In an exclusive conversation with AgroSpectrum, Deepthi Nukalapati, Chief – Women Empowerment at Reliance Foundation, unveils how the organisation is bridging India’s rural digital gender divide with scale, nuance, and cultural sensitivity. She details how over 5.2 lakh women have been reached through initiatives like Pashu Sakhi and Digital Sakhi, which combine digital literacy with peer-led confidence building. From fisherwomen turned micro-entrepreneurs via the Fisherwoman Connect app to voice-based weather advisories that influence household decisions, her narrative is rich with examples of technology translating into tangible economic agency. She candidly addresses persistent challenges—shared device access, community gatekeepers, and safety concerns—while emphasising the need for systemic change. Her vision is clear: a future where rural women are economically resilient, digitally fluent, and active architects of their own prosperity.

Deepthi, you’ve worked extensively across rural ecosystems. What do women truly need to become confident digital participants?

The first step is not just about handing over a device—it’s about dismantling the subtle and overt barriers that dictate who can use it, when, and for what. Women need simple, context-relevant solutions that speak their language—both literally and figuratively. Beyond technology, they require peer networks for collective confidence-building and what I call “gatekeeper enablement”—engaging the influencers in their lives, from family elders to community leaders, so the change is systemic rather than symbolic.

The transformation of Indian agriculture through digital technologies is gathering unstoppable momentum, yet its promise will be truly fulfilled only when rural women stand at the forefront as empowered participants and equal beneficiaries. From putting mobile phones, apps, and online platforms into their hands to unlock farming knowledge, government schemes, and essential digital services, to enabling alternative livelihoods in fisheries, livestock, and beyond through tech-driven market access and digital payments, the shift is both economic and societal. By creating replicable, low-cost, community-powered models that are as scalable as they are sustainable, these initiatives are not just closing the gender divide—they are rewriting the rural economy’s growth story, one empowered woman at a time.

Reliance Foundation has aligned itself with the Digital G20 commitment to closing the digital gender divide. How does this vision translate on the ground?

We’ve touched the lives of over 5.2 lakh beneficiaries through targeted digital enablement programmes. The idea is not merely to train women in device usage, but to catalyse social change in the community ecosystem. Initiatives like Pashu Sakhi and Digital Sakhi go beyond skill delivery—they create trusted, local ambassadors who amplify adoption, answer queries, and, most importantly, inspire confidence.

Reliance Foundation’s WomenConnect Challenge India (Round 2) is redefining the rural digital landscape by equipping women with the skills, tools, and confidence to participate fully in India’s digital economy. Reaching 5.91 lakh women and community members—including self-help groups, micro-entrepreneurs, goat farmers, post-harvest fisherwomen, and women from marginalized sectors—the program dismantles social and cultural barriers while opening new economic pathways.

With over 97 per cent phone access, 79 per cent smartphone availability, and 83 per cent internet penetration, participants reported an 80 per cent surge in digital usage—from mobile apps and social media to digital payments—alongside sharp increases in business adoption and financial transactions. Beyond technology, the program has ignited transformative social change: 87 per cent of women enjoy greater mobility, 77 per cent are active in household decision-making, and 80 per cent report enhanced self-confidence. The result is a powerful, replicable model for closing the gender digital divide—one that blends digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion to empower women as economic leaders in their communities.

Infrastructure remains a stubborn hurdle. What’s the reality you see in the field?

Many women still share devices with multiple family members, which means their digital window is narrow and often controlled. Community gatekeepers are not always natural collaborators. Our peer networks bridge this trust gap, allowing women to take incremental leaps towards independent access. The transition from shared to personal digital space is as much a psychological shift as it is a technological one.

Digital tools in agriculture have been touted as game-changers. How are rural women using them?

Whether it’s MSSRF’s Fisherwoman Connect app, which has turned post-harvest fisherwomen into micro-entrepreneurs, or voice-based weather alerts that guide crop planning, technology is reshaping household decision-making. Women are selling produce, offering veterinary services, and participating more actively in market linkages. It’s not just about improving crop yield—it’s about elevating the woman’s agency in the family economy.

The WomenConnect Challenge India (WCC) presents a compelling case of how targeted digital interventions can catalyse social and economic transformation for rural women. Implemented across diverse geographies, the programme equipped women with mobile phones, internet access, and locally relevant digital platforms, thereby dismantling barriers to information, services, and market linkages.

In Assam, SeSTA’s introduction of smartphones and voice-based WhatsApp advisories enabled tribal women farmers such as Sanbari to access timely agricultural guidance, improve crop planning, and participate more actively in household decision-making. In Rajasthan’s Dausa district, the Digital Empowerment Foundation’s SheCatalyst model turned homemaker Sumandevi into a trusted information intermediary—connecting her community to government schemes, weather forecasts, cyber security awareness, and agricultural content, with a particular emphasis on assisting older women.

The initiative’s reach extended to alternate livelihoods as well. In Tamil Nadu, MSSRF’s Fisherwomen Connect app supported Anushiya’s transition from informal support work to running a technology-enabled microenterprise. Through price discovery, direct buyer engagement, and online sales, she established a sustainable income stream. Similarly, in Uttar Pradesh, trained Pashu Sakhi Palak leveraged TGT’s mobile-based livestock training modules, WhatsApp marketing, video consultations with veterinarians, and UPI-based payments to formalise her animal care services and enhance profitability.

Manjari Foundation’s self-help group (SHG)-led digital nano-business model demonstrated scalability, expanding from a few clusters to multiple districts in Rajasthan. The model’s reliance on shared smartphones, simple Excel dashboards, and WhatsApp coordination ensured both ease of adoption and potential for replication in government and NGO-led programmes.

Collectively, these cases illustrate how WCC’s integrative approach—combining access, skills, and context-specific applications—can generate measurable gains in digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and agency among women in marginalised communities, while establishing a replicable framework for bridging the gender digital divide at scale.

We’re seeing a rise in rural women-led e-commerce and micro-enterprises. How transformative is this?

Across micro and nano enterprises, women are now exercising choice—whether in procurement, pricing, or reinvestment—leading to enhanced household well-being. E-commerce is giving them not only market access, but market identity. This is profound, because economic visibility is a precursor to social voice.

Safety and security concerns often deter women from digital engagement. How do you address this?

Safety is the non-negotiable foundation of the digital value chain. Women are rightfully cautious—concerned about fraud, harassment, or misinformation. We address this with proactive education on digital responsibility and risk mitigation, building not just trust in platforms, but trust in their own ability to navigate them.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for the digitally empowered rural woman?

Learnings from the Women and Digital Inclusion programme highlight the power of leveraging women’s collectives to anchor community engagement, ensuring digital adoption is rooted in trust and peer support. The active participation of local leaders emerged as a catalyst for wider acceptance, while gender-transformative approaches—engaging men and community gatekeepers—proved essential in dismantling social barriers.

Crucially, the journey moved beyond basic knowledge-sharing to fostering entrepreneurial applications, enabling women to convert digital skills into tangible livelihoods. Strengthened partnerships with government bodies provided a pathway for institutional integration, positioning the model for large-scale replication. Together, these insights form a blueprint for scaling inclusive digital ecosystems that are sustainable, community-driven, and transformative.

Five years from now, I envision rural women—and the younger girls in their households—armed with smartphones, resilient to economic shocks, and confident in their ability to harness information for prosperity. Closing the gender digital divide is not just a moral imperative; it’s an economic strategy. When we equip women with both capability and capacity, we don’t just prepare them for the future—we let them define it.

–— Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com)