Insurance Awareness Committee (IAC-Life) Applauds Bima Gram API; Acknowledges Its Potential in Strengthening Rural Insurance Coverage

The Insurance Awareness Committee (IAC-Life) is banking on Bima Gram API to change the face of rural insurance penetration. Launched recently by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Bima Gram API is a pioneering digital initiative designed to streamline and authenticate insurance coverage data in rural India.

Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), Department of Posts represented by the Centre of Excellence in Postal Technology (CEPT), and the Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIBI), the intervention comprises of a database and an API (Application Programming Interface). The Bima Gram API maps postal PIN codes to Local Government Directory (LGD) codes, creating a unified, verifiable database for rural identification. Through the Bima Gram API, insurers can now simply enter a customer’s postal PIN code to retrieve the corresponding Gram Panchayat (GP) name, ensuring instant digital verification of the policy’s rural location.

To accelerate insurance penetration in India’s rural geographies, the IRDAI has issued Rural and Social (RuSo) mandates to India’s insurers. Under the same, insurers have to cover a minimum percentage of lives, dwellings, shops, and vehicles in identified GPs and the social sector. However, over the years, insurers were finding it challenging to accurately map insurance coverage to rural areas. Most identification documents do not mention the GP name, making it difficult for insurers to accurately measure the level of insurance penetration in rural communities. This has led to cumbersome manual verification processes.

The Bima Gram API provides insurers with real-time certification and verification of rural insurance data from a trusted government source. It ensures that insurance policies emanating from rural geographies can be digitally validated, and accurately mapped with their respective GPs. Apart from reducing manual documentation, it also enhances the accuracy, speed, and efficiency of rural business reporting.

Speaking on the launch, Member, Insurance Awareness Committee (IAC-Life), said,

The launch of Bima Gram API marks a pivotal step in advancing rural insurance inclusion, and deepening and measuring insurance penetration in rural areas. Beyond helping insurers evaluate their rural penetration efforts, the API will enable us to build comprehensive baseline datasets for future policy planning and resource allocation. Bima Gram API is bound to herald a revolution in India’s life insurance history by ensuring that every rural household is served and accounted for in India’s financial safety net.

The initiative has already undergone successful pilot testing with five insurers—including two life, two general, and one health insurance company—who have integrated, tested, and verified the functionality of the API. Full industry integration is expected to be completed soon.

About Insurance Awareness Committee–Life Insurance:

87% of India continues to grapple with a significant life insurance protection gap, which continues to increase, exceeding 90% amongst those aged 18–35. This growing vulnerability is a threat to families’ financial security and aspirations.

Addressing this challenge on a war footing is crucial to maintaining our society’s socio-economic resilience and security. The Insurance Awareness Committee was formed under the aegis of the Life Insurance Council to take action on this issue.

Formed in 2019, 24 Life Insurance firms have come together to contribute under the guidance of six CEOs nominated to lead the agenda. Further comprised of a cross-industry marketing team supported by creative/media agencies, the Insurance Awareness Committee researches, plans, creates, and deploys nationwide campaigns that drive awareness, understanding, and consideration of life insurance products.

GVFL and Malpani Ventures Back DOCO’s Tech-Driven Rural Distribution Model with ₹4.5 Cr Funding

GVFL, one of India's pioneering venture capital firms, has led a Rs. 4.50 crore pre-seed funding round in rural distribution platform DOCO (Distrisy Technologies), alongside Malpani Ventures. The round also saw participation from existing investor Kunwar Asheesh Saxena, Ex-Cofounder and CTO of RedDoorz, and other angel investors.

Founded in 2023 by Jitendra Yadav and Nishant Agarwal, DOCO operates as a Rural Distribution-as-a-Service (Rural DaaS) platform. It enables fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands to efficiently reach rural and semi-urban markets through a tech-driven network of dark stores and local partners, helping bridge the last-mile distribution gap across emerging India.

DOCO's platform combines technology-led supply chain management with on-ground execution by trained last-mile delivery partners, offering brands a lean, cost-efficient, and scalable way to expand rapidly into underserved regions. The company currently runs ten dark stores, serving over 5,000 retailers across western Uttar Pradesh, and works with more than 15 FMCG brands, including Bikano, Jabsons, Yellow Diamond, and Kingfisher.

Commenting on the investment, Mihir Joshi, Managing Director of GVFL, said,

DOCO has built a technology-enabled and transparent model that addresses inefficient rural distribution, which is one of the most persistent challenges in the FMCG space. Its approach of integrating grassroots entrepreneurship with digital infrastructure positions it well to capture the growing consumption potential across India. We are pleased to partner with DOCO at this early stage and support its next phase of expansion.

Druv Sane, Principal at Malpani Ventures, said, “At Malpani Ventures, we are bullish on innovative solutions that solve problems for Bharat. We are pleased to partner with the team at DOCO as they solve the challenge of last mile distribution in rural markets with a tech-enabled platform and bringing on board local partners.”

The newly raised funds will be deployed to strengthen DOCO's technology platform, expand its dark store network, enhance its presence in rural clusters, and build operational capabilities to serve a wider base of FMCG brands and rural retailers. Over the next 12 months, the company aims to grow its footprint to 25 dark stores and reach more than 25,000 retailers. In the long run, DOCO envisions becoming the leading rural distribution platform in India, connecting hundreds of FMCG brands with millions of rural retailers and empowering thousands of partners.

Jitendra Yadav, CEO of DOCO, said, “The successful closure of the pre-seed round is a strong validation of our vision to modernise rural distribution and enable FMCG brands to scale faster. With GVFL and Malpani Ventures as our partners, we aim to accelerate expansion, enhance our technology stack, and empower local youth to drive inclusive market.”

GVFL’s investment in DOCO aligns with its focus on supporting innovative, technology-driven enterprises that are solving large-scale problems across emerging sectors of the Indian economy.

Citizens GCC Joins Cognizant’s Flagship Outreach Program to Advance Rural Tech Talent in India

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) has announced that Citizens Financial Group’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) has joined its flagship Outreach program to advance skilling and employability for college students in rural communities across Telangana.

