One lakh rural women receive entrepreneurship skilling through Nasscom Foundation

Over one lakh women have benefited from Nasscom Foundation’s Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Programme supported by Google.org. The programme trains women in rural India and covers 18 districts across six states—Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, and Rajasthan.

Launched in 2021, the programme was designed to address challenges faced by women entrepreneurs by providing them with digital, financial and entrepreneurship skills.

According to a press release, the initiative has equipped more than 1,500 women entrepreneurs to become master trainers, who collectively have trained over 20,000 other marginalised women. This cascade model featured digital, financial, and entrepreneurial skills, that enabled women to leverage digital literacy and generate income opportunities.

Additionally, the programme's DigiVaani call centre initiative has reached out to more than 90,000 women in rural communities in northern India. Through mobile-based outreach, these women have been offered guidance and support to leverage digital skills for their businesses.

The programme offers multi-fold benefits, including increased awareness and access to various government schemes. Around 92% of the master trainers now have knowledge of these schemes and 61% have gone on to avail their benefits.

Of the total women, 52% have adopted various digital payment platforms for making business transactions. About 58% are currently pursuing entrepreneurship as an outcome of the program, of which 73% are now leveraging social media platforms to gain exposure, enhance their skills, and promote their products to reach a wider audience.

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Further, 82% of the entrepreneurs among the master trainers are now aware of various e-commerce platforms and their uses.

"Empowering women entrepreneurs is not just about providing them with the resources and tools to succeed, it's about unlocking their potential to drive innovation, create jobs, and transform communities," said Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Nasscom Foundation. "With the support of Google.org, we have cultivated a powerful ecosystem for women entrepreneurs, equipping them with the skills, networks, and opportunities they need to thrive."

Marija Ralic, Lead, Google.org APAC, said, “We are proud to have supported, through Google.org, the work that Nasscom Foundation is doing with women entrepreneurs in rural communities, and it’s been heartening to hear so many inspiring stories of these beneficiaries being equipped with the necessary skills, resources and support to unleash their full potential and drive innovation in the digital economy."