Uninor launches 'Project Sampark' to bridge mobile gender gap

Telecom service provider Uninor has launched 'Project Sampark' to bridge the mobile gender gap in the country by increasing the number of women users, an official announced here Monday.

"Mobile technology has the ability to change the way we communicate, but its effects are not evenly distributed. Gender disparity is also echoed in mobile usage. This is a significant area of concern and what better way than using mobile connectivity to help deal with this developmental challenge. The launch of 'Project Sampark' is a first step in this direction," Morten Karlsen Sorby, chief executive officer, Uninor said.

The project aims to increase the number of women users by introducing schemes like the "Jodi" pack, which is a set of two SIM card, where one SIM card goes to the male member of the family and the other to the female member.

A grant of $70,000 is being provided by the GSMA's Connected Women programme. "The total investment over the seven-month duration of the project is estimated at $183,654. Uninor will be contributing $113,654 while GSMA will be granting $70,000 to support the project," Rajeev Sethi, Uninor chief marketing officer, said.

The pilot project was done in 87 villages of Aligarh district in western Uttar Pradesh, he said adding that the company will work in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for the same project.

"We are targeting 6,000 connections every month from this project. That means half of it, 3,000 new connections for women every month," Sethi added.

The project will complete seven months in February 2015.