FEMALE WORKFORCE: Bengaluru-based companies announce Rs 6.5 crore prize challenge to create digital work opportunities for women

Two Bengaluru -based companies, The Nudge Institute and Mphasis, have announced a ‘Digital Naukri Challenge,’ on Monday to create digital work opportunities for 1 million women by 2030. With a prize purse of Rs 6.5 crore and a duration spanning 20 months, the challenge invites tech startups and innovators to unlock gainful employment opportunities for more women in India, said Deepa Nagraj, senior vice president & global head – ESG, Sparkle Innovation Ecosystem, and Communications, Mphasis.

The companies have collaborated with Manthan, a Government of India platform for research and innovation to promote collaborations at scale, a press release issued by The Nudge Institute said.

“By bridging the digital divide and unlocking opportunities at scale, this initiative showcases how collective efforts can create an inclusive future, where technology drives progress and transforms lives,” said Sapna Pothi, director, strategic alliances, principal scientific adviser, GoI, who has also played a vital role in the development of Manthan.

“While female workforce participation is rising, data shows that women remain concentrated in a few low-productivity sectors, highlighting the need to close solution gaps. At Mphasis, we’re committed to supporting initiatives that drive real change,” the release quoted Deepa Nagraj as saying.

According to her, India’s female labour force participation rate is only 37%.

“In urban India, for instance, the labour force participation rate for single women aged 25-29 is 60%, as compared to an abysmal 20% among their married counterparts. Interestingly, at least a third of housewives have expressed an interest in formal employment,” added Nagraj.

Kanishka Chatterjee, director, The Nudge Prize, said, “This is the most ambitious challenge we’ve ever launched. The untapped potential of millions of homemakers and aspiring women, eager to break free and actively participate in this economy, is nothing short of inspiring.” According to Chatterjee, once a cohort of 8-10 organisations is selected from the applicant pool, they will kickstart their 20-month journey of developing and testing their idea for scalability and retention, among other outcomes.

“During this process, they can access support from an eminent group of investors, research, and implementation partners, advisors, academia, and policymakers, including the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, Govt. of India,” added Chatterjee.