Intel India launches initiatives for digital literacy

Company hopes to impact 5 mn people in India by end of 2015

With a view to support the government's Digital India vision, technology major Intel India on Tuesday announced several initiatives including launch of a mobile application for digital literacy, program to impart training at village level and an 'Innovate For India Challenge' that would look to create solutions relevant for India.

Among other things, Intel India launched a mobile application that would enable digital skills training in five Indian languages. The application, which will be available for free on Android Play Store from December 6, 2014, will include modules on digital literacy, financial inclusion, healthcare and cleanliness.

The launch of the application is a part of Intel's 'Digital Skills for India' program where the company, along with the Indian government, hopes to "impact" five million people in the country by the end of 2015.

In addition to the mobile application, similar offline training modules would be made available in seven Indian languages going forward, Intel said in a release. The company will also work with Bharat Broadband Network Limited to build training capacity by imparting digital literacy training to key persons in the first 1,000 Panchayats under the National Optic Fiber Network roll-out in India.

The company also announced its 'Innovate For India Challenge', which will be launched in 2015, and will look to drive technology innovation across platforms to create solutions that are relevant for India.

"We believe that the government's Digital India vision is going to be imperative to propel the country into its next phase of growth. The industry has been asked to participate to realise the vision and it is now up to us to work jointly with the government to do the right thing for our country," said Debjani Ghosh, vice president - sales and marketing group and managing director- Intel South Asia. "At Intel we believe that skill development and innovation are imperative for realising the Digital India vision and these are the two areas in which Intel will begin working with the government to digitally empower the citizens of India."