Udaipur : L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF), one of the leading Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in the country, announced the launch of its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project – ‘Digital Sakhi’ in Udaipur, Rajsamand, and Chittorgarh in Rajasthan. This program is under the Digital and Financial Inclusion vertical of LTF. It empowers women to catalyse positive change in their communities through Digital Financial Literacy (DFL) and help create sustainable livelihoods for women.
By achieving these objectives, the Company intends to have a significant positive impact on the lives of rural women and their families, fostering financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development in the region. The Digital Sakhi program focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 – Gender Equality, wherein women are identified from rural communities and trained extensively on DFL, leadership, and technology.
Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sudipta Roy, Managing Director & CEO of LTFsaid, “After the successful implementation of Digital Sakhi projects in the nine states, we are delightedto bring our flagship CSR project in Rajasthan. With this initiative, we’re not only empowering women from rural communities but also helping to bridge the digital divide, and achieve gender equality at scale. The convergence of social, economic, and digital forces is helping us to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and sustainable society, and we’re proud to be a part of this journey towards a brighter future for all.”
Speaking about the Digital Sakhi program, Ms. Apurva Rathod, Company Secretary and Chief Sustainability Officer at LTF said, ” Our Digital Sakhis will be at the forefront to impart digital financial literacy among rural communities in Udaipur, Rajsamand, and Chittorgarh in Rajasthan. They will play a crucial role in connecting rural communities with government initiatives, and ensuring individuals are aware of and can access various benefits. Additionally, they will empower women to become financially inclusive and entrepreneurial.”
LTF will implement this project with the support of implementing agency Manjari Foundation. Notably, since its inception in 2017, the project has created a cadre of over 1,770 Digital Sakhis who have benefited over 45 lakh individuals and helped upskill over 14,000 women entrepreneurs. In the past month, the Digital Sakhi project has been extended to Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh and Saharsa in Bihar. Apart from Rajasthan, the Digital Sakhi project is currently active in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu,Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.