In an interplay with ET On-line, Nidhi Bhasin, CEO of Nasscom Basis, elaborates on how know-how can velocity up attaining the UN’s Sustainable Improvement Targets (SDG), and the assorted methods to harness know-how for social affect and to reinforce last-mile connectivity. Edited excerpts:ET: How do you see know-how performing as a catalyst in attaining the SDGs, significantly within the Indian context?
Nidhi Bhasin: In India, digitalisation has instigated a transformative period, empowering people, bettering knowledge accessibility and fostering inclusivity. Based on a World Financial Discussion board report, know-how functions already in deployment may allow over 70% of the SDG’s 136 targets.
A vital area the place know-how excels is in narrowing the digital divide, advancing SDG-10 (decreasing inequality). Landmark initiatives like Digital India and the Aadhaar identification system, globally recognised for his or her affect, have empowered hundreds of thousands, granting entry to data, monetary providers and authorities schemes. Moreover, know-how initiatives addressing ladies’s empowerment, together with digital literacy programmes and on-line platforms, align with SDG-5 — which is selling gender equality.
Know-how can be a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship, providing employment alternatives, significantly for the youth, and bolstering SDGs linked to business, innovation and financial progress. Know-how performs a pivotal function in combating local weather change by way of superior monitoring techniques, knowledge analytics and distant sensing applied sciences, aligning with efficient local weather motion (SDG-13). Integrating renewable power sources, facilitated by know-how’s function in power storage options, aligns with SDG-7 (reasonably priced and clear power). This confluence of developments positions India uniquely to steer within the ongoing period of innovation.
As every technological stride presents a possibility for progress, India’s collective give attention to digital innovation, data-driven options and enhanced connectivity contributes considerably to advancing SDG-17 (revitalising the worldwide partnership for sustainable improvement). Finally, know-how emerges as a robust instrument, promising a extra equitable future for all by 2030.
ET: Are there any rising applied sciences you imagine maintain particular promise for social good in India, and the way can these be made accessible and reasonably priced?
NB: Within the period of AI, India is witnessing tumultuous progress and alternatives throughout varied sectors. Transformative AI options in healthcare to offer distant remedy will enhance affected person care and effectivity in distant areas for the underprivileged. AI in agriculture can bridge the data hole, increase productiveness and enhance the livelihood of the farmers. AI in schooling can uplift schooling in rural areas by providing progressive options to restricted assets and entry to high quality studying supplies.
To create entry to know-how on the grassroots stage, we launched our Aspirational Districts Programme devoted to empower marginalised communities by selling digital literacy and enhanced entry to authorities schemes. We have now already established digital useful resource centres in 45 districts throughout 20 states to advertise digital literacy.
Skilling is without doubt one of the most crucial elements of India’s financial progress and but there’s a big skilling hole. We’re a younger nation with over 808 million of the inhabitants beneath the age of 35 who want hand holding. Because the UN SDGs specify, we should put money into them to maximise their potential.
For this, our skilling and employability programme focuses on upskilling the youth in tier-2 and -3 cities on superior tech expertise together with knowledge science, cyber safety, IoT, knowledge analytics, Python and Java Full Stack, alongside delicate expertise, to make them future-ready and in addition assist them with employment alternatives.
Nasscom Basis’s Girls Entrepreneurship Programme has helped over 1,00,000 ladies to leverage on-line platforms comparable to YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and WhatsApp Enterprise to assist them promote their merchandise and entry related authorities schemes. Girls Wizards Rule Tech (W2RT) is one other programme that seeks to offer alternatives for ladies to advance within the tech business, no matter their area experience, aligning with India’s digital skilling mission. It focuses on constructing tech capabilities in rising applied sciences by way of a holistic studying expertise. Such initiatives make know-how attain the final mile, making it reasonably priced and accessible to those that want it essentially the most.ET: What sort of coverage assist or authorities framework is required to drive the agenda of know-how in furthering SDGs?
