What Grameen Telecom Trust does

Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) is a non-profit trust entity established in 2010 under Bangladesh's Trust Act, operating as the flagship social business facilitator within the broader Grameen ecosystem founded by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. The organization implements and invests in social business enterprises targeting youth unemployment, poverty, and wealth concentration, pursuing a "three zeros" mission: zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration, and zero unemployment through entrepreneurship. Its primary beneficiaries are children of Grameen Bank members aged 18-35, who gain access to equity investment, mentorship, and capacity-building through the Nobin Equity Program, while secondary programs support rural women entrepreneurs and international replication of the Grameen model across 43 countries.

GTT's core offerings span three operational pillars. First, the Nobin Equity Program screens aspiring young entrepreneurs and provides direct equity investment with ongoing mentorship and SMS-based financial monitoring. Second, Infrastructure & Development projects include Telecom Bhaban (multi-floor office space), Samajik Convention Centre, the Samajik Health Science Institute & Research Centre (a 500-bed hospital paired with Caledonian College of Nursing), and the Nishorgo recreation facility at Purbachal. Third, the Program Support & Innovation Fund finances value chain development for social business initiatives. The organization also holds equity stakes in four social business enterprises: Grameen Health Care Services Ltd. (eye care, safe water, nursing), Grameen Distribution Ltd. (nationwide dealer network for mobile handsets, energy-efficient products, consumer goods), Grameen Fabrics & Fashion Ltd. (wholly-owned, manufacturing sanitary napkins, treated mosquito nets, and composite knitwear), and Grameen Danone Foods Ltd. (a 2006 joint venture with Groupe Danone via the danone.communities fund targeting child malnutrition).

GTT operates as a non-profit trust and does not publicly disclose revenue figures. Its revenue mechanics are tied to returns from its portfolio of social business investments, which are reinvested into further social business initiatives alongside donor and partner capital. Distribution occurs through direct equity investment in individual entrepreneurs (Nobin Equity Program), a nationwide dealer network via Grameen Distribution for consumer products, and online marketing linkages through the Grameen Poshra e-commerce platform. The organization employs 251-500 staff based primarily at its Dhaka headquarters (Telecom Bhaban, Mirpur-1) and operates within an ecosystem that includes affiliated Grameen Trust's 154+ replication programs across 43 countries and Grameen Bank's 9+ million borrowers. Strategic partnerships with Groupe Danone, SEVA Foundation, Aravind Eye Hospitals, Calvert Foundation, and Yunus Centre support technical capacity and capital access.

Name

Grameen Telecom Trust

Legal name

Grameen Telecom Trust

Website

https://gtctrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Grameen Telecom Trust is a Bangladesh non-profit trust established in 2010 that facilitates social businesses targeting youth unemployment. It runs the Nobin Equity Program, develops infrastructure, and holds equity stakes in healthcare, distribution, and manufacturing enterprises within the Grameen ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Business Development

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Management of Companies and Enterprises (551)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Microfinance, Financial Inclusion & Inclusive Markets (BPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nonprofit / Social Services BOP (FSAJAFAM)

Keywords

• Social business facilitation
• Youth entrepreneurship programs
• Microenterprise equity support
• Impact investment trust
• Community development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Social Business Investments: GTT generates returns through investments in social business enterprises including Grameen Health Care Services Ltd., Grameen Distribution Ltd., Grameen Fabrics & Fashion Ltd., and Grameen Danone Foods Ltd. These investments aim to create sustainable social impact while generating returns that can be reinvested in social business initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) is a non-profit trust that facilitates and invests in social businesses in Bangladesh. Its core programs include the Nobin Equity Program, which provides equity investment and mentorship to young entrepreneurs (children of Grameen Bank members aged 18-35); Infrastructure & Development, which builds social business facilities such as Telecom Bhaban, Samajik Convention Centre, SHSIRC, and Nishorgo; the Program Support & Innovation Fund, which finances value chain development; and the SDRS Social Business handicraft initiative for rural women. GTT also holds equity investments in social business enterprises in healthcare, distribution, textiles, and nutrition.

