Under its Unlimited Potential – Community Technology Skills Program, christened ‘Project Jyoti’, Microsoft Corporation India Private Limited today announced an additional funding of Rs. 1.9 crore to three NGOs for enabling IT access to underserved communities in urban slums and rural India. The grant beneficiaries are Saath Charitable Trust, Smile Foundation and NASSCOM Foundation, who will receive grants amounting to Rs. 1,01,34,771, Rs. 71,20,540 and Rs. 23,94,744 respectively. Till date, Microsoft has invested Rs. 37.5 crores under this initiative, impacting 20 states and Union Territories across India.

This collaboration entails a joint commitment by Microsoft and its NGO partners to deliver effective programs for taking IT to youth, women and underserved communities in urban slums and rural India, and leverage technology skills to promote employability. The pivot of the program is a networked Community Technology Learning Centre (CTLC) which is a free or low cost, friendly place (in a community center, housing facility or other convenient public location) where people of all ages and abilities can come to learn about computers, use the internet, explore new careers, further their education, participate in community activities or develop technology skills. The project has imparted basic computer literacy to about 73,000 individuals till date.

Commenting on the need for bridging the digital divide and taking the benefits of IT to the grassroots, Dr. Akhtar Badshah, Senior Director and Worldwide Head, Community Affairs, Microsoft Corporation, said, “Access to information and communication technologies holds tremendous potential to be the change agent for creating a more equitable order of economic opportunities and sustainable development. Every life that our Community Technology Skills Program in India has helped transform through IT skills training is a testament to this. I am very glad indeed to deepen the engagement with our NGO partners for continuing to reach out to underserved individuals and changing lives.”

The three NGOs receiving the grants today work in different areas and geographies. The Saath Charitable Trust, recipient of Rs. 1.01 crore, will strengthen the IT skills component of Saath's youth employment training programme called 'Umeed' in 20 centres in urban areas of Gujarat, and will help train 27,000 persons for employment in the IT, BPO, logistics, retail and hospitality industries over 3 years. In