Nasscom Foundation & L&T Technology Services Help 900 Rural Women Artisans Become Tech-Savvy
Women artisans from rural India often fail to receive fair pay due to lack of technical know-how. A digital upskilling initiative by Nasscom Foundation and L&T Technology Services is enabling them to expand their businesses online, leading to increased earnings and financial independence.
This article is sponsored by nasscom foundation.
From diverse weaves and pottery styles to metal art and wool works, every Indian state is rich in its traditional art form. Historically, craft-based work has been a powerful medium to create employment for rural women, who have been leading the handicraft and handloom industry with their unwavering commitment.
India is home to seven million artisans. Of this, a whopping 56.13 percent comprise women. However, these artisans, particularly rural women, don’t get fair and steady pay because businesses are informal and they lack the know-how to reach more customers and create market linkages using technology.
One such artisan is Muthulakshmi who hails from Anbu Nagar in Aruppukottai block in Tamil Nadu. Muthulakshmi who specialised in weaving the famous Arupokkotai saree through power loom was initially dependent on the local vendor for orders. Each month she weaves at least 10 sarees on her loom.
Driven by the desire to expand her business, Muthulaskhmi, who had been only using her smartphone to take phone calls, was inspired by her children’s adept use of these phones. The 40-year-old was keen to learn more about its features and utilise the smartphone to scale up the business.
Her quest to utilise the smartphone to scale up her business led her to seize the opportunity of digital upskilling training initiated by the non-profit nasscom foundation, which aims to empower marginalised rural communities through technology-driven initiatives. During the 10-day training programme, Muthulakshmi learned about online payments and how to create social media accounts and a YouTube channel to digitally promote her business.
She says she now aims to expand her business on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, and take her products to a larger customer base for further business growth by this year-end.
“I learned to open websites and create an ID and channel using my smartphone. I have also learned how to do business through Amazon and Flipkart. With this, I expect a boost of 30 percent in my earnings,” says Muthulakshmi, who currently earns up to Rs 8,000 per month. She is optimistic about the future and plans to take her sarees to a larger market by year-end.
A step towards financial empowerment
Nasscom foundation in collaboration with L&T Technology Services launched the Digital Upskilling of Rural Women Artisans project last year to focus on preserving traditional arts while fostering a brighter future for women through skill development, enabling them to participate in the digital economy.
This initiative is part of a broader project to digitally upskill 900 women artisans involved in saree making and palm leaves basket making in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district; pearl jewellery and bamboo making in Gujarat’s Dahod; and garland and crochet making in Karnataka’s Raichur. It covers a wide range of projects, including digital literacy, financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills and awareness about government schemes.
K N Prabhakaran, Chief of CSR at L&T Technology Services observes, “Enhancing digital literacy and expanding access to digital technologies are crucial steps in addressing the digital divide and empowering women from all backgrounds to benefit from the digital transformation. Our collaboration with Nasscom foundation on the Digital Upskilling of Rural Women Artisans project aims to promote art while fostering digital literacy, financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills and awareness on access to government schemes and proficiency with technological tools and platforms. By skilling and integrating social commerce solutions for artisans, this initiative significantly enhances livelihood opportunities and supports economic growth in rural communities.”
The training aimed to help women artisans increase their understanding and skills to effectively utilise digital devices and applications to create a space in an online platform, thereby enhancing their livelihood opportunities.
As part of the 10-day training, these women were taught about internet usage, digital devices, social media, banking, investments, cyber frauds, cyber safety, access to markets, preparation of business plans, access to important government schemes, the importance of artisan cards, and more.
Eramma, another beneficiary, who hails from Raichur, Karnataka, runs a woollen work business from home.
“Before I embraced digital tools, I found it hard to earn an income and improve our livelihood under financial and societal constraints. When I heard about the training programme through a community mobiliser, it was like a ray of hope. Choosing to join the programme was fueled by my longing for a stable future, my dream of giving my children a good education, and my ambition to grow my business,” she says.
“This training represented a critical turning point for me as it opened doors to possibilities that I had once thought were out of reach. One area of great interest to me was utilising social commerce like Facebook and WhatsApp, which has allowed me to display my work. In future, I plan to engage directly with customers through digital platforms and set up product catalogues. I expect this will significantly boost my sales,” she adds.
Nidhi Bhasin, CEO, Nasscom Foundation says, “The project has digitally upskilled 900 rural women artisans in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat, empowering them to participate in the digital economy. By providing training in digital, financial, and entrepreneurial skills, we strive to create a lasting impact. Our ongoing collaboration with L&T Technology Services aims to strengthen this initiative further by offering exclusive mentoring and guidance to select women artisans, with a vision to extend this transformative support to women entrepreneurs across other districts and states.”
The key objectives of the phase 2 is to provide handholding to 450 select beneficiaries from phase 1 whereas 150 handheld beneficiaries will be supported with exclusive mentoring, platform onboarding, and network enhancement.
Furthermore, 90 selected beneficiaries from the cohort will also be provided ‘Access to Finance’ in collaboration with financial institutions, ensuring that rural women artisans can thrive in the digital economy and achieve long-term success.
Edited by Pranita Bhat. All photos: nasscom foundation.
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