Sahaj e-Village, an initiative of Srei Infrastructure Finance to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural India, has partnered with Small Industries Development Bank of India to implement the Poorest States Inclusive Growth (PSIG) program in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. Sahaj has over 14,500 IT enabled centers at Gram Panchayat levels in these three states, offering over 50 government and consumer services to the rural population. Funded by the Department for International Development, (DFID), UK, the program aims to improve the income and employment opportunities of poor women and men in eight low income states of Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and West Bengal by enabling them to participate and benefit from the wider economic growth in India. It has been set up to improve income, and reduce vulnerability of the poor people by expanding their access to finance and markets. Sahaj will facilitate financial services institutions, including banks and MFIs to provide services for rural population in the three states as well as supplement microfinance programmes with training for women to improve their knowledge and confidence in financial services. It will not only facilitate studies but also improve the policy environment for microfinance and improving overall business environment in the low income states.
