Deshpande Foundation, which has been founded by serial entrepreneur Mr Gururaj Deshpande here, has decided to help to the small scale entrepreneurs, who are located in the tier II and III cities in north Karnataka.
“The foundation has made a remarkable contribution to building an ecosystem that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship, focusing on building relevant and responsive solutions to
social issues. Through this initiative we focus on individuals that live in rural and peri-urban areas, have limited access to resources but have ideas and the aspiration to run their own enterprise.”
The foundation is working in the north Karnataka from 1996 and aims to take it forward and hence has floated a platform – Navodyami. Navodyami demands to offer both resources and linkages to the entrepreneurs who are willing to establish these enterprises in the 'Hubli Sandbox'. Sandbox is a place where the fresh ideas get incubated and also build a meaningful relationship with like-minded peers, learn from the senior leaders and also gain access to the opportunities that will help them grow. The foundation's Hubli Sandbox consists of five north Karnataka districts – Dharwad, Belgaum, Gadag, Haveri and Uttar Kannada. With the aim to indentify entrepreneurs and to fund their ideas, the foundation is holding Navodyami 2012, an event, to select the best venture.
