Google, Tata Trusts to create employment via Internet Saathi

Answer: Google.

Google India and Tata Trusts today said they will expand the Internet Saathi programme to provide employment opportunities to rural women, in partnership with the Foundation For Rural Entrepreneurship Development (FREND) set up by Tata Trusts.

Google will jointly work with the new foundation, to create digitally enabled livelihood opportunities for the Internet Saathis, the global technology giant said in New Delhi on Tuesday.

This will be in addition to imparting digital literacy to millions of rural women under the ongoing Internet Saathi programme.

“In spite of the socio-economic challenges, thousands of Internet Saathis have gone on to do amazing things, once they learnt the Internet. It was this winning spirit that inspired us to create a new sustainable framework with Tata Trusts, that aims to deliver employment opportunities to Internet Saathis," said Sapna Chadha, Marketing Head, SEA & India, Google.

Raman Kalyanakrishnan, Head, Strategy, Tata Trusts, said, “For several years now, livelihood generation has been a core area for the Trusts. Given the progressive penetration of Internet Saathi programme, it was only natural for us to bring income generating opportunities to these women so that they become self-dependant and further encourage women in their communities to emulate them. We are happy that several organisations have already tested the strength of this platform. We are confident that with Google we are establishing a very large entrepreneurship movement in rural India.”

Over 12,000 Internet Saathis across India have voluntarily signed up to take up projects in their villages as part of this next phase of Internet Saathi programme.

Along with Tata Trusts Google has already conducted successful pilots with organisations such as Tata Water Mission, Haqdarshak, Kantar and Nielsen with encouraging outcomes.