NASSCOM Foundation innovates to empower digital India

Launches state of the art Hewlett Packard Enterprise Future Classroom solutions in Pune and Mumbai to support the National Digital Literacy Mission

India CSR News Network

MUMBAI: NASSCOM Foundation today launched two learning centres in Pune and Mumbai respectively, in collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) India.

The HPE Future Classroom will provide a technology platform that will deliver world-class skills training to students and job seekers in India. Through this initiative people living in remote areas of India will have easy access to vocational, business and IT skills training.

Launched in the presence of Dr. Aruna Sharma, Secretary, DeitY, Govt of India, these centres will train 1200 beneficiaries each from the underserved communities in digital literacy.

HPE Future Classrooms are easy to deploy containerised classrooms that provide an innovative, practical and cost effective solution to cater to digital literacy needs in India. Designed to fit within a standard shipping container, each HPE Future Classroom has 16+ cloud-enabled computer systems. Additionally, the HPE hardware and devices deployed will be supported by a suite of software solutions allowing students and teachers to access it at their homes via the Internet. The solutions include:

• An integrated User Portal and Dashboard provides registration & on-boarding of new users, single sign-in access for all the applications on HPE Future Classroom, executive view of the outcomes namely registrations, course progression and certification details and it also serves as a community bulletin board
• HPE VideoBook – a learning solution and a disruptive technology that sources relevant and contextual videos in line with text to make learning an immersive experience
• SIMS (Student Information Management Solution) – this course management solution is multipurpose management software for all administration, management and learning related activities
• HPE Future Classroom education portal – HPE LIFE e-Learning offers a gateway to access HPE LIFE e-Learning’s 25 online courses and helps tutors manage attendance, supports information dissemination while also being a reference site for students and aspiring job seekers who want to find out more about Future Class room activities
• Three similar classrooms were deployed in Chennai, Bengaluru and Rajasthan in 2015.

Neelam Dhawan, Managing Director India, HPE said, “We are extremely pleased to partner with NASSCOM Foundation to support the Government’s National Digital Literacy Mission to empower learners with digital literacy, entrepreneurial and vocational skills. There is an urgent need to build skills for a nation that is aspiring to create a digital identity of its own. With this partnership and through the HPE Future Classrooms program, we are committed to leverage our technology leadership towards the social transformation taking place in the country.”

Shrikant Sinha, CEO, NASSCOM Foundation said, “From the 130+ NDLM Centres created by NASSCOM Foundation across India, these two futuristic classrooms clearly stand out through their innovative, practical and cost effective approach. These centres don’t require additional real estate vis-à-vis our normal brick and mortar based centres, and once the required set of people in a community are trained, the centre can be easily shifted to a different location to serve a different community. We are glad to partner with HPE and hope to create similar innovative solutions to reach the goal of making at least one person per household digitally literate across the country.”

The National Digital Literacy Mission is a far-sighted, dynamic and integrated platform of digital literacy awareness and education that will help rural and the underserved communities fully participate in the global digital economy.

NASSCOM Foundation is the industry partner to the Government of India to accomplish the end goal of having at least one person per household become digitally literate. Under this digital literacy initiative, once trained the beneficiaries will be able to send emails, connect on social media, buy from ecommerce websites, and will even know how to use the Internet to avail various government services such as registering for Aadhaar cards, ration cards, PAN cards, and others.

NASSCOM Foundation is a leading non-profit organization driving technology for good. The Foundation’s work is just as expansive and evolutionary as the potential that technology and corporate India entail. Drawing strength from its parent body NASSCOM, the Foundation works closely with four major stakeholders: NASSCOM member companies, NGOs, emerging social enterprises and Government. NASSCOM Foundation’s core initiatives include working for Persons with Disabilities, fostering innovative solutions for social good, creating unique skilling models for underserved communities, and digital literacy where it is the industry partner to the Govt. of India’s National Digital Literacy Mission (NDLM / DiSHA) and Digital Libraries.

Nasscom Foundation Twitter: twitter.com/NASSCOMfdn