In an era of rapid technological advancement, bridging the digital divide has become a critical priority. L&T Finance Ltd. (LTF), one of the leading Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in the country, is addressing this issue through its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, the ‘Digital Sakhi’ program, empowering 75 lakh individuals, especially in rural communities, with vital digital and financial literacy skills.
“At LTF, CSR programs are designed around the ‘3S’ Principles, Social Impact, Scale, and Sustainability. In this milieu, we see community empowerment and social inclusion as the foundation of sustainable development,” says Ms. Apurva Rathod, Company Secretary and Chief Sustainability Officer at LTF.
The Program and Its Reach
Launched in 2017, the ‘Digital Sakhi’ program promotes digital literacy and builds financial awareness among households in rural communities. It supports women entrepreneurs and facilitates access to social welfare and entitlement schemes, creating community leaders who, in turn, share the acquired knowledge with others.
“Under our core thrust area of Digital and Financial Inclusion, our flagship program, ‘Digital Sakhi,’ focuses on equipping rural women with digital and financial skills. They serve as the last-mile bridge between underserved households and essential services, helping people access digital payments, banking platforms, government schemes, and information services,” Rathod explains.
First piloted in Maharashtra, the program garnered immense success and was replicated in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. Under Digital Sakhi 2.0, its geographical footprint has expanded steadily and, as of FY ’26, it is operational across eight states – Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
Driving this initiative is a network of over 2,100 trained Digital Sakhis working across more than 4,800 villages. The outreach now extends to 75 lakh community members, while simultaneously empowering more than 17,000 women entrepreneurs.
“We believe that true financial inclusion goes beyond just access; it is about building confidence, capability, and opportunity within communities,” she adds.
Objective
Digital Sakhi program works on multiple fronts at once, promoting digital and financial literacy among women, nurturing sustainable livelihoods through women-led microenterprises with branding and market linkages, and integrating social entitlement schemes for holistic community development.
“The second most important aspect of our program is identifying potential women entrepreneurs and providing them with handholding support and seed capital to start or upgrade their businesses into sustainable models,” Rathod notes.
Approach
The program is anchored around three core pillars – Social Impact, Scale, and Sustainability. It empowers rural communities, especially women, with digital and financial literacy (Social Impact), expands its reach across villages and states through trained Digital Sakhis (Scale), and strengthens long-term community capacity to ensure continued learning and self-reliance (Sustainability).
“To achieve these desired outcomes, our program is designed and implemented over four years to ensure maximum outreach and impact. But our role is not limited to the program duration,” Rathod says.
“Through the setup of common service centers called Digital Seva Kendras (DSKs), we ensure that Digital Sakhis continue to provide essential digital and financial services, thereby securing a sustainable source of livelihood for them after program completion.”
Innovations at Digital Sakhi
The project leverages technology-driven monitoring systems, including a web portal, mobile application, learning management system, integrated HRMS, and live dashboards to track progress and outcomes. It also uses Kobo-based data collection and reporting tools to ensure real-time insights.
Through interactive learning modules, the program addresses key areas such as CIBIL awareness, fraud prevention, financial risks, and understanding formal credit systems.
“Partnerships have been critical in expanding the reach and depth of the program. They allow us to scale impact while staying locally relevant. By collaborating with credible grassroots organisations and training partners, we are able to combine strong community engagement with structured capacity-building.”
“The collaborations with our implementing partners allow us to design context-specific training modules, strengthen field implementation, foster trust and accountability, and provide sustained mentorship to Digital Sakhis,” Rathod says.
Digital Sakhi collaborates with livelihood NGOs, social enterprises, and institutions such as RBI, NABARD, SELCO Foundation, RUDSETI, NRLM, and NHM to expand its reach and deepen its impact in rural communities.
Achievements and Impact
The Digital Sakhi initiative has delivered measurable impact, with an SROI of ₹123 (until September 2024), meaning each rupee invested generates ₹123 in social value.
“One of the most profound impacts of the program has been the personal transformation experienced by the Digital Sakhis themselves. Many women who initially had little exposure to technology have grown into confident trainers, entrepreneurs, and trusted advisors within their communities. They now conduct digital literacy sessions, guide villagers in accessing financial services, and help people navigate digital platforms for everyday needs,” she says.
“Moreover, we have witnessed a powerful shift in their confidence levels and socialising skills. During our field visits, especially in the states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, we have seen how initially women would cover their heads and faces with the saree veil and refrain from making eye contact.
From being introverts to appearing in podcasts and All India Radio, delivering key training sessions, wearing blazers in the villages, they have garnered such immense respect as Digital Sakhis.”
“We have seen fantastic outcome where the Digital Sakhis have gone beyond their role and helped deliver key social impacts ranging from stopping child marriages and providing aid to disabled people to constructing the first road and bus stand in the villages.”
Challenges and the Road Ahead
While the program has made significant progress, barriers to adoption remain. Rural women often face limitations in access, awareness, and confidence when engaging with digital systems.
“Rural women often encounter several barriers like limited digital literacy, restricted access to devices, low awareness of financial services, and social norms and stigmas that can limit their participation. There can also be hesitation around using digital platforms due to concerns about fraud or unfamiliarity with technology,” she adds.
Looking ahead, the role of community-led digital inclusion is expected to grow further as India’s digital ecosystem expands.
“India’s digital transformation presents enormous opportunities, but ensuring that its benefits reach the last mile will require strong community-led models. Initiatives like Digital Sakhi demonstrate the power of empowering women as digital enablers in ensuring that India’s digital transformation remains inclusive.”
“We’ve seen that empowering women as digital enablers creates a multiplier effect. When one woman gains digital confidence, she often enables dozens of families in her community to access opportunities that were previously out of reach.”
“Digital Sakhi is not just about technology adoption; it is about nurturing grassroots leadership that will help shape a more inclusive and resilient digital future for India,” Ms. Rathod concludes.
