Drishtee Foundation

"Drishtee is a social business with community links and ability to understand, aggregate and service the rural needs through a network of rural entrepreneur's using innovative means including technology with focus on marginalized communities and women."

Vision

Drishtee envisions a world where all communities are empowered to achieve shared prosperity.

Mission

To collaborate with Marginal Communities to develop and nurture rural enterprises and support the community eco-system.

Description ;

Drishtee is a social enterprise focused on Rural India and its entrepreneurs through whom it reaches out to the marginalized communities. It creates sustainable models that enables in generating livelihoods and costs  savings for the rural citizen. Since Drishtee’s inception in 2000, it has had several successes and failures ,  learning’s from over the years has resulted in the evolution of an integrated approach which it calls the '4C' model.

Approach :

THE 4C framework under which Drishtee operates comprises of:

• Community – Understand needs, Inspire, Induct & create joint ownership & synergies.

• Capacity – Build, Create or Enhance capacity relevant to available opportunities

• Credit – Organize capital that may be required, particularly for entrepreneurial ventures

• Channels – Create linkages (both backward and forward) for aggregation & market support

Impact :

Over the years, Drishtee has facilitated and supported a network of over 14,000 rural enterprises to cater to the critical needs of base of the pyramid.

Key Services -  Scalable Enterprises 

Drishtee has so far tested, piloted and scaled up micro-enterprises in the field of Education, Micro Loans, FMCG retail, Financial Inclusion and Health. It aims to develop future scalable micro enterprises in the field of Agriculture, Energy, Rural Production and Construction apart from scaling up its existing models.

Presence :

Currently, Drishtee has strong presence in 3 states of India namely, Assam, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

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Partners

Drishtee has also been fortunate in the support and work it has received from Several Partners. Notable amongst these have been Acumen Fund, Microsoft, Halloran Philanthropies, IFC,  ACC, IBM, Novartis, Merck, Pfizer, Nestle, Nike Foundation, IDRC, Amar Raja Batteries, Philips, Oiko Credit, State Bank of India, Ashoka, Clinton Global Initiative, World Bank, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of Bihar, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Central Information Commission, Micro Save, Shell Foundation, Japan Research Institute, Ricoh and many others. The biggest supporter of Drishtee remain its entrepreneurs and the communities where it works, last but not the least its volunteers and interns from across the globe .