About Us
Dr. Anand Deshpande,
Founder, Chairman and MD of Persistent Systems Limited.
Founder, deAsra Foundation.
21st century India is making admirable inroads in science, technology, infrastructure and the start-up culture. However, unemployment continues to remain the deadweight in India’s quest for growth. Every year, India churns out 12 million employable youngsters; but fails to generate enough employment opportunities for this growing exodus.
For Dr. Anand Deshpande, Founder, Chairman and MD of Persistent Systems Limited. the solution was crystal clear.
In order to provide more jobs, we need to transform job seekers into job creators. With this mission in mind, Dr. Deshpande & his wife, Sonali, established deAsra, a not-for-profit (Section 8) organization, in 2015.
deAsra is committed to enabling people to start, manage & grow a small business successfully. To this end, we offer a platform wherein, setting up, managing & growing a small business is made simple & entrepreneur friendly through a broad array of support services. Each of our services is simplified, benchmarked, tech-enabled, expert-led, with customer-friendly functionality, convenience & speed.
Our Team
Small Businesses Supported
Loan Amount Facilitated
Free Online Business Guides
Construction of the solution
Core Research
As part of the research process, deAsra connects with experts and industry leaders both within and outside the organization.
Access to Funds
Our strong alliances with funding houses and banks and our knowledge of legal formalities enable us to mediate with financial institutions and facilitate funds successfully.
Tools & Knowledge Resources
deAsra produces a wide variety of wellresearched, readily accessible tools, including the deAzzle mobile app, business guides across industries, trackers, templates and checklists.
Udyog Mitra Facilitation
The Udyog Mitra handholds the entrepreneur through every stage of his/her business lifecycle, right from set-up, to growth, and beyond.
Shared Professional Services
deAsra’s thriving network of professional service partners enables entrepreneurs to connect with CAs, Legal Advisors.
Research and Policy Advocacy
Unlock 2021- Maharashtra Recommendation by deAsra Foundation: Policy Advocacy For MCCIA
deAsra has conducted two rounds of surveys to understand the challenges faced by small and micro entrepreneurs based in Maharashtra with the aim to design and implement the required programs to support them in time of need
Recommendations to Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship on Promoting Entrepreneurship for small, micro, and nano entrepreneurs in India
The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship( MSDE) is under the process of designing a new nationwide entrepreneurship scheme (similar to the PMKVY 2.0 but for fostering entrepreneurship) and has thus requested deAsra Foundation to provide recommendations on how the government can roll out the scheme.
Eco-system for entrepreneurs
By offering a wide spectrum of entrepreneurial support services, we aim to de-risk and simplify entrepreneurship; while transforming it into a viable & preferred career option. From funding facilitation & marketing to franchising support, every deAsra offering is well-researched, bench-marked, tech-enabled & facilitated by experts. In addition, our strategic alliances with various financial & business organizations ensure support in critical areas, including funding, training & business management.