A Pilot IT Program for Rural Areas of Pune District

Grant Development Objective(s) and Expected Key Performance Indicators The main objectives of the proposed project are: (a) To promote IT Literacy among rural and disadvantaged populations; and (b) To employ information technology to empower the rural poor by stimulating local commerce and business, and improving their access to essential information and services.The program is proposed for the rural areas of Pune district in Maharashtra state in India to promote IT literacy and IT enabled community entrepreneurship among the poorer sections of the population. The proposed project is likely to benefit about 100,000 members of poor households in rural areas of Pune district. The rural area of Pune district is known for innovation and experimentation and has been extremely successful in the past in pioneering new socioeconomic models of development. Therefore, the rural areas of Pune provide an excellent location to experiment IT-related innovation for broad based economic development that helps rural populations, with an emphasis on the poor.

Expected Key Performance Indicators: (maximum 5 indicators)5,000 school children in poor rural areas of Pune district receive basic computer education
IT training is mainstreamed in the 50 rural schools participating in the e-literacy component
Improvement in marketing of products and services from rural areas of Pune district to other markets in Pune city and elsewhere. Creation of 10 new business groups. 50% Increase in productivity (expressed as increase in sales or decrease in costs) of existing enterpreneur groups that participate in the project.
System improvements in cooperatives (dairy, poultry, sugar, horticulture) constituted primarily of poor, rural households and dissemination of agriculture technology information in Pune district. 20% increase in efficiency (expressed in increased productivity / sales, or reduced costs) of participating cooperatives.
Adoption of new agricultural technology based on dissemination of locally appropriate agricultural research by 2000 farming households.