SAP India and Amul join hands to provide digital literacy & skilling interventions in rural communities

SAP India and Amul on Tuesday announced a joint community outreach programme - which will focus on knowledge transfer and technology capacity building with a vision to transform the lives of 1.5 million Indians -including children, adolescents, youth, women, and farmers. The initiative is designed to focus on social entrepreneurship, enablement of skilled workforce, digital inclusion, and bridging the gender equality gap for the community.

According to a statement by SAP, both companies collaborated on creating a digitally inclusive ecosystem that will deliver technical education and professional support in the areas of coding, English skills, and socio-economic opportunities. Under the project, quality digital literacy and skill interventions training are imparted to school going children and teachers. 

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Speaking on the collaboration, RS Sodhi, Managing Director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, Ltd, (Amul) said, “Over 66 percent of India's population live in rural areas. Most of the rural population lives in India depend on agriculture, animal husbandry, and dairying for their livelihood. Over the years, we have observed that various governments have tried their best to give them better access to education, transportation, financial services, and internet connectivity. With an objective of inclusive and sustainable community development, Amul and SAP has joined together for the project."

Sodhi added that the collaboration with SAP is a step forward in bringing these rural communities into the mainstream by empowering them to hone essential future skills and turn their dreams into a reality. "Our hope is that it will go a long way in nation building and creating an Aatmanirbhar India," he said.

The key programmes in this initiative includes, imparting digital literacy, coding, problem solving and English skills for citizens in remote villages- thereby enabling adoption of New Education Policy imperatives. It also aims to work on a STEM-focused learning environment to help students in marginalised regions make a smoother transition to the workforce and enhance job opportunities.

The other aspect involves women empowerment and entrepreneurship- wherein over 20,000 young women will be taught digital-financing skills and functional communications as part of "Employable 21st Century Skills," with the goal of strengthening support for the social business sector and achieving gender equality.

The outreach will also help in scaling community ownership and participation under 'Build, Operate, Transfer Model' of sustainable development. By planting fruit-bearing saplings, the companies will help improve biodiversity, reduce soil erosion, and increase green cover, thus enhancing support to the livelihood of farmers and their families. 

Kulmeet Bawa, President, and Managing Director, SAP Indian Subcontinent, said,

“While urban development projects such as smart cities and futuristic mobility are reflective of this potential, true progress of India lies in the development of her villages. Our work with Amul is an expansion of this vision and will provide citizens with the information and tools they need to succeed. As India continues to lead global action on sustainability, collaborations like ours will also provide the critical foundation for an inclusive and resilient future in which no one is left behind.”

The community outreach programme is an extension of the two companies’ long-standing partnership. Over the last two decades, they have been working together to optimise business processes and drive digital transformation for Amul, using SAP’s digital core ERP and supply chain solutions.

Pratham Infotech Foundation, an NGO organisation that works to close the digital divide in India, will lead Amul and SAP India's collaborative outreach.