At Cisco, we consider within the energy of expertise and our folks 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 folks in India.
Above and past: How a authorities mandate to present again develop into an inspiration to go additional
In 2013, when India carried out a regulation requiring firms to put money into company social duty (CSR) initiatives, Cisco noticed a chance not simply to fulfill the mandate, however to go above and past. In 2018, we set a daring aim: positively influence 50 million lives in India by 2025.
After we join the unconnected, we increase alternative for all. Working intently with our non-profit companions, we didn’t simply meet that aim—we exceeded it, reaching this milestone in March 2025. (Grants made inside India since 2015 are included within the complete depend.) 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 at this time, Cisco’s legacy in India coincides with the nation’s development as an rising chief in innovation and expertise. With almost one billion web customers, the world’s third-largest digital financial system, and greater than 70 p.c of its youthful technology aspiring to work in tech, it’s protected to say India is firmly in its digital increase. In reality, simply final yr, Boston Consulting Group ranked India within the high 10 for AI readiness and second globally for AI specialists.
Our India Objective Workplace group’s extraordinary achievement exemplifies Cisco’s technique for social funding—from shut collaboration with native consultants, to rigorous measurement of optimistic influence, to regular emphasis on the distinctive energy of tech-fueled innovation to succeed in extra folks in want. Their work has helped advance our imaginative and prescient of thriving folks and empowered communities all through India.” —Charu Adesnik, Government Director, Cisco Basis; Director, Social Influence Investments
A daring imaginative and prescient fueled by our folks
The Cisco India Objective Workplace led the best way, crafting a technique that mixed modern expertise with collaborative partnerships. By means of initiatives just like the India Money Grant Program, we’ve been capable of amplify our influence by supporting native non-profits that use expertise to handle essential 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 function—from mentoring our companions on cybersecurity to sharing experience in enterprise operations. Collectively, we’ve empowered these organizations with the assets, data, and steering they wanted to develop and create lasting influence.
Tales that encourage
From enabling job readiness to remodeling healthcare, listed here are a few of the unbelievable initiatives rooted from our collaborative efforts:
Indus Motion: Bridging instructional gaps
Cisco’s collaboration with Indus Motion by means of the Eklavya venture transforms training coverage with tech-driven options. Supporting India’s Proper to Training Act, which makes training a basic proper for kids 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 folks.
NIIT Basis: Empowerment by means of training
Since 2017, Cisco and the NIIT Basis have collaborated to champion training and empowerment by means of the Cyber Suraksha venture (Suraksha means “security” in Hindi). From 2022 to at this time, this venture has helped greater than 1 million people—40% of them ladies—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. Thus far, 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 acquired 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 expertise, the collaboration enhances telemedicine, diagnostics, and affected person document administration, addressing important healthcare wants in underserved areas. With greater than 110,000 affected person data 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 certain that life-changing expertise reaches those that want it most. Collectively, we’ll hold creating optimistic social influence—one partnership at a time.
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