How to save the world? A global journey into making our lives better…

Anyone who has lived in a underdeveloped country knows how corruption is both a source of poverty and caused by it. It renders whole state systems inefficient, generates considerable economic distortions and inefficiency, and only allows the strongest to prevail. According to World Bank estimate there is more than a trillion dollars paid every year in bribe worldwide, which amounts to a amazing 3% of the whole global economy.

Most of the fight against corruption until now has been down to law makers only, with little effect. In the midst of this lack of political will, Shaffi Mather from India came up with a really audacious business plan aimed at fighting corruption.

In 2003, Shaffi Mathers  abandoned a promising career to found 1298 for ambulance: the first self sustainable life support ambulance service in India. This service lives only from the revenue it generates and is affordable to anyone. It has transported 100,000 patients, and has no recourse to public funds.

With his acute and out-of-the-box entrepreneurial thinking, he decided out of compassion to start a new kind of business: fighting corruption. Inspired by his work on medical emergencies, he realised there is no such thing as a 911 call for corruption cases. Yet he managed to make a successful business out of helping people with his ambulances, and 3% of the economy is a huge market, virtually untouched at present. So he started out building his business case for a bribe-buster service.

So far, all of the 42 pilot cases have been a complete success. He managed to win his cases, make money and ask people much less than what the corrupt officials were asking for.