Deshpande Foundation aiming for Rural Transformation by creating livelihoods, employability, and entrepreneurship through technology

Subbarao Hegde
CTO & CMO
Deshpande Foundation (Global), India

As we grapple with the COVID-19 crisis, We at Deshpande Foundation repurpose our strategy to collaborate and co-create with local administrative authorities in Hubballi, Karnataka  and government for larger good of the society while deploying various technological intervention, which includes driving digital transformation. Our vision is Rural Transformation by creating Employability & Entrepreneurship for New India through Technology at Speed, Scale & Sustainability. Our Sandbox ecosystem has four impact units called “MASS”- Micro Entrepreneurship, Agriculture, Skilling, and Startups.

Key Priorities of 2020
AMicro Entrepreneurship (MEDP):  Our key priority is to focus on technology driven Micro-entrepreneur development program and provide digital power to our Micro-entrepreneurs. Enable India’s MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises).

During this challenging times, our MEDP team has trained 100 + women micro-entrepreneurs to make mask “stitching together initiative” that aims to make them self-reliant. We have created a “Safe 3P” mask, dispenser, sanitizer brands and showcased to the public over various social media channels, which give them the chance to earn their livelihood with dignity. We have also helps our other Micro-entrepreneurs to get an organized marketing, santhe, development training, bank/financial credit support; linkages to several online platform owners (e-commerce); access to local retail markets/Shops including data analytics with modern technological support.

Agriculture: Our key priority is to focus on building Unique Beneficiary Life Cycle with Impact Monitoring platform to reach our vision “Rural Transformation” faster (To Do More with LESS perspective). This platform will leverage Data Driven Agriculture and enables to improve the efficiency in farming practices, farm pond construction process with impact analysis of beneficiary. Also indicate farm pond viability to the rain-fed farmer’s areas with a stable livelihood by building farm ponds to store rainwater for multiple crop produce. The execution model has been taken up through Satellite Imagery based GIS analytics and remote sensing products, auxiliary services, training & digital advisory to farmers. We do geo-tagging of farm pond over google map with digital display board covering date of construction, individual farmer name, ID, village, pond size & its donors name over and above physical RCC signage board at each farmpond site. 

Developing an affordable sensor based IoT-driven precision farming system for small and marginal farmer communities. Real time monitoring through AI-enabled predictive analysis for developing a commercially viable technology package. We would like to bridge the digital divide, reduce the gaps between Urban Vs Rural, demand Vs. supply so as to uplift the rural India (make it Smart Village) and creating a multiple sources of income to farmers & develop him as an entrepreneur.

Cyber Security
As innovation explodes into every area of our lives, cybersecurity is providing the glue that can enable the good and disable the bad for implementing cutting-edge innovation as well as reducing risk from older vulnerabilities. We also see cybersecurity continue as the top priority during this COVID19 crisis with Work from Home (WFH) scenario.