The program launched in Hyderabad in 2019 has reached over 4,000 students in Telangana, with 478 hired into technology roles at Cognizant—92% of them women. Nationally, the program has impacted 60,000 students through partnerships with more than 100 institutions, including colleges and nonprofits.

“Our Hyderabad GCC is designed as a hub for innovation and collaboration, and partnering with Cognizant’s Outreach program allows us to extend that purpose beyond business into communities,” said Michael Ruttledge, Chief Information Officer and Head of Enterprise Technology & Security, Citizens Financial Group. “This marks the beginning of our volunteering journey in India, and we are proud that our GCC associates will volunteer their time and expertise to help students unlock new opportunities and pathways to pursue careers in technology.”

As part of the collaboration, Citizens GCC associates will volunteer weekly to deliver a structured five-step employability training program for students in rural and tribal areas. The sessions will cover generative AI, communication and soft skills, life skills and include readiness for the AMCAT employability test.

“Cognizant Outreach is a powerful example of how our people bring purpose to life—using their mentoring skills to uplift communities and create pathways to opportunity,” said Surya Gummadi, President – Americas, Cognizant. “Our collaboration with Citizens’ GCC in Hyderabad strengthens this mission, combining shared values and collective action to equip students—especially young women in underserved areas—with the skills and confidence to thrive in technology careers. Together, we’re bridging the gap between skilling and industry, and scaling impact where it’s needed most.”

Launched in April 2025, the Citizens-Cognizant Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Hyderabad serves as a next-generation innovation hub supporting Citizens’ digital transformation and technology modernization. The GCC is expected to scale up to 1,000 IT and Data and Analytics professionals by March 2026.

Cognizant Outreach is a global, employee-driven volunteer platform focused on driving digital inclusion and supporting community development through initiatives in education, employability, and environmental sustainability.

About Cognizant

Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) engineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we’re improving everyday life. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $217.5 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,100 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn or Facebook.

Viyona Fintech Wins NPCI TPAP Approval to Expand UPI Payments in Tier II, III & Rural Markets

Hyderabad headquartered Startup Viyona Fintech, One of India’s fastest-growing digital payment platforms, and the developer of GRAAMPAY and the Viyona Pay app has been granted approval by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to operate as a Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP).

This approval accelerates Viyona’s growth plans to offer Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services in collaboration with partner banks, further expanding access to digital payments across Tier II, Tier III, and underserved rural markets in India.

“This approval reflects NPCI’s confidence in our fintech applications to make UPI payments more accessible for farmers, shopkeepers, and households. Through GRAAMPAY and the Farmers Marketplace, we are focused on providing simple and secure financial tools that support both urban and underserved rural communities,” said Ravindranath Yarlagadda, Founder of Viyona Fintech.

Viyona’s flagship product GRAAMPAY, is designed to address the unmet digital payment needs in rural India. The platform enables farmers, small merchants, and local communities to carry out digital collections, payouts, and UPI transactions. It also supports rural e-commerce and promotes financial literacy through a network of Village-Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs).

As part of its expansion strategy, Viyona is preparing to launch a Farmers Marketplace within its GRAAMPAY platform. The new feature will connect farmers directly with buyers, aiming to improve price transparency, speed up settlements, and expand access to UPI-based payments.

Viyona Fintech provides a range of UPI-based financial transaction services, including PayIn, PayOut, Virtual Account Numbers, and UPI switching. Its platform is designed to help users manage payment collections, disbursements, and reconciliation processes while ensuring security and operational efficiency.

About Viyona Fintech: Viyona Fintech is a digital payments platform offering innovative UPI-based solutions, including UPI Autopay, UPI Lite, and Credit Card on UPI services. With a strong focus on financial inclusion, accessibility, and regulatory compliance, Viyona empowers individuals, merchants, and communities by delivering transparent, reliable, and easy-to-use digital financial services across India.

Sindri Goes Solar: ACC and Adani Foundation Build a Blueprint for Rural Self-Reliance and Clean Energy Access

• ACC and the Adani Foundation install solar-powered irrigation and drinking water systems in Chhatatand and nearby villages of Sindri.
• Solar irrigation systems enable uninterrupted farming on 15+ acres, saving ₹30,000 per farmer per season.
• Solar water pumps ensure clean drinking water access for 150 families, improving health and reducing daily hardship.

ACC, the cement and building materials company of the diversified Adani Portfolio, along with the Adani Foundation, has implemented solar-powered irrigation and water systems across the Gram Panchayat of Chhatatand and nearby villages in Sindri, Jharkhand.

ACC Sindri - solar drinking water

These clean energy interventions are helping small farmers reduce irrigation costs, boost productivity, and are also ensuring safe drinking water access for more than 150 families in the region.

Until recently, erratic electricity and rising diesel prices made farming unreliable, while daily access to clean water remained a major challenge for many households. To address this, ACC installed 5 HP solar irrigation pumps across 15 acres of farmland in Chhatatand and Samlapur, enabling low-cost, uninterrupted irrigation.

At the same time, six 2 HP solar drinking water systems were installed across five villages, including Simatand, Kushberia and Jamadoba Basti. The systems pump water into overhead tanks, offering families a sustainable and safe source of drinking water close to home.

By integrating renewable energy into rural infrastructure, ACC and the Adani Foundation are advancing long-term self-reliance, improved health outcomes, and climate-friendly livelihoods in Jharkhand’s Sindri region.

Infosys Foundation Inks MoU With ICT Academy and Pledges Over ₹ 33 Cr to Enhance Employability in Rural Areas

Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic and CSR arm of Infosys, has taken a significant step to enhance the employability of young learners in rural India. They recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ICT Academy of Tamil Nadu. Through this collaboration, Infosys Foundation aims to skill 48,000 students across the country.

Key Highlights

1. Centers of Excellence: The initiative will establish "centers of excellence for women and youth empowerment" in over 450 colleges across India. These centers will provide both online and offline training to students.

2. Skill Development: Infosys Foundation will leverage its digital learning platform, Infosys Springboard, to enhance accessibility to learning and skill development for students.

3. Job Placement Aid: In addition to training, the program will also offer job placement assistance to help students transition into the workforce.

