Driving social impact: Can tech companies help India attain its SDGs faster?

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Driving social impact: Can tech companies help India attain its SDGs faster?

Kuhu Singh

@Kuhu

August 28, 2024

Tech for Good

162

We are halfway past 2024, and the urgency for India to attain the United Nation’s ambitious sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 has only gone up. The SDG score for the country stands at 71 for 2023-24, significantly higher than the 57 reported in 2018 (when the first India SDG Index was launched by the NITI Aayog). This indicates that the country has witnessed accelerated progress on SDGs despite global headwinds. However, a lot still needs to be done within the span of next 6 years.

At an overall level, the essence of India’s SDGs lies in connecting the unconnected in terms of necessities. However, persistent digital accessibility gaps, infrastructural and institutional barriers, and lack of competencies and resources that impedes the use, adoption, and creation of new knowledge are some challenges that need to be ironed out. Further, persistent issues such as gender inequality, poverty and inadequate access to healthcare also remain significant hurdles.

In this scenario, the intersection of technology to achieve India’s SDGs holds immense promise. Globally too, new data collection tools and technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), are being incorporated into SDG monitoring frameworks to attain desired outcomes.

Key SDGs that require tech intervention

Role of tech companies in SDG acceleration

Tech companies can play a key role in accelerating India’s SDG attainment. These companies can leverage new-age solutions to address some of the critical SDGs like eliminating poverty and inequality, preventing environmental degradation, and enhancing access to healthcare and education. Further, technology can help bridge infrastructure gaps in India’s aspirational districts, enhance digital literacy among women and improve agricultural productivity and foster sustainable development in rural areas.

Some initiatives undertaken by tech companies

Several tech companies have been at the forefront in terms of undertaking social impact projects in India-

Microsoft: Has piloted digital classrooms in several states in India. The infrastructure includes virtual classrooms, digital class notebooks, internet, power backups, and projection systems. Educational content and guidance for technology-led teaching are also available for teachers. The company is also an active participant in the fight against hunger through an innovative AI-powered smartphone app named Child Growth Monitor (CGM). The app scans children and instantly detects signs of malnutrition, enabling nutritionists to make informed decisions about a child's dietary health. The app uses an infrared sensor available in some smartphones to capture 3D measurements of a child’s height, body volume and weight ratio, as well as head and upper arm circumferences down to the millimeter level.
Amazon: Has a program called Amazon Future Engineer program that is targeted at educating children and young adults. The program is designed for individuals from underrepresented communities to help them build careers in computer science through scholarships and internships. The selected participants receive a scholarship of Rs 200,000/- (Rs 50,000/- per year) for pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science engineering or related disciplines.
IBM: Has an initiative called IBM Health Corps that is targeted at underserved communities and aims to make long lasting improvements in public health. The program aims to address issues such as primary care gaps, health worker shortages, and access to safe water and nutritious food.
TCS: Has an initiative called HOPE, an employee-led volunteering program. It is designed to empower the marginalized sections of the society and create a long-lasting change. It was launched in January 2023 and reached 11+ PCVH (per capita volunteering hours), impacting six primary SDGs.
Wipro: Has its Wipro Education program, an inclusive education program for disabled children in disadvantaged sections and underprivileged children. The program aims at developing the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to work on issues of education reforms systematically through this program.
Infosys: Has partnered with LV Prasad Eye Institute through Infosys Foundation and designed and launched the SightConnect mobile application with the goal of making preventive eyecare accessible to everyone. The app can be used by patients or healthcare workers anytime, anywhere to test for eye conditions, diagnosis and further referral to specialists for in-person management of the case.

Contribution by tech start-ups focused on creating social impact

The rising number of social impact start-ups that work in the areas of healthtech, cleantech, watertech and agritech can also play a crucial role in helping India achieve its SDGs faster. For instance, several start-ups in the health tech space are attempting to bridge the gap between end users and physicians, promote early detection, enhance patient well-being, and keep track of health-related requirements. This can help the country move closer to its goal of ensuring good health and well-being of its citizens (SDG 3).

Similarly, cleantech start-ups are creating electric transportation solutions, using biomass and biofuels for electrification, utilizing solar energy etc to enable rural and isolated populations gain access to energy in more environment friendly and sustainable ways. This can pave the way for progress in granting affordable and clean energy (SDG 7).

Moreover, water tech start-ups are working to save water and ensure equitable access to this scare resource. This can help attain the goal of providing clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) for all. Meanwhile, start-ups focused on agritech are also playing a key role by offering equipment at reasonable prices, devising marketing strategies, crop protection measures and crop analytics that can increase profitability for the struggling agriculture sector in India. This can help India move forward in its goal of ensuring zero hunger (SDG 2).

Undertaking collaborative efforts to enable inclusion for all

To summarize, the process of achieving India’s SDGs by 2030 can be accelerated by leveraging technology as a key lever. This would require adoption of a collaborative approach among key stakeholders like the government, tech companies, businesses, start-ups, NGOs, academia, and communities etc. Together, these stakeholders can devise effective strategies that can drive swifter attainment of India’s SDGs.

Techforgood

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