Internet in local language a win win for women, business: Smriti Irani

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“Today in the country of eight hundred million plus internet users the number of women who use the internet is comparatively low,” says the minister.
Internet in local language a win win for women, business: Smriti Irani
(From left to right) Rajeev Dubey, Editor In Chief, Fortune India; Smriti Irani, minister for women and child development and minister of minority affairs Credits: Fortune India

Union Women and Child development minister Smriti Irani has called for digital solutions in local languages to boost entrepreneurial initiatives by the women in the rural areas. Pointing to the fact that concerns were raised when Prime Minister gave the clarion call for digital India in 2014, owing to a landscape which is predominantly rural, Irani said the pandemic proved to the global world order that we can adapt and adopt technology with alacrity when the need be.

Speaking at the Fortune India Most Powerful Women Awards in Mumbai Irani said, “Today in the country of eight hundred million plus internet users the number of women who use the internet is comparatively low. It is not that they do not know how to use the internet. But the internet is not available in their language of choice. Digital solutions in the localised linguistics capacities will help women expand their business capacities. It is not only a win win for the women for also for the business.”  

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