On December 3, 2024, two companies based out of Bengaluru—The Nudge Institute and Mphasis—unveiled their ambitious initiative known as the 'Digital Naukri Challenge.' This initiative aims to create significant digital employment opportunities for one million women by the year 2030. With a total prize purse of Rs 6.5 crore, the challenge is set to last for 20 months and calls for tech startups and innovators to help facilitate these employment opportunities.
Deepa Nagraj, who serves as the Senior Vice President and Global Head of ESG at Mphasis, emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "While the female workforce participation rate is increasing, data indicates women continue to be concentrated predominantly within low-productivity sectors. This presents urgent needs to develop solutions to bridge the existing gaps and offer more impactful job opportunities."
The challenge is fundamentally collaborative. It is being launched alongside India’s Government-backed platform, Manthan, which is created for research and innovation, primed to scale partnerships and encourage collective futures. According to Sapna Pothi, Director of Strategic Alliances for the Principal Scientific Adviser of the Government of India, this initiative exemplifies how working together can help create inclusive futures driven by technology.
The statistics surrounding female participation in India’s labor market are stark. The female participation rate currently sits at only 37%. When dissected by age and marital status, the disparity is even more pronounced; for example, single women between the ages of 25 to 29 engage with the labor market at about 60% participation, whereas their married counterparts see participation plummet to 20%. This situation indicates significant challenges women face, particularly surrounding domestic responsibilities and societal expectations.
The 'Digital Naukri Challenge' seeks to address not just quantitative assessments, but also qualitative improvements by supporting the development of skills and training opportunities. The criteria for participation include demonstrating how platforms will provide flexible, micronetwork work opportunities to women.
Key components of the challenge highlight the importance of remote and time-flexible opportunities, enabling women to work between 1-4 hours per day. This kind of flexibility is especially relevant for women who may be balancing caregiving responsibilities and job-related commitments. Participants are encouraged to provide evidence of skills training efficacy, aiming for measurable outcomes such as retaining at least 70% of trained individuals.
Particularly focused on sustainability, the challenge outlines compensation structures intending to offer women sustainable income ranging from Rs 200-500 per hour for at least ten days each month. This approach is indicative of the shift many sectors are undergoing, transitioning from traditional employment forms to more adaptable arrangements capable of accommodating diverse life circumstances.
The launch of the 'Digital Naukri Challenge' not only signifies major corporate movements toward inclusivity but reflects broader societal acknowledgment of gender disparities within the workforce. It serves as both a challenge and gateway, providing the promise of bridging digital divides and empowering women across various dimensions by integrating technology with workforce solutions.
Mphasis's Deepa Nagraj’s remarks serve as calls to action, elucidation hope about how innovative solutions can pave the way forward. "It's high time we recognize unmet needs and mobilize innovative pathways to solutions; initiatives like these are imperative to drive meaningful change," she stated, summarizing the overall sentiment surrounding the initiative.
With this new challenge, it's clear both Mphasis and The Nudge Institute are setting sizeable expectations within the Indian workforce. The initiative addresses the pressing question of how to scale employment opportunities to meet the needs of countless women, all the meanwhile setting the stage for potential collaborations and innovative employment pathways. This is just the beginning as communities turn their attention to how technology can empower increasingly diverse professional landscapes.
Encouragingly, the collaboration between various stakeholders, including businesses, government bodies, and NGOs, is becoming central to India's economic strategy aiming for increased workforce inclusivity. The 'Digital Naukri Challenge' is proof positive of such effort, and as the clock ticks toward the 2030 goal, many will be watching closely, both for successes and for the lessons learned along the way.