This effort reflects Infosys Foundation's commitment to empowering young learners and bridging the employability gap in rural areas.

Earlier in May, the foundation has partnered with Ashoka University, Sonepat, Haryana to enhance scientific research. The two had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the university's Chemical Biology Lab.

TCS Inks Rs 15,000 Cr Deal With BSNL for High-Speed 4G Connectivity in Over 1000 Villages

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has partnered with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in a significant Rs 15,000 crore deal to roll out a 4G network across India. This collaboration is set to enhance mobile internet connectivity, especially in rural areas, and is a step towards bridging the digital divide.

The deal includes setting up extensive data centres and aims to provide high-speed 4G connectivity to over 1,000 villages. It's also part of the groundwork for future 5G capabilities, with TCS and BSNL focusing on expanding their reach by installing 4G services at an additional 1 lakh sites, targeting a full-scale rollout by August 2024.

This initiative is expected to revolutionize mobile internet speeds for users in India and foster greater digital inclusion and economic development across the country.

BSNL plays a pivotal role in the partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for the rollout of the 4G network across India. BSNL is responsible for expanding the 4G network to over 1,000 villages, aiming to enhance the quality of mobile internet services in rural areas. The company is focused on establishing seamless communication networks to connect various district and tehsil offices, improving administrative efficiency and accessibility

Additionally, Tata's Nelco is reportedly in talks with the Canadian firm Telesat to bring satellite broadband internet services to India through Telesat's Lightspeed brand. Both companies are working on making these services available by 2024 and are focusing on affordability for users.

These efforts by Tata are part of a broader commitment to enhance connectivity and foster digital inclusion across India, ensuring that high-speed internet services reach even the most remote areas of the country. With these developments, Tata is set to play a pivotal role in the nation's digital transformation.

Data Centers

As part of the Rs 15,000 crore 4G deal with BSNL, TCS is also setting up four large data centres. This move is aimed at bolstering the telecom infrastructure necessary for the new 4G network. These data centres will play a crucial role in managing and processing the vast amounts of data that will be generated and used across the network.

TCS will setup these data centres in collaboration with C-DoT. It will be deployes as India's first locally developed 4G network solution for BSNL. Notably, this will be across BSNL's entire service area and will involve installing equipment at 38 locations. 

The establishment of these data centres is a key component of the overall project, which is expected to significantly improve internet connectivity and speed across India, especially in rural and remote areas. It's a major step forward in the digital transformation journey of the country.

Amazon India and GAME Tieup To Boost Rural Women Entrepreneurship via E-commerce

Amazon India and GAME will collaborate to empower 25k+ women entrepreneurs across India

• Partnership will provide women entrepreneurs with essential tools, resources, and training to succeed in the digital ecommerce ecosystem
• Aiming to foster inclusivity and drive economic growth within rural communities. 

Amazon India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ‘Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME), to collaborate and promote digital growth of women entrepreneurs in India, especially in Tier-2, Tier-3 cities and beyond. Through this partnership, Amazon India will aim to support approximately 25,000 women entrepreneurs and artisans in their digital entrepreneurial journey. GAME is providing inputs in business capacity building, bridging digital marketing skill gaps and enabling them to aggregate as collected brands. With the objective of creating platform access and enabling financial independence for rural women entrepreneurs and artisans, this initiative will provide the necessary support and resources for them to thrive in the digital landscape.

The MOU between Amazon India and GAME aims to co-develop and facilitate broad-based entrepreneurship to accelerate and sustain the growth of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India. Amazon Karigar & Saheli will offer workshops/training, onboarding and AM support for sellers involved in this entrepreneurship without any financial investment.. This aligns with Amazon's commitment to bolster India's economy and create millions of sustainable jobs by 2030, through partnerships within the entrepreneurship ecosystem. Further, women entrepreneurs will be provided with hands-on training and support on digital marketing initiatives, performance marketing, product listing optimization, and advertising techniques, equipping them to adapt to current and future trends in the digital marketplace. Additionally, they will gain access to valuable data-driven insights and metrics get better knowledge on customer behaviour and market trends.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Gaurav Bhatnagar Head of Seller Acquisition and Development at Amazon India said, “It is truly inspiring to witness women entrepreneurs nationwide harnessing the power e-commerce to build and grow their business. Through innovative products, they are catering to customer preferences and establishing scalable enterprises that contribute significantly to societal well-being and economy. We are honored to be a catalyst in their entrepreneurial journey through our Saheli program. Our steadfast commitment lies in facilitating worldwide customer access, thereby empowering these women to realize their full potential in the dynamic landscape of Digital India.”

Sharing his views on this occasion, Mr. Ketul Acharya, President, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship, “We are delighted to have partnered with Amazon for the Saheli program. GAME's Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) program seeks to enable women entrepreneurs by enhancing their livelihood opportunities and connecting them with diverse platforms and economic partners. Through this partnership, WEE at GAME is supporting Amazon in solving large-scale ecosystem challenges to women's economic empowerment with access to training in the digital marketplace as well as research and data about access to new markets."

Amazon launched its special program for women entrepreneurs, ‘Amazon Saheli’ in 2017, which seeks to bring to the fore locally made products from women entrepreneurs and local women owned businesses in India. As part of this initiative, Amazon works with partners and woman entrepreneurs to drive digitization and to provide requisite tools to woman entrepreneurs to enable them to become successful in their digital endeavours. Since its inception, Saheli has digitized over 1.8 million rural, hyperlocal and urban women-led businesses through its partner network, selling selection of products such as apparel, jewellery, groceries, on the ecommerce marketplace. The products are sourced from different (NGOs) across India. More than 80,000+ women artisans are involved in this partnership and benefit from it. The artisans produce and sell these products to support their livelihoods.

Amazon India has provided numerous opportunities for women across its ecosystem, including Seller Partners, Operations Network Partners, Community Beneficiaries, Employees, and Associates, all of whom play crucial roles in positively impacting Amazon's diverse customer base throughout the country. The company has made significant strides in introducing various benefits, programs, and initiatives to empower women both within and outside its organization. These efforts reflect Amazon's dedication to women's empowerment and its unwavering commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within its ecosystem culture, thereby enhancing the overall Amazon experience.

