Yashoda AI Abhiyan: India's first Artificial Intelligence literacy campaign for rural women
Led by the National Commission for Women (NCW), the Yashoda AI Abhiyan wants to stand as India's effort to empower women, mainly from rural and semi-urban communities, with essential skills in AI, Cybersecurity, and Digital Safety.
Since then, Yashoda AI, billed as the country's first AI education initiative specifically for women, has conducted 11 workshops, reaching diverse segments of society, including rural women, first-time technology users, law enforcement personnel, and local leaders.
Here is all you need to know about Yashoda AI:
Yashoda AI is an initiative that seeks to democratise artificial intelligence by placing inclusivity at its core. Designed to bridge the digital divide and promote AI literacy across underserved communities, the initiative particularly targets women and grassroots stakeholders.
Yashoda AI is a transformative model for responsible tech adoption. The program imparts technical awareness and contextual understanding, enabling communities to participate in and benefit from the AI-driven future actively.
Yashoda AI is led by NCW in collaboration with Future Shift Labs, a forward-thinking policy and innovation collective committed to shaping equitable tech ecosystems, aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of women-led development and a Viksit Bharat.
The initiative was officially launched in May in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. Since then, it has expanded its footprint through strategic engagements with local communities.
The initiative, for example, engaged with police officers in Moradabad in Western Uttar Pradesh, facilitating a cross-sector dialogue on the ethical use of AI.
'Women from the grassroots are not just learning about AI, they are asking how they can use it for their families, farms, and future. That is empowerment in its truest sense.' Vijaya Rahatkar, Chairperson, NCW said at the launch.
Those behind the initiative say that Yashoda AI aims to ensure that women are not just beneficiaries of the digital revolution but active contributors to it. The goal is to democratise access to AI knowledge and create an ecosystem where everyone has a voice in shaping technological futures.
'Yashoda AI is not just about decoding artificial intelligence for the grassroots. It is about reclaiming agency in a digital age. We believe that ethical AI must begin with inclusive awareness, and that means building understanding from the ground up,' Sagar Vishnoi, Director, Future Shift Labs, told LiveMint
As of July 2025, Yashoda AI has conducted 11 workshops, reaching diverse segments of society including rural women, first-time technology users, law enforcement personnel, and local leaders. Each session is carefully curated to blend accessibility with depth, making learning actionable and transformative.
AI Passport and AI Literacy Toolkit are two significant tools under Yashoda AI. The AI Digital Passport, available as a booklet in Hindi language, is a personalised tool designed to help women track their progress and achievements while using various AI-powered applications. The AI Digital Passport, available as a booklet in Hindi language, is a personalised tool designed to help women track their progress and achievements while using various AI-powered applications.
AI Passport supports learning across tasks such as everyday assistance with ChatGPT and Google Gemini, research with ChatPDF and Notion AI, creativity with Canva AI, and organisation with Fireflies.ai. It also takes you through modern tools in vernacular languages such as Krutrim, Anuvadini, to name a few.
This initiative empowers women to take charge of their digital journeys, fostering inclusive skill development and helping them navigate the evolving digital world safely and effectively.
The AI Literacy Toolkit is a resource designed to help women understand how artificial intelligence impacts their digital lives, focusing on both its benefits and potential harms. The toolkit, also in Hindi, educates users on online safety, including issues like stalking, impersonation, cyberbullying, and data privacy.
The toolkit provides practical advice on using AI responsibly, identifying fake profiles, and protecting personal information. It also informs women about their rights and the legal steps they can take in case of cyber abuse. The AI Literacy Toolkit is a resource designed to help women understand how artificial intelligence impacts their digital lives, focusing on both its benefits and potential harms.
Developed with support from the NCW, the toolkit aims to empower women to navigate digital spaces confidently and safely.
Yashoda AI reflects Viksit Bharat's aspirations. Women from the grassroots are not just learning about AI, they are asking how they can use it for their families, farms, and future. That is empowerment in its truest sense.
Yashoda AI is unique due to its grassroots-first approach to AI and it moves beyond the confines of elite tech discourse and actively engages those who are often excluded from digital narratives.
By embedding gender equity, content localisation, and context-specific governance insights, the program teaches AI and reimagines it through the lens of social justice.
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