NB: Enhancing the SDG agenda necessitates resilient and clear cross-system governance and regulatory frameworks. This includes establishing native digital ecosystems to unify disparate operators, making certain transparency, accountability, and participatory governance. Strengthening capacities and capabilities for implementing and scaling up technology-based platforms is essential, alongside selling elevated data sharing.
Whereas the federal government spearheads many programmes comparable to Digital India, Ability India, Startup India, and the Nationwide Digital Well being Mission (NDHM), attaining the UN SDGs requires an ongoing dedication. Nonetheless, the federal government alone can not accomplish this feat. Lively participation from the business, facilitated by way of CSR and company philanthropy, is important to make sure the scaling up and socialisation of those authorities initiatives.
ET: In your view, what are some key technological interventions which have positively impacted SDGs within the nation?
NB: India has emerged as a thriving hub for social innovation and social enterprises, garnering international consideration. Extra just lately, the G-20 summit performed an important function in highlighting the significance of social innovation and entrepreneurship. Pioneering initiatives like Aadhar and UPI showcase India’s potential as a hotbed for progressive options that create substantial social affect at scale.
Nasscom Basis’s efforts lengthen to collaborating with corporates to implement programmes aimed toward instilling the spirit of social entrepreneurship amongst younger minds on the school stage. An exemplary initiative on this regard is Thingqbator, a platform that fosters innovation and introduces an entrepreneurial mindset amongst college students by enabling them to take their startup concepts to the true world.
Moreover, our engagement extends to working with early-stage startups and authorities our bodies, such because the Biotechnology Business Analysis Help Council (BIRAC) to deploy healthcare improvements that may work in low-resource settings. By way of know-how. This collaborative strategy goals to advertise innovation that may result in vital social affect.
A number of technological improvements have performed a pivotal function in advancing SDGs in recent times. Notably, startups like Climatesense Non-public Restricted (Farmers for Forests) have showcased their improvements on the Social Innovation Showcase occasions. Aligned with a number of SDG objectives, they assist farmers transition to biodiverse agroforestry after which quantify the impacts — like improved soil well being and soil moisture, elevated biodiversity and carbon sequestration utilizing drones, satellites and AI. They leverage this knowledge to help farmers in accessing the worldwide carbon credit score markets.
One other organisation is Savemom. Addressing the problem of poor maternal healthcare in rural India, Savemom gives an IoT-based maternal healthcare resolution to make sure efficient monitoring and take care of pregnant ladies in distant areas, contributing to the advance of maternal well being outcomes.
These examples underscore how know-how, when harnessed innovatively, can deal with multifaceted challenges and considerably contribute to numerous SDGs, starting from healthcare to local weather motion and agriculture.
ET: What are your predictions for the function of know-how in attaining the SDGs by 2030? What are your subsequent set of steps when it comes to new tasks or initiatives?
NB: We foresee know-how taking part in an instrumental function in propelling the achievement of SDGs by 2030. Know-how will and needs to be human-centric and contextualised to the various social cloth that we’re part of. Know-how can help quicker progress, construct inclusion and fairness and assist combine sustainability and collaboration in our strategy. We imagine that continued technological developments will considerably contribute to reaching the final mile, thereby breaking the digital divide.
Wanting forward, Nasscom Basis is dedicated to taking proactive steps in step with these predictions. We’re embarking on an intensive enlargement of our social innovation endeavours with the launch of two new tasks with a give attention to AI and sustainability.
Our dedication to capability constructing inside the non-profit sector is underscored by way of the NGO ecosystem initiative. By integrating know-how interventions, we purpose to reinforce the effectiveness and sustainability of the efforts undertaken by non-profit organisations. This aligns with our overarching purpose of positively impacting 100 million lives by 2026 by way of TechForGood interventions, emphasising the transformative potential of know-how in social improvement.
Concurrently, our initiatives give attention to extending the attain of AI to the final mile, aiming to bridge gaps and scale back disparities in know-how entry and utilisation. By way of these multifaceted endeavours, we attempt to create significant, scalable and sustainable social affect throughout numerous communities.
Supply: India Times