Google India-Tata Trusts to expand Internet Saathi program to Punjab, Odisha

Google India and Tata Trusts Tuesday said their Internet Saathi initiative, that aims to facilitate digital literacy among women in rural India, will be expanded to villages in Punjab and Odisha. Launched in July 2015, the Internet Saathi programme has so far, trained 70,000 ‘Internet Saathis’, who have in turn impacted 2.6 crore million women in the country. “The programme now reaches 2.6 lakh villages across 18 states and we are adding two more – Punjab and Odisha.

Internet Saathi has contributed towards bridging the digital gender divide in rural India – female to male ratio was 1 in 10 in 2015 and in 2018, it has increased to 4 in 10,” Neha Barjatya, Chief Internet Saathi, Google India told PTI.

In Punjab, the program will cover around 5,000 villages, like Paras Rampur, Kotli Than Singh, Burj, Vehra and from Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala districts.