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 The SheConnects Digital Accelerator
A woman in colourful clothing smiles for a photo at a vibrant outdoor market with embroidered bags.

SheConnects Digital Accelerator

Advancing women’s digital inclusion in India and Sub-Saharan Africa

SheConnects Digital Accelerator India

Following a rigorous evaluation process, six non-profit organisations were selected for the first round of grants, with a collective commitment of INR 25.84 crore to deploy evidence-based digital solutions across India. The Round 1 portfolio is projected to impact nearly one million individuals.

The word “Aspire” in pink script is below five overlapping arches in blue, teal, purple, yellow, and green, forming a colourful, semi-circular rainbow pattern above the text.

A Society for Promotion of Inclusive and Relevant Education (ASPIRE), combining shared infrastructure with community-based training for women across four states. 

A circular logo with “Chaitanya” in white letters atop a red border. Inside, an orange circle is surrounded by orange triangles and dots. At the bottom, “चैतन्य” is written in white Devanagari script.


Chaitanya, to equip self-help group (SHG) members with digital skills to navigate restrictive social practices and unlock economic advancement. 

Logo with two abstract human figures forming a house shape above a Wi-Fi symbol. Below, “defindia” is written in red, “org” in grey with a red globe icon replacing the “o.” Background is white.


Digital Empowerment Foundation, to support rural women entrepreneurs through Soochnapreneur Business Mitras and one-stop centres across four states.

Logo with “mssrf” in brown lowercase letters. Above the text, four green circles each display a white branch pattern, symbolising growth and nature. The design is simple and conveys an environmental or agricultural focus.


M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, to enhance agency of coastal fisherwomen across five states through digital skills and post-harvest facilities. 

A stylised logo featuring a pink “M” and yellow bird combined with a navy “M.” Below, bold navy text reads “MYNA MAHILA.” The design uses geometric shapes and contrasts bright pink and yellow with dark blue.


Myna Mahila Foundation, leveraging Myna Bolo chatbot to expand last-mile healthcare access. 

The image shows the PCI India logo in purple text. The “i” in “pci” features an orange and yellow arc above it, resembling a wi-fi signal. The word “INDIA” appears in uppercase letters to the right of the “pci” text.

Project Concern International (PCI) India, to drive economic resilience and digital agency for rural women through its government-backed ‘EmpowerHer’ platform in Odisha.

Whether enabling women to get online for the first time, or supporting those already online to use the internet safely and effectively across a wider range of life-enhancing activities, the Accelerator works with enterprises whose solutions recognise and respond to the diverse barriers women face in accessing and using the internet.

The Accelerator’s Technical Assistance round is supported by the Gates Foundation and managed by the GSMA Foundation.

Selected enterprises receive up to two years of tailored, in-kind technical assistance – provided by the GSMA Foundation and expert third-party suppliers.

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Meet the Technical Assistance Awardees

Logo with the text “Digital Naari By PayNearby.” The “N” is stylised as a red ribbon, turning into an upward arrow with three white dots on it, symbolising growth and progress. The design has a modern, empowering feel.

PayNearby India is onboarding women as digital and financial agents and expanding their access to and meaningful use of the internet while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for women in rural India. 

The image shows the Safaricom logo. The word “Safaricom” is written in bold green letters, with a red swoosh curving over the “S” at the beginning. The background is plain white.

Safaricom is addressing the smartphone affordability barrier by combining a low upfront device cost with a daily usage bundle enabling customers to access and use data and voice services through manageable pay-as-you-go payments with a specific focus on women. 

Vodacom logo with a bold red lowercase “vodacom” next to a red circle containing a white curved shape resembling an inverted comma or speech bubble, all on a white background.

Vodacom Mozambique is combining device financing to make access to 4G internet-enabled devices more affordable to underserved populations, particularly women, with bundled connectivity and digital skills support.