Tatas, Google tie up for internet access to rural women

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 3

Tata Trusts and Google India today announced the launch of a special programme called “Internet Saathi” to empower women and their communities in rural India by enabling them to use the internet and benefit from it in their daily lives.

The joint initiative is aimed at bridging the technology gender divide, which currently puts women in rural India at further risk of getting marginalised in the society as the world around them benefits from getting online. The ‘Internet Saathi’ initiative brings us closer to the Digital India vision of the country. The launch event was also attended by Ratan Tata, chairman, Tata Trusts.

The initiative will provide basic training on the usage and benefits of internet for women through specially designed internet cycle carts which will be used to visit areas in villages where women can easily access and also learn more from the internet.

Built on the back of a cycle, the cart is modeled on India’s traditional distribution system that is used to carry everything from ice-cream to industrial supplies. The operator or the “Internet Saathi” keen to train the women would be akin to the village postman who was the single point contact for the village with the outside world both in terms of information and communication. Tata Trusts, with its vast field based ecosystem, will manage the on-ground rollout with its partners whereas Google will invest in providing the internet-enabled carts and the training content.