https://storage.googleapis.com/blogs-images-new/ciscoblogs/1/2025/09/Shreya-Headshot-edited-150x150.jpg" alt="Shreya Arora headshot" width="150" height="150" />This blog post is being guest written by Shreya Arora on Cisco's India Cash Grant team, where she supports the rollout and governance of CSR programs across India. Drawing on seven years of experience in program development and fundraising, Shreya brings a holistic view of the nonprofit world and a strong desire to translate local needs into real-world solutions.

Shreya's commitment to inclusive, community-driven change is fueled by the inspiration she finds in collaborating with Cisco's diverse network of partners.

In the bustling lanes of India's villages and cities, dreams often collide with barriers. For millions of families, social welfare programs hold the promise of a brighter future; however, the pathways to these benefits are often managed by older, lower-tech systems that can be complex to navigate. In 2018, Cisco partnered with Indus Action, an India-based non-profit, to address this challenge, digitally transforming essential social protection systems to be more citizen-friendly and effective.

Through our ever-evolving partnership, Cisco and Indus Action have helped countless vulnerable citizens transform their lives for the better by increasing their access to education, maternal health, labor welfare, and more. Read on to learn how Indus Action is using creative digital solutions to drive ecosystem innovation, building more resilient and thriving communities in the process.

Bridging the gap: Education for every child

Education can be transformational for anyone-yet, for many low-income families in India, it remains elusive. Recognizing this challenge, Cisco and Indus Action joined together to support the implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of India's Right to Education (RTE) Act. This policy mandates that 25% of seats in private, unaided schools be reserved for children from economically disadvantaged sections and groups.

With Cisco's support, Indus Action developed an Education-Management Information System (EdMIS), an innovative technology platform designed to streamline the RTE admissions process. The work spanned three states full-time and supported four others, ensuring admissions for about 2.15lakh (215,000) students. From school and student registrations to application lotteries, reimbursements, and student tracking, EdMIS has simplified complex administrative workflows and ensured transparency across the ecosystem.

Families like Somesh's, whose son gained admission to a private school under RTE, are living proof of the transformative power of this initiative. "Without this provision, enrolling our child in a private school would have been nearly impossible," Somesh's mother shared. "This policy helps families like ours. We hope it continues to support others like us in the future."

Indus Action's flagship project wasn't just about immediate outcomes-it was about building scalable, replicable, sustainable solutions for the longer term. By launching the EdMIS platform in states like Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, and Haryana, while supporting others in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, the partnership laid the groundwork for lasting systemic change.

Supporting pregnant and first-time mothers

In 2020, Cisco and Indus Action expanded their reach to support pregnant and first-time mothers under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), a welfare program for maternal health. The objective of PMMVY is to give partial compensation to pregnant women and lactating mothers who were working and had to experience a wage loss due to the pregnancy.

Inspired by the EdMIS use case, a dashboard and hotline were developed to streamline operational efficiencies and data monitoring for the state of Uttar Pradesh, while providing a forum for the recipients to seek assistance. Over 18,000 women received all three instalments of the cash benefit, and the project witnessed over 60,000 new registrations.

Cash benefits are delivered in a timely manner, with additional improvements in service delivery. Beyond this, the program has resulted in an increase in health-seeking behavior-such as antenatal and prenatal check-ups.

Safeguarding labor welfare

In 2025, Cisco and Indus Action renewed their partnership with a bold new focus: improving welfare for workers registered under the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (BOCWWB). Leveraging the lessons learned from RTE implementation, the partners aim to deploy technology to simplify access to benefits, address grievances, and enhance governance for workers and their families.

Cisco's investment in grievance redressal mechanisms has already proven invaluable, helping families successfully navigate the often-confusing welfare landscape. By listening to citizens' concerns, Indus Action has not only resolved individual cases but also used these insights to strengthen policies and processes at the state level.

Working towards a future where good education is for everyone

Our partnership with Indus Action is more than just a program; it's a movement-a demonstration of how technology, when paired with Purpose, can dismantle barriers, build bridges, and improve crucial ecosystems. As Cisco and Indus Action continue their journey, the lessons learned and milestones achieved will serve as a playbook for driving scalable, sustainable change across India.

To learn more about Indus Action's initiatives and explore ways to get involved, visit their website at indusaction.org. Together, we can create better social protection systems that work for everyone.