Google and Tata Trust to make women in villages e-literate

Google is intrinsically embroiled in all our lives, thanks to its all-encompassing search engine. And now, the tech company is looking expanding its reach to touch the lives of women living in rural areas. Under its scheme Internet Saathi, Google will actively engage with rural areas in the country to create internet awareness and capability in the villages through women.

The software giant has partnered with Tata Trust to provide a bicycle, mobile and tablet devices, training materials to women, who will be trained to become master trainers. They, in turn, will provide training to other women in the villages, and will also assist villagers in any kind of web-based information.

"The programme is not only aiding women access information and services but is also empowering them socially and economically," Ganesh Neelam, head of innovation at Tata Trust said. Google India will also pay the master trainees a sum of Rs 1,000 a month for a period of six months.

These women are also allowed to charge a nominal amount from the villagers for teaching and providing information. This initiative by Google comes after it spearheaded a series of urban initiatives like providing free wi-fi in railway stations and creating a $20,000 start-up fund. The Internet Sathi program, which is part of Google's Helping Women Get Online campaign, has already been rolled out in nine states, where around 500 women are being trained every week.

On the technology front, Google is providing the requisite material in vernacular and is also engaging with other companies to develop content in local language. "There is a lot of potential in the rural areas. If internet usage increases, it will indirectly help us widen our advertisement revenue", an official in the company said.