IIM Calcutta project to create collaborative rural community

The Social Informatics Research Group of IIM Calcutta has taken up a project to build next-generation of collaborative and responsive rural community by digitally empowering them.
The objective of the project, NCoRe, is to analyse and measure the strength and influence of smart-phone enabled social information systems on the socio-economic performance of self-help groups, the micro-communities in rural India.
One of its long-term objectives is to empower the rural community and enhance their participation in not only improving their livelihood but also help the government with local situational information during any natural or man-made disaster.
The Panasonic India is partnering with Social Informatics Research Group in this project whose objective is to train 50 SHG members of Kandi SHG Federation, Murshidabad on the use of smart phones which will subsequently harness the potential of digital connectivity and enable community participation in governance.

The Panasonic India has donated 50 smart phones for this project to study the usage of smartphone-enabled social information system by the SHG members and its effectiveness in improving their livelihood.
The Heritage Institute of Technology is also one of the project implementation partners and Bharti Airtel has given low-cost corporate mobile connections to these phones.
Prof Somprakash Bandyopdhyay, Professor, MIS Group and Research Director, Social Informatics Research Group, IIMC said that the NCoRe would primarily address the current problem of the information gap between rural SHGs and the urban market.
This project is a part of a larger project funded by Information Technology Research Academy.