Reliance Foundation and Gates Foundation advancescalablesolutionsforonemillionwomen; announcefirst-roundwinnersof‘SheConnectsDigitalAccelerator:India’

The SheConnects Digital Accelerator a joint initiative of Reliance FoundationandGatesFoundation,markedtwomajormilestonesinIndiawiththeannouncement ofthesixnon-profitorganisationsselectedinRound1,whowilltogetherreachnearlyonemillion women, and the launch Request for Applications for the next round of grants.

The announcements were made in Delhi on Wednesday, bringing key stakeholders from government, academia, philanthropic, civil society, and technology ecosystems.

TheSheConnectsDigitalAccelerator:India,aimstoadvancewomen’sdigitalinclusionbyscaling proven,high-impact solutionsthat enable womenandgirls toparticipatefully inthedigitalworld, improving their lives and livelihoods. The Accelerator aims to catalyse innovative partnerships, strengthen evidence on what works, foster south-to-south learning, and help shape a more inclusive digital ecosystem. GSMA Foundation will support selected awardees in India with capacity-building bootcamps and peer-to-peer learning, alongside technical support to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of the digital solutions and programmes that awardees are creating for women.

Speaking at the event, Ms Deepthi Reddy, Chief – Women Empowerment, Reliance Foundation, detailed the Accelerator's vision for India and officially announced the opening of Round2."Empoweringwomenwithtoolsandconfidencetoparticipatefullyinthedigitalworldis essentialtoamoreequitablefuture.Whenempoweredwomenareatthecentre,theydrivemore thantheirownjourneyandcatalysetransformationinsociety.AtRelianceFoundation,ithasbeen ourlong-standingcommitmenttoidentifyandencouragescale-upoftransformativesolutions.We areexcitedtowelcomethefirstcohortofourvaluablepartnerswhobringuniqueideasfordriving this mission forward together,"she said.

Ms Saachi Bhalla, Deputy Director – Gender Equality, Gates Foundation, added perspectives from the Gates Foundation. “The SheConnects Digital Accelerator represents an important opportunity for non-profit organizations to develop and scale solutions that advance women’s meaningful digital inclusion, while generating practical evidence that can inform efforts across India and the Global South. Ultimately, the success of digital transformation will not be measured by the sophistication of our technologies, but by whether they improve people’s lives. Through the SheConnects Digital Accelerator, we have an opportunity to ensure that innovation is both inclusive and impactful,” she said.

Following a rigorous evaluation process, six non-profit organizations were selected for the inauguralroundofgrantswithacollectivecommitmentofINR25.84croreforthisround,todeploy evidence-baseddigitalsolutionsacrossIndia.Intotal,theRound1portfolioisprojectedtoimpact nearly one million individuals.

The initiative's grantees include Project Concern International (PCI) India, to drive economic resilience and digital agency for rural women through its government-backed 'EmpowerHer' platform inOdisha;theM. S.Swaminathan ResearchFoundation, to enhanceagencyof coastal fisherwomen across five states through digital skills and post-harvest facilities; Myna Mahila Foundation, leveraging Myna Bolo chatbot to expand last-mile healthcare access; the Digital Empowerment Foundation, to support rural women entrepreneurs through Soochnapreneur BusinessMitrasandone-stopcentresacrossfourstates;ASocietyforPromotionofInclusiveand Relevant Education (ASPIRE), combining shared infrastructure with community-based training forwomenacrossfourstates;andChaitanya,toequipself-helpgroup(SHG)memberswithdigital skills to navigate restrictive social practices and unlock economic advancement.

The SheConnects DigitalAcceleratoralso announcedthe launchofapplicationsforRoundTwo, invitingIndiannon-profitstoapplyforfundingwhereeachselectedgranteewillbeeligiblefor grants of up to INR 4.2 crore per project. The funding is designed for projects spanning 15 to 18 months that target post-pilot, scale-stage solutions with high potential for scalability and sustainability.

The Accelerator seeks innovative, woman-centred designs combining technology (such as AI, chatbotsandregionallanguagetools)withbehaviourchangecommunications.Theinitiativealso envisagessharingresearchandinsightsfromtheoutcomesoftheseinitiativestoinformthewider ecosystem.

In addition to grants, the selected organisations will be part of expert bootcamps, technical MEL assistance, and learning exchanges.

Applications must be submitted in English through a two-step online process via the official application portal by 04 September 2026, 11:59 PM IST. More information on: https://www.reliancefoundation.org/media/updates/SheConnects.