DESHPANDE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM-AN OVERVIEW

“JANANI JANMABHUMISCHYA SWARGADAPI GARIYAPI”

(Mother and Mother land are greater than Heaven)

      This Sanskrit saying replicates to one gentlemen, who is staying somewhere in the part of this world, earning from his own skills and serving his motherland through philanthropy.  He didn’t forget is motherland that to his born and brought up place.  He is none other than Mr. Gururaj Deshpande, locally born and globally personality.

Mr. Gururaj Deshpande previously worked under someone and later by his talents and creative ideas he has become a leading entrepreneur.  He stated Sycamore Networks ltd, along with his wife Jaishree within a short span of the time they succeeded in their business in USA, which is considered as the mother of entrepreneurs.  Desh and Jaishree stated thinking towards establishing a philanthropic organization to work in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship and international development in India and USA. 

      This ambition came true in 1996 in the form of Deshpande Foundation.  Through its grant making, the Deshpande Foundation is helping launch innovative companies. Helping NGO’s develop an international presence ad launched partnership with some of the most remarkable change agents in the world today.

      Deshpande Foundation believes in ‘Karma’ philosophy and wants to train up the leaders to become the entrepreneurs and in the long run they become the change agents of the society with this broad vision in 2007 stated an innovative and unique program called “Deshpande Fellowship Program”.  This program intends to prepare the youth to come up with the innovative ideas to transform the society and can able to lead the experts.  With the vision of changing the co-relation between the age factor and entrepreneurship, cohort-II has launched on January 19, 2009.

      The whole six months training program includes participatory learning through class room as well as field based activities.  This program enhances skills and techniques in the areas of communication, leadership, fundraising, program planning and management, collaborative efforts to achieve drastic change in the social sphere of people through modern corporate outlook.

      Fellows are selected on the basis of their academic performance, experience and they have to undergo a unique selection procedure.  During their fellowship they will be provided stipend, staying facilities.

      Cohort-I fellows were competed their course, are well placed in various organizations and working on their own projects.  By this can say that this is a unique program to prepare the processionals to undertake develop meted activities through their innovative ideas and skill. So that underprivileged can be brought to the main stream of the society and can enjoy the amenities in their social, economical, health, educational and cultural traits of life.