [[Uttarkashi]] triggered Gupta's involvement with disaster relief and rehabilitation. For nearly two decades, he has been working on disasters from earthquakes to tsunamis, cyclones, and floods. Goonj's initiative "Rahat" evolved into an active network of stakeholders in rural and urban India, ensuring timely response for generating need-based disaster relief and rehabilitation efforts.<ref>{{Cite web|last=S|first=Kishan Rao A.|date=2020-06-30|title=Dignity, Not Charity: How Goonj's Three-Point Plan Is Transforming Relief Measures in Crisis-Hit Areas|url=https://thelogicalindian.com/story-feed/get-inspired/goonj-dignity-not-charity-21999|access-date=2022-01-27|website=thelogicalindian.com|language=en}}</ref>
== Recognition == <!--List should focus on noteworthy awards from acknowledged major organizations and MUST be sourced to independent sources. Sort in ascending chronological order. --> * [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]]<ref name=":0">{{cite news |author=Jatin Anand and Kritika Sharma Sebastian |date=2015-07-29 |title=Sanjeev Chaturvedi, Anshu Gupta win Ramon Magsaysay Award |newspaper=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sanjiv-chaturvedi-anshu-gupta-win-ramon-magsaysay-award/article7476975.ece}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |last=Foundation |first=Ramon Magsaysay Award |title=2015 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees Announced |url=http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/community/announcement/page/1/view/59 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150731202145/http://www.rmaf.org.ph/newrmaf/main/community/announcement/page/1/view/59 |archive-date=31 July 2015 |accessdate=2015-07-29 |website=RMAF}}</ref> * Ashoka and Schwab Fellowship<ref name="Anshu Reference1" /><ref name="KnowYourStar" /> * CNN IBN Real Heroes award in the women welfare segment<ref>{{Cite web|title=Real Heroes Awards Given to Ashoka Fellows {{!}} Ashoka {{!}} Everyone a Changemaker|url=https://www.ashoka.org/en/story/real-heroes-awards-given-ashoka-fellows|access-date=2022-01-27|website=ashoka.org|language=en}}</ref> * Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award by [[Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship]]<ref name="SocialAward">{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/goonj-wins-social-entrepreneur-award/article4093487.ece |title=Goonj wins 'social entrepreneur' award |author= Aditi |date=2012-11-13 |newspaper= The Hindu }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Awardees |url=https://www.schwabfound.org/awardees/anshu-gupta/ |access-date=2023-11-26 |website=Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship |language=en}}</ref> * Forbes magazine listed Gupta as one of India's most powerful rural entrepreneurs<ref name="Anju gupta reference1" /> * Curry stone design prize<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anshu Gupta|url=https://www.ideafestival.com/2017-presenter-blog/2017/6/15/anshu-gupta|access-date=2022-01-27|website=IdeaFestival – Stay Curious|date=9 August 2017 |language=en-US}}</ref> * AIMA (All India Management Association) Award<ref>{{Cite web|title=AIMA Public Service Excellence Award|url=https://www.aima.in/content/events/aima-awards/aima-public-service-excellence-award|access-date=2022-01-27|website=aima.in}}</ref> * Marico Innovation Award<ref>{{Cite press release|last=Foundation|first=Marico Innovation|title=New-age Innovators and Change-makers of India Recognised at the 7th Edition of Marico Innovation Foundation Awards|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/new-age-innovators-and-change-makers-of-india-recognised-at-the-7th-edition-of-marico-innovation-foundation-awards-675109823.html|access-date=2022-02-04|agency=PR Newswire|language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{RMA winners of India}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupta, Anshu}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]] [[Category:20th-century Indian educators]] [[Category:Businesspeople from Delhi]] [[Category:Indian Institute of Mass Communication alumni]] [[Category:Indian social entrepreneurs]] [[Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners]] [[Category:Indian social workers]]