Cisco to collaborate with startups, developers through Cisco’s LaunchPad

With the aim to provide a common platform to startups, developers to build solutions that can help in the process of digitisation in the country, the American hardware technology giant Cisco has launched its startups and developers engagement programme –  Cisco LaunchPad in India.

The programme is designed to help startups, Cisco’s authorised channel partners and developers scale their solutions, reach new markets and build digital businesses. According to Cisco, its dedicated team will mentor startups and developers in creating digital solutions and products which can enable enterprises to bring people on internet, connect them and digitise the services.

Under this programme, Cisco will provide a space at its Bengaluru campus with access to a suite of Cisco’s technologies and free grants to startups chosen to work at its campus.

“We have an unprecedented opportunity to digitise the next three billion people in one-third the time it took to connect the first three billion. Through Cisco LaunchPad we want to unleash the next generation of disruptive ideas and help turn the entrepreneurs of today into the business leaders of tomorrow,” said Amit Phadnis, President, Engineering and India Site Leader at Cisco.

India is the youngest startup and developer nation in the world with 72% of startup founders less than 35 years old and the average developer less than 29 years old. India is projected to have the world’s largest number of developers by 2018.

Cisco informs that it LaunchPad will involve a rigorous selection process based on the viability of applicant’s business plans, the strength of their teams and their alignment with Cisco’s digitisation vision.

Through LaunchPad, the startups will get an opportunity to work on solving business relevant problems by catering to use cases that are identified and validated by Cisco go-to-market teams. The target of such innovative solutions will be to help digitise the next three billion people, and will initially focus on manufacturing, retail, transportation, education and healthcare, said Cisco.

During the launch of Cisco LaunchPad in Bangalore, US-based firm also announced that it had collaborated with Tech Mahindra Limited to develop digital solutions for the Indian electric utilities. Cisco and Tech Mahindra will work with select startups and developers to accelerate digitisation of the power sector and transform the way electricity is delivered to and used by people, said company.

Cisco already runs Cisco Digitization Acceleration and Cisco Investment programs in India.  It has already committed $280 million to boost the Indian start-up ecosystem.