In reaffirmation of its commitment to women's empowerment, Amazon India launches the third edition of the #SheIsAmazon campaign on the occasion of the 49th International Women’s Day, under the theme #InspireInclusion. This campaign highlights 49 distinct programs, initiatives, and benefits implemented by various entities within Amazon to empower women both within and beyond the company. These initiatives have played a significant role in advancing women's professional journeys and stand as symbols of Amazon's dedication to their empowerment.

The Amazon.in marketplace is operated by Amazon Seller Services Private Ltd, an affiliate of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN). Amazon.in seeks to build the most customer-centric online destination for customers to find and discover virtually anything they want to buy online by giving them more of what they want – vast selection, competitive prices, fast and reliable delivery, and a trusted and convenient experience; and provide sellers with a world-class e-commerce marketplace.

About Amazon:

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.

About Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME):

GAME intends to unlock the potential of Mass Entrepreneurship (ME) in India. Three prolific entrepreneurs, Ravi Venkatesan, Madan Padaki, and Mekin Maheshwari, started GAME in August 2018 as a backbone organisation that aligns the ecosystem and mobilises action to address systemic challenges to job creation in India. GAME intends to bring together a cross-section of alliances, partners, funders, and other players in the ecosystem who can help inspire an entrepreneurial movement across the country. Its mission is to catalyse an India-wide movement of mass entrepreneurship for the growth of both existing and new enterprises, resulting in 50 million new jobs by 2030, where women own 25% of the businesses. To know more, please visit: https://massentrepreneurship.org/

Rural FinServ Solution Firm SAVE Solutions Acquires South India-based SaGgraha Management Service

The acquisition comes with a strong synergy of complementary Team skills, geography and doubling of AUM

SAVE Solutions Pvt. Ltd., India’s leading rural financial services group and SaGgraha, announce their synergetic collaboration. SAVE has acquired South India-based SaGgraha Management Services, which is a strategic move by the Company with an aim to strengthen its mission for deeper financial inclusion across India.

Bangalore based SaGgraha caters to the base of the pyramid population, with the mission to contribute to India’s goal for financial inclusion. It currently offers group microfinance loans and has immediate plans to further diversify into secured and unsecured MSME loans. SaGgraha is promoted by a team of three domain-expert professionals with experience in finance, operations, technology, and industry-wide networking.

Through this acquisition, SAVE, with its corporate office in Delhi, makes a ready and deep penetration into the diverse South Indian rural markets. The company, last year, had also acquired a Housing Finance Company, New Habitat Housing Finance and Development Limited, to offer its customers all-round financial products.

Ajeet Kumar Singh, Founder Director, MD & CEO of SAVE Solutions said, “The acquisition of SaGgraha is transformative in advancing SAVE's strategic growth priorities in the South Indian financial market. SaGgraha is a renowned regional player, and this association will bring immediate synergies in the areas of governance, technology, operations, and diversification of portfolio. We sincerely thank all our stakeholders for their continued support, especially Incofin’s team for their leadership and Maj Invest’s team for their guidance on the transaction.”

Already a mid-sized organization with over 1700 on roll employees, SAVE is readily prepared to onboard over 1650 new employees who will be joining them from SaGgraha Management Services Pvt. Ltd, making the total employee strength of the organization over 3350.

SAVE is a trusted Business Correspondent partner for various PSU banks across India including State Bank of India, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank along with Jharkhand Rajya Gramin Bank, Baroda UP Bank.

About SAVE Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

SAVE Solutions is India’s leading banking correspondent network and one stop solution for financial services company. The Group serves approximately 21 million rural Indians in over 8,600 villages across 559 districts in 28 states and 3 union territories. It has an estimated network of 12,000+ Customer Service Points (CSPs). It is a last mile banking service provider and has a footfall of 400,000 clients on a daily basis. The socio-economic development- focused organization, provides services to rural unbanked people and brings them under the umbrella of organized finance. Conceptualized in 2009 and incorporated in 2013, SAVE Solutions is a one stop solution for all financial needs under one roof. It has established a strong banking BC business in India with a trade volume of approx. Rs. 50,000 Crores. With its three privately held subsidiaries, NBFC- MSME, NBFC- MFI Business, and NBFC- HFC, SAVE Solutions provides financing services to the untouched and underserved communities. The company is heavily focused on technology, including a robust in-house IT architecture with Integrated MIS run through strong internal controls and processes.

Save solutions is backed by marquee private equity investors such as Maj and Incofin and it has raised over Rs. 219 crores from foreign Private Equity Investors so far. The company currently holds a networth of Rs. 310 Crore.

Read more: https://saveind.in/

About SaGgraha

SaGgraha Management Services Private Limited is one of the largest Financial Services Business Correspondent operational in 7 states/UTs with 156 branches; and was founded in 2014 by a team of dedicated banking professionals who were committed to empower the credit-deprived underserved rural population of India. 

Positioned as an asset BC SaGgraha has been able to reach out to 5 lakh customer households in rural India delivering various asset and liability products such as Micro Loans, Small and Medium Enterprise Loans, Savings & Deposits, and Insurance along with third party products. Currently, SaGgraha manages a portfolio of approx. Rs. 600 Crores for various categories of financial institutions which includes 2 Small Finance Banks, 1 NBFC-MFI and 6 Private Sector Banks.

Rural India Takes Driving Seat in India’s Internet Usage Growth — IAMAI KANTAR Report

The recently released IAMAI KANTAR report titled ‘Internet in India’, based on ICUBE 2021 study, reflects a remarkable surge in internet users in rural India. According to the report, at present there are 692 million active internet users in India, and much of the growth continues to be driven by rural India (351 Mn users with 37% penetration), as urban India seems to have hit a plateau (341 Mn users with 69% penetration). The report also estimates that there will be 900 million internet users in India by 2025 led by rural growth. In terms of states, Goa has the maximum internet penetration while Bihar has the lowest.

