Rotary Club Of Bombay Pier Hosts Social Impact Awards And Launches ‘Whale Tank 2026’ To Support NGOs

Mumbai, 26 February 2026: The Rotary Club of Bombay Pier, under the presidentship of Rtn Noopur Desai and convener Prakash Chawla, hosted its flagship Social Impact Awards and the launch of Whale Tank 2026 at the All Seasons Auditorium, Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi.

Whale tank reimagines philanthropy through live pitching

Inspired by the format of Shark Tank, Whale Tank reimagined live pitching for philanthropy, where seven NGOs presented their initiatives to a panel of generous “Whales” who invested not for profit, but for measurable social impact.

Seven organisations — Kindred Foundation, Universe Simplified Foundation, Veruschka Foundation, Fur-Ridas Animal & Rehabilitation Trust, Jeevitnadi Foundation, Seeds of Banyan and Rnisarg Foundation — presented projects addressing key areas including education, environment, disability inclusion, animal welfare, community development, water and sanitation, and public health.

Panel discussion and live Q&A sessions

The session was moderated by Rtn Prakash Chawla and conducted by Rtn Aditi Jain, with an eminent panel of seven Whales comprising Rtn PP Saif Qureishi, Rtn Dr Birendra Saraf, First Gentleman Kushal Desai, Rtn Manu Tolani, Rtn Paresh Shah, Rtn Murtaza Khorakiwala and Rtn Paresh Dattani. Engaging discussions and live Q&A sessions created a dynamic exchange focused on strengthening the impact and sustainability of the NGOs’ work.

Funding and mentorship for selected organisations

Each of the seven awardees received ₹2,00,000 from the Whale Members and ₹25,000 from the Rotary Club of Bombay Pier, along with one year of mentorship from the Whales, ensuring both financial support and strategic guidance.

Chief guest and guest of honour attend event

The evening was graced by Chief Guest Dr Manish Motwani, District Governor of Rotary International District 3141, and Guest of Honour Ronnie Screwvala, Co-Founder of upGrad and Swades Foundation, whose presence underscored the importance of innovative philanthropy..

Also Watch:

By combining funding, mentorship and collaborative dialogue, the initiative demonstrated how thoughtful philanthropy can transform promising ideas into lasting social impact.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/