T-Hub and Bala Vikasa to partner for rural, social and frugal innovation

Taking forward its vision to encourage and empower startups working towards social impact, innovation hub and ecosystem enabler T-Hub is collaborating with community development enabler Bala Vikasa.

The collaboration aims to foster innovation, address grassroots challenges, and drive large-scale social impact.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at the Social Start-up Expo organised by Bala Vikasa Center in the presence of Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Minister for IT & EC, Industry and Commerce, Telangana government.

According to a press statement, the partnership will align with the plans of the Telangana government to unveil a new MSME (micro, small, and medium enterprise) policy, towards defining its position as a central hub for social innovation and entrepreneurial growth in the future.

Both organisations will together focus on social innovation, frugal innovation, and rural innovation to make a substantial impact in rural spaces. T-Hub will offer specialised capacity building programmes in collaboration with Bala Vikasa to elevate skills and knowledge.

As a programme partner, Bala Vikasa as a will commit to mentorship and knowledge exchange initiatives aligned with shared objectives.

T-Hub will facilitate market access support, empowering startups within T-Hub programmes, streamlining market access, and creating opportunities for pilot projects.

The collaboration also envisions the cross utilisation of infrastructure, for maximising operational efficiency and fostering innovation in the startup ecosystem.

"We aim to support promising innovations that cater to untapped rural markets and address critical social issues through accessible and affordable solutions. Together, we strive to empower startups, drive innovation, and create meaningful change in the startup ecosystem," said Anthony Anish, Chief Operating Officer, T-Hub.

Shoury Reddy Singareddy, Executive Director of Bala Vikasa, said, "While we will be working on multiple activities in the realm of capacity building, mentoring, knowledge development, and ecosystem-strengthening in the coming days, we will be supporting the social business accelerator program by T-Hub immediately."

Till now, T-Hub has nurtured nearly 110 social impact startups, including Banyan Nation, Donatekart, Financepeer, and Kisanwala.