Base: ICUBE 2021, All India Population 1454 Million, Urban India 496 Million, Rural India 958 Million, (Numbers in bracket indicate internet penetration)
Source: Internet in India 2021, IAMAI- KANTAR

More importantly for internet businesses in India, around 346 million Indians are engaged in actual online transactions such as e-commerce and digital payments, a number which is greater than the total US population estimated at 331 million. The global pandemic witnessed a record 51% increase in digital transactions in just two years from 230 Mn in 2019 in India.

In terms of gender break-up, there are more male internet users in India than female users, with almost similar gender ratios across both urban and rural users.

In terms of user cases, Entertainment, Communications and Social media are the top three activities engaged in by internet users across India. While Communications using text and e-mail is the most popular usage, the survey suggests that Voice and Indic languages usage will be the key drivers of growth in the future with two out of five rural internet users having done voice-based activities on their phones. The penetration of OTT services in rural India is at par with that in urban India, however, the penetration of other digital services such as online gaming, digital commerce and digital payments is still skewed in favour of urban users. This reflects a large head room for growth of such services among the rural population.

Base: ICUBE 2021, Non-Active Internet Users, All India 762 Million, Urban India 155 Million, Rural India 607 Million
Source: Internet in India 2021, IAMAI- KANTAR

At present around 762 Mn Indians have not adopted internet yet, out of which 63% are rural Indians. ‘Difficulty to understand the Internet’, continues to be primary deterrent along with lack of awareness, especially in rural India.

Base: ICUBE 2021, Active Internet Users, 692 Million, Urban India 341 Million, Rural India 351 Million (Number in bracket indicate penetration)
Source: Internet in India 2021, IAMAI- KANTAR

About ‘Internet in India’ report

‘Internet in India’ report based on the ICUBE 2021 study, covering over 77,000+ households across all states and Union Territories of India (barring Lakshadweep), is an annual report which is the oldest and most comprehensive survey of internet usage in the country. The report is jointly prepared by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and KANTAR, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company.

About Internet and Mobile Association of India

Established in 2004, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is a not-for-profit industry body and the country's only organization representing the digital services industry with over 400 Indian and multinational corporations as its members, which include established companies in diverse sectors of the digital ecosystem as well as start-ups. Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value-added services sectors. It is dedicated to presenting a unified voice of the businesses it represents to the government, investors, consumers and other stakeholders. IAMAI represents varied sectors such as digital advertising, digital entertainment, TravelTech, online gaming, digital payments, Fintech, digital commerce, Edtech, Healthtech, Agritech, blockchain, Big data, ML, AI & IoT, AR/ VR, LogisticsTech and so on.

About Kantar

Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company. We have a complete, unique and rounded understanding of how people think, feel and act; globally and locally in over 90 markets. By combining the deep expertise of our people, our data resources and benchmarks and our innovative analytics and technology, we help our clients understand people and inspire growth.

Social Commerce Platform Frontier Markets Partners With Govt of Uttar Pradesh to Promote Rural Women Entrepreneurship in the State

Sahelis with Frontier Markets Meri Saheli aaplication

The MoU will focus on empowering rural women with livelihood and financial independence under Uttar Pradesh’s rural livelihood mission

The two-year partnership will promote and nurture the significant development goals of state’s upliftment

Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) a registered society promoted by the state government, mandated to implement the National Rural Livelihoods Mission today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rajasthan based social commerce startup Frontier Markets to support rural women with livelihood and income generation. The MoU was inked between Mehdi Rizvi, Chief Operating Officer of Frontier Markets and Shri. Bhanu Goswami, Managing Director (MD) UPSRLM in the presence of Hon. Minister of Rural Development, Uttar Pradesh, Rajendra Pratap Singh ‘Moti Singh’, Panchayati Raj Minister, Sri Bhupinder Singh, Government of Uttar Pradesh; Sri Alok Sinha, Agriculture Production Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary I.A.S Manoj Kumar Singh.

UPSRLM collaboration with Frontier Markets will help rural women entrepreneurs earn enhanced income as Sahelis and diminish poverty. Committed to empowering rural women with dignified livelihoods and employment opportunities, the initiative will lead to an overall development of the rural communities in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The partnership will focus on institution and capacity building with technical and implementation support to promote women entrepreneurship, accelerate financial independence through job creation at scale and facilitating door-step delivery of rural friendly products and services. The partnership also aims to onboard 2000 rural women as Frontier Markets Sahelis with Self Help Groups (SHGs) and train them to leverage technology through the Frontier Markets e-commerce platform “Meri Saheli” and generate an income of 50K - 60K per annum. Leveraging Banking Correspondent Sakhi (BCs), the organic part of the SHGs trained in conducting financial transactions will be trained to generate sales leads and data collection. These tech-savvy women entrepreneurs will also support the implementation of government's schemes and programs in the catchment areas.

For a continued state development, this MoU addresses the challenge of poverty reduction and quality life through women empowerment. It will further ensure a continued financial independence and inclusion making way for holistic development in Uttar Pradesh.

Commenting on the partnership, Ajaita Shah Founder and CEO Frontier Markets said, “We are on a mission to onboard 1 million sahelis and this partnership reflects our commitment and collective efforts to strengthen women entrepreneurship and economic development in the country. Rural women are trusted influencers of the community driving change and development and through this expansion we are focusing on enhancing livelihood with our gender centric approach.

With its gender and digital inclusive approach, Frontier Markets is known to amplify the voices of rural India, by leveraging customer insights to serve the evolving needs of rural customers while, also, creating economic gains for women in the same communities. Under this partnership with UPSRLM, the two parties will partner with SHGs and NGOs to build the capacity of the Sahelis through workshops and provide them with insights into the world of marketing, sales, digital tools, products and communication skills to empower them as financially independent entrepreneurs.

About Frontier Markets

Frontier Markets, a multi-SDG platform connecting solutions to rural customers via technology and women entrepreneurs. The strong network of 10,000+ women entrepreneurs called Saral Jeevan Sahelis, leverage their social capital and strong network as the trusted influencers of the community invite their neighbours to have online-offline store experience through Meri Saheli App. The company has introduced the concept of “Saral Jeevan” easy life in rural areas with doorstep access to quality products and services through its tech enabled platform “Meri Saheli”.

