Dell Technologies to Launch Solar Community Hubs Portfolio in India to Support the Digital India Mission

• Beneficiaries from six aspirational districts will have convenient access to tools and resources to help build digital and financial literacy, cyber safety and coding skills

• Solar-powered vans, developed within Dell Technologies’ Solar Community Hub portfolio, will travel to different locations in the districts to provide PC technology and 4G connectivity to community members

• Dell aims to positively impact 2 million people with this program by March 2023

Dell Technologies today announced the launch of its new digital inclusion program in India to improve standards of living and support more employment opportunities for youth and women in six aspirational districts. Developed as part of its Solar Community Hubs portfolio, six solar-powered vans equipped with PC technology, 4G connectivity and access to digital services will be deployed to underserved communities.

The solar-powered vans will serve six communities identified as aspirational districts, including: Yadgir (Karnataka), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Ramanathapuram (Tamil Nadu), Agartala (Tripura), Haridwar (Uttarakhand) and Kalahandi (Odisha). These districts are identified by the government of India as those with poor socio-economic indicators. The goal of this program is to positively impact 2 million people by March 2023 through digital inclusion opportunities.

Dell Technologies’ executives Chuck Whitten, co-chief operating officer and Alok Ohrie, president & managing director for India, hosted the inauguration ceremony at Karnataka Public School in Jeevan Beema Nagar, Bengaluru.

“The potential of technology and the digital economy can only be fully realized when a sizable percentage of our population is supported with digital inclusion opportunities. Dell in India has pursued this vision, which is consistent with our government priorities. Our partnership with the Common Services Centers scheme allows us to turn our vision into reality,” said Ohrie.

Dell and the Common Service Centers Scheme (CSC)¹ are working together to address the digital divide in communities by providing greater access to basic digital needs. The solar-powered vans address common digital needs, including devices, broadband, digital literacy and critical skills for the digital economy. The program aims to provide digital tools and resources to empower youth and women with primary technical skills training, entrepreneurship support, education, career guidance, and revenue-generating services to support job creation and financial sustainability.

Learning Links Foundation will provide on-the-ground support for the vans, which are equipped with self-paced digital and financial literacy, cyber safety and coding learning content. The educational content is designed to empower the communities through access to digital knowledge and skills, while developing safe online habits in a connected world. Communities will be equipped with creative, problem-solving and analytical skills.

“At Learning Links Foundation, we are committed to supporting digital inclusion and innovation as an important pillar for sustained human improvement. We are extremely proud of this partnership with Dell Technologies and the Solar Community Hub program. Together, we are bridging the digital divide by bringing technology to the doorstep of rural communities and supporting our country’s digital India mission.” said Nuriya Ansari, President, Learning Links Foundation.

The vans will also serve as e-Government service centers and introduce communities to Digital India initiatives. Through in-person learning, the curriculum will provide students with a digital certificate from CSC upon completion of the course.