At Cisco, we consider within the energy of know-how and our individuals to drive significant change. For over 30 years, we’ve partnered with India to form our shared digital future, foster innovation, and construct a workforce prepared for tomorrow. However our influence goes far past enterprise.
Collectively, we’ve been working to empower communities and enhance lives—and due to the ingenuity and diligence of our many non-profit collaborators, we’ve achieved one thing actually exceptional.
Watch our overview video to learn the way Cisco and our companions helped 50 million individuals in India.
Above and past: How a authorities mandate to offer again turn into an inspiration to go additional
In 2013, when India applied a legislation requiring firms to spend money on company social accountability (CSR) initiatives, Cisco noticed a possibility not simply to satisfy the mandate, however to go above and past. In 2018, we set a daring objective: positively influence 50 million lives in India by 2025.
After we join the unconnected, we develop alternative for all. Working intently with our non-profit companions, we didn’t simply meet that objective—we exceeded it, reaching this milestone in March 2025. (Grants made inside India since 2015 are included within the complete rely.) This achievement displays our ongoing dedication to powering an inclusive future for all.
From opening our first workplace in India in 1995, to main initiatives that empower hundreds of thousands in the present day, Cisco’s legacy in India coincides with the nation’s progress as an rising chief in innovation and know-how. With practically one billion web customers, the world’s third-largest digital economic system, and greater than 70 p.c of its youthful era aspiring to work in tech, it’s secure to say India is firmly in its digital increase. Actually, simply final yr, Boston Consulting Group ranked India within the high 10 for AI readiness and second globally for AI specialists.
Our India Function Workplace crew’s extraordinary achievement exemplifies Cisco’s technique for social funding—from shut collaboration with native specialists, to rigorous measurement of optimistic influence, to regular emphasis on the distinctive energy of tech-fueled innovation to succeed in extra individuals in want. Their work has helped advance our imaginative and prescient of thriving individuals and empowered communities all through India.” —Charu Adesnik, Govt Director, Cisco Basis; Director, Social Influence Investments
A daring imaginative and prescient fueled by our individuals
The Cisco India Function Workplace led the way in which, crafting a method that mixed progressive know-how with collaborative partnerships. Via initiatives just like the India Money Grant Program, we’ve been capable of amplify our influence by supporting native non-profits that use know-how to handle vital wants like training, healthcare, disaster response, and financial empowerment. By aligning with authorities priorities and fostering collaboration in our grantmaking, we’ve created lasting change for a extra inclusive and affluent society.
However our work didn’t cease there. Cisco workers additionally performed a key position—from mentoring our companions on cybersecurity to sharing experience in enterprise operations. Collectively, we’ve empowered these organizations with the assets, data, and steerage they wanted to develop and create lasting influence.
Tales that encourage
From enabling job readiness to reworking healthcare, listed here are a number of the unimaginable initiatives rooted from our collaborative efforts:
Indus Motion: Bridging instructional gaps
Cisco’s collaboration with Indus Motion by way of the Eklavya mission transforms training coverage with tech-driven options. Supporting India’s Proper to Training Act, which makes training a elementary proper for youngsters aged 6-14, Cisco’s grant enhanced information assortment methods—enabling environment friendly decision-making and coverage execution for state governments, whereas positively impacting 500,000 individuals.
NIIT Basis: Empowerment by way of training
Since 2017, Cisco and the NIIT Basis have collaborated to champion training and empowerment by way of the Cyber Suraksha mission (Suraksha means “security” in Hindi). From 2022 to in the present day, this mission has helped greater than 1 million people—40% of them girls—develop cybersecurity abilities, and greater than 7,000 members safe cybersecurity roles.
Quest Alliance: Constructing future-ready abilities
The Future Proper Abilities Community is a collaborative effort between Cisco, Accenture, SAP Labs, and J.P. Morgan, facilitated by Quest Alliance. To this point, greater than 300,000 college students gained profession abilities throughout Industrial Coaching Institutes. As well as, over 26,000 college students landed full-time jobs, and greater than 1,500 trainers obtained assist.
The Piramal Swasthya Basis: Revolutionizing healthcare supply
Cisco’s partnership with Piramal Swasthya within the Niramay initiative is revolutionizing healthcare supply in Assam, India. By integrating digital well being know-how, the collaboration enhances telemedicine, diagnostics, and affected person file administration, addressing important healthcare wants in underserved areas. With greater than 110,000 affected person information digitized, this partnership is setting new requirements in public healthcare.
Trying forward
With 1 billion lives impacted globally and one other 50 million lives modified in India, our journey to Energy an Inclusive Future for All continues. Our ongoing collaborative efforts will be sure that life-changing know-how reaches those that want it most. Collectively, we’ll preserve creating optimistic social influence—one partnership at a time.
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