How AI is reshaping livelihoods for women across India

As India accelerates its AI rollout through the Rs 10,372-crore India AI Mission, there’s a blindspot that is becoming hard to ignore: women are being left behind. A recent Coursera–NASSCOM study revealed that women account for just 29.6% (only about three in ten) of generative AI enrolments in India, even though their participation - meaning their year-on-year enrolments for generative AI courses on Coursera in India - is growing faster than men’s, up by almost 295% in 2024 alone. 

Without closing this gap, the promise of an inclusive digital ecosystem remains incomplete. The National Commission for Women (NCW) explicitly emphasised inclusion through its AI literacy initiative, Yashoda AI Abhiyan. 

“True change begins when a woman masters the tools of the future. Yashoda AI is about igniting confidence, enabling informed choices, and empowering every woman to shape a secure and inclusive digital tomorrow,” NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said at the launch of Yashoda AI, highlighting how the initiative aims to ensure women are more than passive tech consumers; they are active participants in the digital economy.

Across states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh, targeted programmes—from SHG digital upskilling to mass AI Learnathons—are helping bridge this divide, enabling women to become creators, not just consumers, of technology.

The Andhra Pradesh government in partnership with Google, has pledged to both bridge the digital divide and build an AI-ready workforce.

Under its  ‘One Family – One Entrepreneur: AI for SURE’ programme, launched in March 2025 by the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department, nearly 700 SHG women have been trained to craft digital brochures, banners and videos using AI tools like ChatGPT, enabling them to market eco-friendly dolls, herbal products and millet-based foods online. 

Organised in Vijayawada by DRDA, MEPMA, and UCD, the sessions followed earlier workshops on branding and financial literacy and are a part of the state’s wider vision to nurture ‘an entrepreneur in every household’.

Complementing these efforts is the Digi-Lakshmi scheme, which has enabled SHG women to operate 9,034 Common Service Centres across urban areas in the state. Known as ATOM Kiosks, these digital hubs deliver close to 250 government services—offering access to around 250 government-to-citizen (G2C) services—empowering women to run businesses and serve communities.

AI-related digital skills have also been rapidly adopted under the Cyber Smart Certification Programme, which doubled digital adoption among 3,00,000 women and helped facilitate  1,37,000 e-commerce transactions in a single day, according to a Hans India report. 

AI is also reshaping rural commerce and mobility in Andhra Pradesh. The Meri Saheli app helped 93 SHG women in Kuppam generate Rs 15 lakh in sales in three months, while a MEPMA–Rapido tie-up enabled 1,000 women drivers to complete 45,000 rides and earn Rs 35 lakh, according to the same report, demonstrating that technology, when used judicially, can open up new income streams.

This wave can be seen in other states as well, where initiatives blending AI, digital skills, and inclusive design have unlocked opportunities for women across economic groups. 

In October 2024, Telangana became the first state to launch a chapter of NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform in collaboration with WE Hub. The initiative provides women entrepreneurs with crucial resources—digital upskilling, access to finance, mentorship, and market linkages—especially vital for SHG-run ventures seeking growth. Using a hub-and-spoke model, it strives to bridge urban-rural gaps and foster inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems.

In a pioneering collaboration between the Karnataka Digital Economic Mission and the JobsForHer Foundation, the HerShakti programme - launched in March 2024 - aims to upskill 500 women returnees in emerging technologies over six months. Courses in AI, ML, Big Data, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, and Intelligent Process Automation are delivered through industry partners such as Infosys Springboard, UiPath, and Broadridge.

In the north, the Uttar Pradesh government teamed up with HCL’s GUVI and South Asian Women in Tech (SAWiT) to launch a Generative AI Upskilling ‘Learnathon’, aiming to reach 5,00,000 women across South Asia. The programme offers AI and Python training in seven regional languages, equipping women for careers in AI while prioritising inclusivity and accessibility. The event, held from September 21 to 22, 2024, set a Guinness World Record for the most users completing an online AI lesson in 24 hours.

From once being a buzzword to becoming a lifeline for women entrepreneurs across India, AI is helping women bridge urban-rural divides, grow businesses, and take charge of their financial futures.