It’s about creation of e-infrastructure in rural areas
Description
SREI Sahaj e-Village Limited (Sahaj) was created as a SPV of SREI Infrastructure Finance Company Limited to set up and manage – under the aegis of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) – over 28,000 Common Service Centres (CSCs, called Sahaj Centres) across six States i.e. Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The purpose was to reach a range of Government to Consumer (G2C) and Business to Consumer (B2C) services to the rural citizens living in the remotest corners of the country by leveraging ICT platform and thus, cutting down on costs, time and intermediaries and in the process, eliminating leakages and corruption.
What do we deliver?
Sahaj services currently range from facilitation of e-Governance services and empowerment to information, education, banking, utility services to several other Business to Business (B2B) services like Market Research, sales promotions etc. Sahaj has thus empowered the rural citizens with the same choice, convenience and transparency as their urban counterparts enjoy in their day to day lives. The rural consumers are no more required to go to the towns to pay for their electricity bills or, get their mobile phones recharged or, making payments for their insurance premiums. Even, Government certificates and documents can now be obtained at the villages itself.
Whom we deliver?
Currently, the services are offered to around 29 million rural customers living in the rural areas of the above stated six States. They are not only economically backward but also rank very low on several socio-economic development indicators compared to that of the other States. Together they represent the largest chunk of the poor in the country. They live in 107 districts of them, 60 districts are frequently affected by drought and flood while 22 districts suffer from law and order problems. Most villages do not have regular power supply or, access to all-weather roads.
How is the project unique?
This is a unique project because It provides services to the rural citizens living in the remotest corners of the country without increase in costs, time and intermediaries. It empowers rural citizens with choice, convenience and transparency. It has created rural entrepreneurs and showed them earning opportunity while living and investing in their own villages. Sahaj initiatives helped in financial inclusion. Sahaj works creates an infrastructure that can be used by the Government, private and social sector organizations to achieve their different goals while contributing to the socio-economic development of the rural masses.
Roadmap
Sahaj dream is to create the infrastructure that can be leveraged by the Government, private and social sector organizations to achieve their social and commercial goals. It attempts to create an infrastructure that will enable rural customers to avail all services while in their villages.
Contact
SREI Sahaj e-Village Limited (Sahaj)
Ram Narayan Ghatak
Mirania Garden, Plot No. 43, 10/B Topsia Road (East) Kolkata 700046
URL/Website – http://www.sahajcorporate.com