Product overview

Grameen Telecom Trust (GTT) operates as a social business facilitator offering multiple interconnected programs and investments. The core offerings include the Nobin Equity Program for youth entrepreneurship development, Infrastructure & Development for building social business ecosystem facilities, and Program Support & Innovation Fund for value chain development. GTT's investment portfolio includes Grameen Health Care Services, Grameen Distribution, Grameen Fabrics & Fashion, and Grameen Danone Foods. Infrastructure projects span Telecom Bhaban, Samajik Convention Centre, Samajik Health Science Institute & Research Centre, and Nishorgo recreation facility. The organization focuses on achieving the 'three zeros': zero net carbon emissions, zero wealth concentration to end poverty, and zero unemployment through entrepreneurship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nobin Equity Program: Youth-entrepreneurship development program for the next generation of Grameen family to turn unemployment into entrepreneurship
• Telecom Bhaban
• Samajik Convention Centre
• Samajik Health Science Institute & Research Centre (SHSIRC)
• Nishorgo (Purbachal)
• Program Support & Innovation Fund
• SDRS Social Business

Products and services

• Nobin Equity Program Youth-entrepreneurship development program targeting children of Grameen Bank members aged 18-35 to turn unemployment into entrepreneurship. The program includes screening exercises, capacity building, mentoring, and SMS-based financial monitoring. The age limit is relaxed for females to encourage greater participation.
• Infrastructure & Development Building infrastructure for the social business ecosystem including Telecom Bhaban, Samajik Convention Centre, Samajik Health Complex, and Mobile Assembly Factory to bring social business to communities.
• Program Support & Innovation Fund Supporting value chain development of social business initiatives for sustainable development, working towards creating a value chain for products while promoting entrepreneurs within the industry.
• SDRS Social Business Rural women crafting their livelihood through handicraft. The project focuses on increasing income of rural households living in char areas by ensuring rural women producers get best price from their products.
• Grameen Poshra Online marketing platform developed by GTT to create marketing linkages for Nobin Udyokta products.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple entrepreneurs have increased monthly income significantly (e.g., from BDT 6,000 to BDT 20,500)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Groupe Danone (danone.communities)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Joint venture with Danone to create Grameen Danone Foods Ltd., a social business addressing malnutrition of children from poor and low-income families. This was the first investment supported by danone.communities, an investment fund created to support businesses with social and societal objectives.
• SEVA FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides continuous technical and human resource development support to Grameen Health Care Services Ltd.
• Aravind Eye Hospitals and Post Graduate Institute of OphthalmologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides technical support to Grameen Health Care Services Ltd. for eye care operations.
• Grameen BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource organization for Nobin Equity Program participants - children of Grameen Bank members aged 18-35 are eligible for the program. Grameen Bank has 9+ million borrowers and is the foundation of the Grameen Group.
• Grameen TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated organization that has facilitated implementation of more than 154 Grameen Replication Programs across 43 countries and provided equity support to approximately 43,000 new entrepreneurs by June 30, 2023.
• Yunus CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes annual Social Business Day conference. GTT employees and Nobin Udyoktas participate in these events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BRAC: Bangladesh-based development organization operating microfinance, social enterprises, healthcare, and education programs that directly parallel GTT's portfolio. Comparable scale, mission, and operating geography make BRAC the closest functional peer.
• Grameen Bank: Foundational microfinance institution that GTT is structurally intertwined with - GTT's target participants are children of Grameen Bank members and its leadership shares deep institutional history with the bank. Direct ecosystem peer and primary pipeline source.
• Grameen Trust: Affiliated trust replicating the Grameen model in 43 countries and supporting ~43,000 entrepreneurs. Operates the global Grameen replication program that complements GTT's Bangladesh-anchored programs; shared board members and direct programmatic overlap.
• Grameen Shakti: Grameen ecosystem social enterprise focused on renewable energy in rural Bangladesh; co-investor with GTT in Grameen Healthcare. Direct affiliate peer with overlapping mission and ecosystem.
• Yunus Centre: Founded by Prof. Muhammad Yunus to promote the social business concept globally; co-organizes Social Business Day with GTT's network. Closely affiliated peer advancing the same social business ideology and brand.
• Acumen Fund: Global impact investor providing patient capital and enterprise support to social businesses tackling poverty. Comparable mission (poverty alleviation through enterprise), investment approach, and social business portfolio focus.

Emerging players

• Kiva: Global micro-lending platform providing crowdfunded loans to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable mission of financing micro-entrepreneurs in emerging markets but uses digital crowdfunding rather than equity-style investment.
• Root Capital: Impact investor lending to agricultural small businesses in emerging markets. Comparable social enterprise focus and underserved-entrepreneur target market, though more specialized in agricultural value chains.

Regional players

• BRAC International: International arm of BRAC operating social development and microfinance programs across multiple countries. Geographic complement to GTT's Bangladesh focus and functional overlap in social business replication.

Others

• Ashoka: Global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs with fellowships, funding, and ecosystem support. Comparable mission of catalyzing social entrepreneurship though operating through fellowship model rather than direct enterprise investment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GrameenTelTrust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grameen Telecom Trust