Internet search giant Google has tied up with Tata Trust to reduce the digital gender gap in rural areas of India by giving them data access.
"The digital gender gap in rural areas of India is vast. One out every ten women are familiar with internet and other data usages," head of marketing of Google India Sapna Chadha said.
She said that the programme 'Internet Saathi' aims at training women and empowering them on how to take advantage of internet and get information on education, various government schemes, weather, crop and on other matters.
Google was using the network of Tata Trust's rural network for the same.
This is the first such initiative by Google worldwide and India was selected owing to its huge population base, Chadha told reporters here today.
To a query, she said that the target was to decrease the divide by 50 per cent, for which more villages would be brought under the programme's fold.
At present, there are nine states where the programme had been rolled out and two lakh 'Internet Saathis' had been trained.
Google is providing android tablets and smartphones to women as well as data access.
Chadha said the programme was adding 500 women per week.
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Head of Innovation of Tata Trusts, Ganesh Neelam said, "We are entering West Bengal through our field strength and on the basis of learnings and experiences of working with rural communities in the state."
Google's initiative in West Bengal would roll out from the Purulia district and cover 400 villages.
Initially, 120 'Internet Saathis' would be trained, Neelam said.
