Page 26 - Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21

20 Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21 21

Innovations for improved Innovation for social impact

rural lives and livelihoods Empowering rural India with technology Transformation Rural
solutions

Digital technology solutions catalyse change and help communities take
informed decisions. They also provide linkage to government schemes
Reliance Foundation supports some of the most marginalised communities across rural and initiatives for access to entitlements.
India with innovative and sustainable solutions. Since 2010, Reliance Foundation has Reliance Foundation Information Services reach communities through
fostered positive social change by strengthening community structures, providing water, multiple modes including mobile phone services, social media platforms,
television, radio and helplines. Reliance Foundation has 1,000+ partners
nutrition and livelihood security to communities it serves. These initiatives contributed to to source accurate and relevant information and democratise access and
national priority missions through partnerships with agencies in the social development information use.
space. The agencies include Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), National Bank for Agriculture Reliance Foundation has also helped farmers enhance crop yields and
safeguard livestock. This year, digital advisories proved especially handy as
and Rural Development (NABARD), Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI), Rural farmers received timely information on weather and pest attacks.
Development and Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI), State Rural Livelihood
Missions (SRLMs), Ministry of Fisheries, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Department 10.6+ million A Digital Farm School
of Women and Child (DWCD), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), NGOs, line departments, Individuals reached by Reliance Was piloted in collaboration
with Perunthalaivar Kamaraj
Foundation Information Services
universities and skilling centres. by making information accessible Krishi Vigyan Kendra (PKKVK),
in 10 Indian languages across Puducherry — the first KVK in
Due to the pandemic, Reliance Foundation pivoted operations to ensure sustained 39,000 villages in 19 states and the country – to provide expert Vinayaga Moorthy, from Tamil Nadu, showing how Pheromon
Drop helped him in saving his standing crops
support to communities so that livelihoods could continue safely and essentials could be two Union territories guidance while ensuring social
distancing
accessed. It undertook a massive coordinated effort, leveraging existing skills and

its prior experience of reaching millions of marginalised communities in India.

Supporting India’s national priorities through Rural Transformation Making fishing safer and sustainable Reliance Foundation
endeavours to make fishing
Reliance Foundation endeavours to make fishing more sustainable and
profitable while ensuring safety for the marine fisherfolk along India’s more sustainable and
expansive coastline with information support from the Indian National profitable while ensuring safety
Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and Central Marine for the marine fisherfolk.
Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

Machli app empowers fishers to take informed decisions, gain better profits

After learning about Reliance Foundation’s Disaster
Management Programme and the ingenious Machli app,
which he began using, Milind has been able to increase his
A women farmer listening to RFIS expert advisories for her pigeon pea crop in Maharashtra income sustainably. The app has been especially made
for fishermen like him, and has been jointly developed
by Reliance AI Centre for Excellence and Indian National
Centre For Ocean Information Services (INCOIS). Through
Pillars of Reliance Foundation's Rural Transformation Programme the app, Milind can easily access information about the
weather and advisories for fishermen on his mobile.
He now receives daily weather updates that help him plan
Innovation for Livelihood Market Nutrition his ventures better. Apart from being a credible
Social Impact Enhancement Linkages Security source of weather forecast, the app has broken
Milind Moreshwar Marde in Dahanu taluka of Palghar district in the ‘English exclusive’ language barrier,
Maharashtra uses the Machli app delivering information in vernacular
language, thus widening access to
Water and Women information. Today, the information
Ecological Empowerment Governance The village of Dhakti Dahani, Palghar, Maharashtra is a fishing relevant to Milind’s work is enabling
Security hub. For most fishers here, fishing is the primary source of him to take informed decisions about
livelihood. But like many others, for Milind Marde, frequent his livelihood, lessen risks to his life
weather changes and cyclones have been a constant worry. and improve his earnings.