Update from India Grassroots ICT – making a difference

(India) Grassroots ICT – making a difference. Oneworld.net. Oneline September 2006. … On the edge of the expanding wave of Internet connectivity, Punavali Kalan is located deep in the impoverished region of Bundelkhand. This tiny community of 3,800 inhabitants is an oasis where local information is exchanged, discussed, analysed and applied to community life. Though dial-up or subscriber lines do not yet reach the villagers, access to the Web is available through a VSAT at the local community knowledge center, the TARAkendra. These hybrid centers work to enhance social and economic development in rural communities while recovering costs as enterprises. The buzzing TARAkendra at Punavali Kalan is run by a dynamic duo – Rajmani and Priti Parmar. The Parmar sisters are concentrating on their business at an age when other girls are thinking about prospective grooms. … One of TARAhaat’s early franchisees, they opened the Kendra adjacent to their home. … (TARAhaat Information and Marketing Services Ltd is India’s premier social enterprise, using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to deliver a broad spectrum of services and products designed for the rural and peri-urban citizens of India. TARAhaat delivers its services through a network of franchised community and business centres owned by individual entrepreneurs.) … Its current products are focused on education, communication (in 11 Indian languages and English), information and e-governance. …