About
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Headquarters
Hubballi, Karnataka
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Since
1996
The Deshpande Foundation has dedicated itself to promoting sustainable and scalable social and economic progress through innovation and entrepreneursh Read moreip, operating across the United States, Canada, and India. Guided by a set of core principles, the Foundation collaboratively co-creates solutions with local communities, responding to their unique conditions and needs. Through partnerships and learning from best practices, it aims to be cost-effective and efficient in its endeavours. In India, it focuses on addressing the challenges faced by rural and semi-urban areas, particularly in livelihood, healthcare, education, and policy-making. Its approach involves enhancing livelihoods and fostering sustainable economic prosperity within these communities. Areas of emphasis include Agriculture, Micro-Entrepreneurship, Skilling, and Startups. Its ultimate goal is to create a tangible, nationwide impact, commencing with rural transformation. It envisions to establish an ecosystem that nurtures entrepreneurial thinking to address grassroots challenges through innovation, collaboration, and sustainability, fostering lasting change in rural and semi-urban India.
Cause Area
Programs
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Agricultural Programmes
The Deshpande Foundation's Agriculture Initiatives aim to improve the livelihoods of farmers in rural and semi-urban India. It collaborates with national and international organisations to address the primary needs of the farming community. These initiatives include building farm ponds, promoting the Better Cotton Initiative, and supporting Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). The goal is to positively impact the lives of one million farmers by 2026, contributing to rural transformation and sustainability. The Farm Ponds programme focuses on water-harvesting structures, while the Better Cotton Initiative promotes environmental and economic improvements. Farmer Producer Organizations offer support in compliance, governance, capacity-building, and business development, ultimately reducing input costs and expanding market access for farmers.
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Skill Development Programme
The Deshpande Foundation's Skilling initiative aims to equip youth from non-metro towns and villages in India with job-oriented skills to tap into the country's growing economy. This programme impacts students from elementary to middle school and graduates from these areas. Through skill development programmes, innovative technology in classrooms, and an integrated learning system, it strives to economically and scalably transform rural areas. Programs like SkillPlus, SkillPlus-R, Skill in Village (SiV), and EarlySpark focus on turning unemployed rural youth into skilled professionals, improving school enrolments, and enhancing teaching methods in primary schools, ultimately making a positive impact in rural and semi-urban India.
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Micro-Entrepreneurship Development Programme (MEDP)
The Deshpande Foundation's Micro-Entrepreneurship Development Programme (MEDP) empowers local micro-entrepreneurs by offering training, mentorship, monitoring, and best practices implementation. With a decade of experience, MEDP is committed to rural transformation in North Karnataka & Telangana. The initiative has made a significant impact, contributing to the financial ecosystem of rural and semi-urban communities. It operates through two key arms: I-MEDP focuses on individual entrepreneurs, providing networking support, exhibitions, and business planning, while C-MEDP creates clusters for artisans and producers, facilitating shared markets and services. These clusters in food, leather, and Aari embroidery aim to empower local communities and foster self-reliance.
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Deshpande Startups Programme
Deshpande Startups offers a supportive ecosystem of resources, connections, knowledge, and talent for entrepreneurs with a mission to create a significant impact in semi-urban and rural communities across India. Entrepreneurs view it as a dynamic platform to test, validate, and scale their business ideas, aiming to bring about positive change in the lives of billions.
Leadership Team
Demographics & Structure
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No. of Employees
100+
M&E
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Internal, External Assessors
No
Policies
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Ethics and Transparency Policies
No
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Formal CEO Oversight & Compensation Policy
No
Political & Religious Declarations
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On Affiliation if any
No
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On Deployment Bias if any
No
Registration Details
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Registration ID
JPN-4-00133-2007-08
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VO ID / Darpan ID
KA/2017/0165362
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FCRA
094520067
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CSR Registration Number
Not Available
Location
Other Details
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Type & Sub Type
Non-profit