Rural-Tech and Village Commerce Startup 1Bridge Raises $2.5M

Building on momentum generated through the COVID-19 pandemic with positive tailwinds for the village-tech sector in India, Bengaluru-based village-tech enterprise RubanBridge Pvt. Ltd (1Bridge), a last-mile supply chain & distribution network focussed on the villages in rural India, has raised USD 2.5 million in a fresh round of funding.

The funding was led by Netherlands-based impact investor C4D Partners, an early investor since the last 4 years, who firmly reaffirmed its support to 1Bridge and its management team by doubling its commitment. The funding round also included participation from new investors such as KAAJ Ventures (venture fund of Silicon Valley-based serial entrepreneur and prolific angel investor BV Jagadeesh), angel investors like Prashanth Prakash, Founding Partner of Accel Partners; Puneet Jetli, technopreneur and co-founder of Happiest Minds and Aradhana D Chatterjee, a seasoned PE/VC executive. Existing angel investor Prashanth Boccasam, a US-based serial tech-entrepreneur & investor also participated in this round with a significant investment. C4D Partners and Prashanth Boccasam also acquired additional stake through a secondary transaction, providing an exit to a few early shareholders.

In addition to this, 1Bridge has also raised its maiden working capital facility from Ananya Finance for Inclusive Growth, an Ahmedabad-based Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) that reaches out to a large section of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and grassroot entities. This deal with 1Bridge marks Ananya Finance’s significant attempt to reach out to companies beyond the microfinance sector.

With this round of funding, 1Bridge is robustly positioned to pursue its growth plans over the next 18 months, to:

• Deepen its reach as a supply chain & distribution network across another 10,000 villages by adding 10,000 more entrepreneurs
• Roll out 500+ ‘1Bridge Experience Centres’ at various Tehsil/Block towns that will enable consumers to touch and feel aspirational products
• Expand its product & service offerings through strategic partnerships with consumer durables brands & fintech/credit companies who are looking to expand their reach in rural hinterlands; and
• Strengthen its technology & data platform to make it more convenient for their ‘1Bridge Advisors’ or local micro-entrepreneurs to offer rural outreach and assisted commerce services.

Commenting on this investment, Arvind Agarwal, CEO, C4D Partners said - “We have been actively participating in the evolution of 1Bridge – almost since its inception back in 2016, to now a leader in village commerce. The foundations of the company are built with a strong emphasis on rural consumer experience, assisted commerce platform, terrific execution capabilities and a focus on being capital efficient. We are delighted to continue supporting the team as they embark on their next stage of scale & impact.”

Prashanth Boccasam, Angel investor said “With 1Bridge’s presence in thousands of villages through its entrepreneur network and technology platform, it is uniquely positioned to understand the needs and aspirations of rural India through the data they generate. I am excited to continue working closely with the team to generate insights that can truly transform access, choice & convenience for our villages.”

BV Jagadeesh, Managing Partner, KAAJ Ventures said “With over 700 million citizens residing in the villages of India, it is surprising that very few start-ups have focussed on building a sustainable village commerce model. 1Bridge is a pioneer in this space and I am very impressed with the progress made over the last few years in unlocking this abundance at the bottom of the pyramid. I am excited to work with the team in scaling this model in a profitable way, while delivering significant impact on the lives of our villagers.”

Puneet Jetli, angel investor & Co-founder & former CEO, Digital Business, Happiest Minds said “Last-mile supply chain & distribution is still a huge unsolved problem for rural India. I am excited to support 1Bridge as it cracks the code of building an efficient technology led supply chain into our villages.”

Gaurav Gupta, MD, Ananya Finance for Inclusive Growth said “Much like our motto, we believe in ‘going beyond finance’, with an urge and ability to serve socially motivated double bottom line enterprises. Having observed 1Bridge’s trajectory over the past few years, we are glad to be aligned with its vision for Rural India over the coming years and hope to transform it together.”

Social entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of 1Bridge, Madan Padaki said “We thank our investors for believing in 1Bridge’s vision of bridging aspirations, creating opportunities, ushering abundance to Rural India. With this investment, we aim to expand the network, strengthen our technology & data capabilities, roll-out 1Bridge Experience Zones at the Taluk-level and expand our partnerships for last-mile supply chain & distribution – while pursuing profitable growth.”

Launched in May 2016 by Madan Padaki and co-founders Anil Kumar, Chief Operating Officer and M Chakrawarty, Chief of Growth & Partnerships, 1Bridge is a village commerce platform that provides a wide range of aspirational products & digital services at the doorsteps of village consumers. It works with local rural entrepreneurs or ‘1Bridge Advisors’ to help deliver these products and fulfil services through an intuitive mobile-based tech platform.

Over the last 4 years, 1Bridge has grown steadily with over 75% year-on-year (YOY) growth and has grossed revenue of over INR 52 crores in FY21 and looking to cross INR 100 crores in FY22. 1Bridge has turned EBIDTA positive in FY21 and has been capital efficient (with a cumulative raise of US$ 1.5 million) as it has built a presence in 70+ districts of Southern India and is presently operational in states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.

To date, 1Bridge has onboarded over 10,000+ strong network of entrepreneurs, fulfilled 35 million transactions for rural consumers, and served 1.5 million village consumers directly.

To know more about 1Bridge, please visit: www.1bridge.one

Indian Researchers Design 'OxyJani' - A Robust, Mobile Group Oxygen Concentrator for Rural Settings

Representational Image [Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash]

Indian researchers have designed a robust, mobile group oxygen concentrator that can be used in rural settings and also be rapidly deployed in emergencies in any location.

The second wave of COVID-19 led to an acute shortage of medical oxygen. While the crisis in the bigger cities was more about rapidly responding by overcoming supply chain limitations, in smaller cities and villages, the crisis exposed the chronic lack of medical oxygen infrastructure in the country.

Overcoming the crisis required two types of solutions -- 5 to 10 lpm personalized O2 concentrators for home uses and 500 lpm PSA plants for large hospitals. While the 500 Ipm plants for hospitals were robust, they lacked the portability required for deployment on resource-poor settings, while personal concentrators were too fragile to be used on a sustained basis in a hospital setting. This created a need for a robust technology with necessary portability.

