NEW DELHI: Reliance Foundation and the Gates Foundation have announced the first six non-profit organisations selected under the SheConnects Digital Accelerator: India, a joint initiative aimed at advancing women’s digital inclusion across the country. The organisations are expected to collectively reach nearly one million women through innovative digital solutions.
The announcement was made at an event in New Delhi on Wednesday, attended by representatives from government, academia, philanthropy, civil society and the technology sector. The programme also marked the launch of applications for the second round of grants.
The SheConnects Digital Accelerator seeks to scale proven, high-impact solutions that enable women and girls to participate meaningfully in the digital economy, improve livelihoods and strengthen digital access. The initiative also aims to promote innovative partnerships, generate evidence-based learning and support a more inclusive digital ecosystem.
The GSMA Foundation will provide selected organisations with capacity-building support, technical assistance and peer learning opportunities to strengthen the implementation of their digital programmes.
Speaking at the event, Deepthi Reddy, Chief – Women Empowerment at Reliance Foundation, said the initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to supporting scalable solutions that empower women through digital inclusion.
Saachi Bhalla, Deputy Director – Gender Equality at the Gates Foundation, said the programme offers an opportunity to develop and expand solutions that improve women’s meaningful participation in the digital world while generating insights that can benefit India and other developing countries.
Following a competitive selection process, six non-profit organisations were awarded grants under the first round, with a combined funding commitment of ₹25.84 crore. The selected organisations are expected to implement evidence-based digital interventions benefiting nearly one million people across India.
The selected organisations include Project Concern International (PCI) India, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Myna Mahila Foundation, Digital Empowerment Foundation, A Society for Promotion of Inclusive and Relevant Education (ASPIRE) and Chaitanya. Their projects focus on areas such as digital literacy, women’s entrepreneurship, healthcare access, livelihood enhancement and economic empowerment through technology.
The initiative has also opened applications for Round Two, under which eligible Indian non-profit organisations can apply for grants of up to ₹4.2 crore for projects spanning 15 to 18 months. The programme is intended to support post-pilot, scale-stage solutions with strong potential for expansion and long-term sustainability.
The Accelerator encourages women-centric innovations that integrate technologies such as artificial intelligence, chatbots and regional language tools with behaviour change communication to improve digital inclusion.
Besides financial support, selected organisations will receive technical mentoring, monitoring and evaluation assistance, expert bootcamps and opportunities for knowledge sharing.
Applications for the second round must be submitted online by September 4, 2026, at 11:59 pm IST.
