The “Internet Saathi” program is a digital initiative for literacy aimed at giving power to females in rural part of the country. Riding on this program, Google India this week declared that it has now crossed 100,000 villages in the nation.
Rolled out in Rajasthan as a pilot in July 2015 in association with Tata Trusts, Google declared plans to expand the program to wrap 300,000 villages all over the country in December 2015. “From being scared to handle a smartphone, concerned that they might ruin it, to now asking services that can assist them get additional from the Internet, women in rural part of the country have gone much further,” claimed Sapna Chadha to the media in an interview. Chadha is Marketing Director for India and South East Asia at Google.
“We are happy with the development we have made with the model of ‘Internet Saathi.’ It is noteworthy to see the obsession of these females for learning things related to the Internet,” she further added to her statement. In its journey of 2 years, the initiative has carried on to achieve momentum and at this moment in the present day is live in 10 states of the country.
Almost 25,000 fully trained “Internet Saathis” are operating each day in these villages to assist children and women learn about new things related to the Internet. When all is said and done, more than 10 Million women have benefitted from the program so far and have turned out to be well aware with the advantages of utilizing the Internet in their day-to-day activities.
Additionally, on the 2nd year anniversary of the program, Google also declared the extension of the program in 2 new states—Bihar and Haryana. “In Haryana, the scheme has already commenced to roll out and will be wrapping almost 1,000 rural towns. And in Bihar, the program has commenced way before from Bagaha, Ramnagar, Manjha, Lauria, and Chakai villages. In addition to this, later in this year, we will be wrapping almost 7,000 villages extending it further,” the company claimed to the media in a statement at a conference.
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