A modular design of the three different units so that solutions can be offered to different hospitals based on their needs

A team from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, developed a new solution with the name ‘OxyJani’ for addressing these novel challenges in adsorption science and engineering.

It was developed during the second wave of COVID-19, addressing the several novel design challenges posed for the sourcing of materials and the need in hospitals of different capacities.

OxyJani is based on the principles of Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology. The team replaced lithium zeolites (LiX) which is usually used in oxygen concentrators, with sodium zeolites which does not generate toxic solid waste and can be manufactured in India.

Although the science behind it is well understood, developing an engineering solution that can work with sodium in a portable device and fill this specific market gap when there are severe sourcing problems posed engineering challenges. Obstacles had to be overcome at each stage of the cycle, from working with the available zeolites to effective ways of dehumidifying and designing the right adsorption-pressure cycle.

The concentrator is modular and capable of delivering a range of solutions, conversion of medical air to medical oxygen, and is an entirely off-grid solution including all modules that can facilitate deployment in rural areas. Moreover, the waste from the 13X zeolite plant can be potentially a good agricultural input material.

In this multi-group initiative, Dr S. V. Diwakar, Dr Meher Prakash, Professor Santosh Ansumali from JNCASR, and collaborators, Professor Arvind Rajendran from the University of Alberta and Mr. Arun Kumar (Eiwave Digitech) executed the OxyJani developmental efforts with the help of Mr. Ritwik Das (MS student). Technical advice was provided by Prof. M. Eswaramoorthy, Prof. Tapas Maji, and Prof. Sridhar Rajaraman. Professor G. U. Kulkarni, President, JNCASR and Professor Amitabha Bandyophyay of IIT Kanpur mentored developmental efforts. The financial assistance for the prototype was provided through JNCASR and the Nidhi Prayaas scheme of IIT Kanpur. The zeolite material was obtained through a generous donation from Honeywell UOP, Italy.

This new class of technology called “group concentrators” has the robustness of large PSA plants, portability similar to the personal concentrators, and is affordable too. The device is in the range of 30-40 lpm, which is potentially useful for ICU uses too.

IndiVillage Foundation and NextGen Healthcare Launch Mentoring Initiative for Rural Women Professionals

IndiVillage Foundation has partnered with NextGen Healthcare, a leading provider of ambulatory-focused technology solutions, on a mentoring initiative for women.

Titled “Real Women - Real Stories”, this first-of-its-kind initiative is part of IndiVillage Foundation’s #she4she mentorship program, where women are empowered by mentoring from other women. The unique program format pairs urban women mentors with rural women in formal employment looking for guidance in personal and professional development. Twenty women employees from IndiVillage’s Yemmiganur and Raichur locations will receive context-based mentorship from 20 NextGen Healthcare mentors. The program, which began in February 2021, is also supported by dedicated program managers from the IndiVillage Foundation and NextGen Healthcare.

Shreya Sinha, IndiVillage Head Impact

Speaking about the initiative, Shreya Sinha, Head-Impact at IndiVillage, said, 

The IndiVillage Foundation centres its work on uplifting rural India through targeted interventions in education, better livelihoods, and gender empowerment. We have always championed the potential of rural talent and are committed to bridging the gap between urban and rural talent. As the first such initiative under our #she4she brand, we are excited to see our talent develop with the valuable guidance of experienced mentors from NextGen Healthcare. NextGen Healthcare is a pioneering organization and places community outreach and diversity at the heart of its business operations. Offering rural women, the opportunity for professional and personal development is a privilege, and we are proud to be at the helm of this movement.

IndiVillage Foundation is the non-profit arm of IndiVillage, a social enterprise focused on impact sourcing to deliver world-class BPO and ITeS solutions.

Real Women-Real Stories includes 20 mentoring sessions delivered over six months. The mentoring journey began with a readiness assessment. It will now focus on goal-setting, followed by a systematic review process before distilling learning outcomes and creating a career roadmap. For NextGen Healthcare, where diversity and inclusion are central to their community efforts, the partnership is an exciting opportunity to make a difference.

Yasmeen Shaikh

Yasmeen Shaikh, Senior Director, Human Resources at NextGen Healthcare in India, leads the partnership for NextGen Healthcare. Commenting on the initiative, she said, 

Community impact is a key focus area for all of our outreach programs. Our employees are excited to volunteer for opportunities, and our work with a wide range of institutions reflects this drive. This innovative mentoring program allows us to directly impact the development of rural India by helping women in their professional and personal growth. It is also a great platform to infuse growth and change the world for the better. In the current remote work environment, we appreciate this opportunity to partner with IndiVillage where we can continue our CSR initiatives and support the community through a virtual environment

The program uses a wide range of technologies to deliver learning sessions ensuring that the sessions are structured, immersive, and efficient. The partnership marks yet another step in IndiVillage’s journey to improve the lives of India’s rural populace through access to skilled and organized employment with development opportunities.

About IndiVillage Foundation

IndiVillage Foundation is focussed on community development in rural India with primary interventions in Sustainable Livelihoods,Quality Education, and Gender Empowerment. In addition, the foundation is helping to revive native professions such as weaving, and provides access to free education and food for school children, and clean drinking water for rural communities. Over the last decade, these activities have impacted over 35,000 lives in Yemmiganur in Andhra Pradesh and Raichur in Karnataka. IndiVillage Foundation is the non-profit arm of IndiVillage, a social enterprise focused on impact sourcing to deliver world-class BPO and ITeS solutions for some of the world's leading technology and e-commerce companies including Amazon, Appen, Alegion, Swiggy, and Mercato. IndiVillage follows a "profit-for-all" model, reinvesting profits into the rural communities where the youth in its impact centres live. Follow https://www.facebook.com/IndiVillage/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX-xx_Gayyw_CiNFWGMJ_gw, https://www.instagram.com/indivillage_/

About NextGen Healthcare

NextGen Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXGN) is a leading provider of ambulatory-focused technology solutions. We are empowering the transformation of ambulatory care—partnering with medical, behavioral and dental providers in their journey to value-based care to make healthcare better for everyone. We go beyond EHR and PM. Our integrated solutions help increase clinical productivity, enrich the patient experience, and ensure healthy financial outcomes. We believe in better. Learn more at nextgen.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.

