IT Minister KTR invests in school students’ startup, aims to bridge digital divide
Two school students from the Pallavi Model School in Boduppal, N Manasa Reddy and Nafeesa Anjum, have secured seed funding of Rs 8 lakh for their startup, Digi Gnan, from IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao. The digital platform is aimed at creating a self-learning platform for girls and women living in Tier-2 or -3 cities, towns or villages and digitally enabling knowledge sharing. The platform will also impart digital literacy, employability skills and cybersecurity on a pilot basis to over 500 students from the villages of Pratapsingram, Kachavanisingram, Edulabad and Muthyalaguda over the next 12 months.
During the ‘Catch’em Young’ initiative by WE-Hub for young girls, the founders observed the ‘digital divide’ and found that their counterparts in smaller cities or towns were behind on digital literacy. Additionally, the rate of cyber crimes in India propelled them towards creating Digi Gnan. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, Telangana accounted for six per cent, registering a 19 per cent growth, of all the cyber crimes in the country.
The founders pitched their idea to IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao, Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi, Special Chief Secretary of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department Arvind Kumar and others during the fifth anniversary celebrations of WE-Hub. After seeking Rs 10 lakh as investment, Rama Rao offered them seed capital of Rs 8 lakh after questioning them about the financial viability of the venture, who their mentor and advisor was and how they hope to get a return on the investment.
The young innovators have plans to expand Digi Gnan to 25 villages, reaching over 1,000 students in Telangana with the help of 50 volunteers. The initiative aims to bridge the gap in digital literacy and cybersecurity in smaller cities and towns.
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