Government encourages corporates to take up digital villages as part of their CSR activities

At an interactive session with the department of telecom on November 9, 2019, the union minister for electronics, information technology and communication Ravi Shanker Prasad suggested the corporates to adopt digital villages as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

The government envisages to establish over one lakh digital villages in the coming years. The number of digital village programmes crossed 700 last year. Prasad further mentioned that the government also aims to reach $1 Tn market value for digital economy including ecommerce, electronics manufacturing and delivery of governance services using AI.

The underlying aim behind this is to give villages a new identity of their own where there is digital education, digital healthcare and digital skilling among others. Prasad requested companies to include around 500 villages as part of their CSR activities and the government will provide any kind of support for the development of any of these villages.

The Digital India Programme have highly benefitted the Indian start-ups. The latter is expecting the government to open new doors for them through digital partnerships with start-ups, including digital villages.

Furthermore, state governments have also been determined in enabling digital services and encouraging its adoption across the country including rural, semi-rural and urban regions.

Recently Kerala state government acknowledged the importance of internet stating that it “is a basic human right just like food, water, shelter, clothing and education.” Kerala FM Thomas Isaac wrote on his tweeter handle that Kerala government will be offering every household in the state with Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON). Additionally, it aims to provide free internet to below poverty line people the number of which stands at over 20 lakh. The project is likely to be completed by December 2020.