India Offers 49 Rural Technologies To Bangladesh

India offers bouquet of 49 technologies to Bangladesh under the RuTAG program

NEW DELHI, 27 March 2021: FICCI and ThinkThrough Consulting Bangladesh announced partnership to jointly promote and commercialize grassroot technologies developed in India and Bangladesh. The announcement was made as part of the RuTAG Technology Commercialization Programme which is led by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India and implemented by FICCI.

A bouquet of 49 technologies received under the RuTAG (Rural Technology Action Group) programme will be offered to industry, social Start-ups and NGOs in Bangladesh. These technologies have been developed at RuTAG centres housed across seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in India and focus on problems associated with marginal communities in rural areas. RuTAG innovations such as floating fish cages for inland aquaculture, powerless solar dryer for food processing, cold storage powered by pico hydro among others respond to real life problems faced by rural populations.

The technologies are across a wide range of sectors including environment, agriculture and farming, textiles, manufacturing, food processing and aquaculture among others. Besides technology transfer, capacity building support and virtual training sessions will also be provided to Bangladesh entrepreneurs to seamlessly absorb the Indian technologies.

The announcement was made on the side-lines of the visit of Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

Prof K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India stated, "Science and Technology collaboration between India and Bangladesh is towards social and economic development in the region. Both nations can gain immensely through knowledge exchange and technology partnerships. The RuTAG program provides a wide range of grass root innovations that have the ability to create rural livelihood opportunities in Bangladesh."

Dr Ketaki Bapat, Senior Scientist and Co-ordinator RuTAG program, at the Office of the PSA said, "The RuTAG technologies have been developed at the finest institutions in India. We wish to share these technologies with social entrepreneurs in Bangladesh assuring complete handholding support and leveraging digital technologies for successfully adopting these technologies."

Mr Sanjay Nayak, Chair, FICCI S&T Committee and MD, Tejas Networks reiterated, "Through the RuTAG Program, FICCI remains committed to scale Indian innovations in BIMSTEC countries with a special focus on Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been a long-standing development partner of India and there is tremendous potential for our nations on collaborating on the technology front."

Speaking on the partnership, Mr Parul Soni, Global Managing Partner, Think through Consulting stated, "We are delighted to partner with the RuTAG Technology Commercialization Programme. Technological innovations can help rural communities in the world by increasing their income and their yields. While these reduce their risks arising on account of climate change and other natural disasters, these increase their opportunities too."

Internet Usage Spikes in Villages: Expert

 

Jayesh Ranajan to inaugurate 2 Day Conference organised as part of the week long Indo Data Week

 

Hyderabad, November 17, 2020....India is among the top two countries globally on many key dimension of digital adoption. India is number 1 globally by enrolling 1.2 billion people in the world's largest unique digital identity program Aadhar said Siddhant Agarwal, Google Developer Relations while speaking in the Startup Master class on 'Building for the new billion users'.

 

The Master Class was organised on the day 2 of the ongoing week long 2nd edition of Indo Data Week organised by DAV Data Solutions from Hyderabad.

 

Speaking further he added India is number two globally behind China, in terms of 12.3 billion App downloads in 2018, 1.17 billion wireless phone subscribers, 560m internet subscribers, 354 million smartphone devices and 294 million users engaged in social media.

 

By the year 2025, digital could transform India's economy —Financial Services by 170 x with a growth potential of $ 170 billion, Job and skills 70x — with a growth potential of $ 70bn, Agriculture 70x—70bn; Education 50x — 50bn; Logistics  30x—$ 30bn and Retail 11.7x —& 35 bn, he pointed out.

 

He spoke about what is required to reach the next billion internet users?  With a half billion active users, Indian Internet is more rural, local, mobile-first than ever.

 

Accessing internet is key. So the product developers must keep this in mind and optimise their product for entry-level devices. Aarogya Sethu, the contact tracing app did some remarkable job by reaching out to those who did not have smart phone, said Siddhanth.

 

The second big issue is Data. Companies building products for the new billion users must come out with innovative solutions for data conscious users.

 

Siddhanth gave an example of how Vodafone-Idea Phone line with the Google Assistant helped people without data and internet connection with information. Companies must explore new ways to support connectivity.

 

He spoke about Facebook Discover which helped people browse the internet for free with the help of their partners.

 

Around the world, many internet users remain under-connected, regularly dropping off the internet when they run out of data. Discover is designed to help bridge these gaps, keeping people connected more consistently until they can purchase data again, he shared

 

He spoke about identity, accessing internet, voice and other related issues, tackling vernacular users and their issues how the Google Assistant has become more helpful in ordering food hands free and getting things done with the power of voice. He concluded that the time to build for next billion users is now

 

The master class was held aiming at startup's, mentors, investors, accelerators/incubators and their representatives.

 

The day long session was also addressed by Pratap Raju of Climate Collective on communicating startup or offerings , technical solutions better.

 

Deva P. Seetharam, Startup advisor spoke on managing risks in their entrepreneurial journey. Jonathan Talbot from World Startup also spoke

 

Later in the day, a Quiz program was conducted for school kids on Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Jayesh Ranjan is to inaugurate a  2 day conference as part of this week-long event.

 

Parvathy Krishnan informed that the two day conference will feature keynotes and panel discussions by delegates from governmental and public sector organisations such as World Bank, Pulse Lab Jakarta, Emerging Technologies Wing — Government of Telangana, National Health Authority — Government of India,  startups and innovation hubs, Impact Scientist, Knowledge Exchange Innovation Center Thailand, FluxGen Technologies, IroIro, and Khetee. There will also be speakers from research and academia  such as Jheronimus Academy of Data Science, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad, and Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. Industry will also be well-represeted with speakers from Microsoft Research India, OMRON Asia Pacific, Burnmark, APAC Prysm Group, and EnexisGroep.