Tata AI Sakhi Immersion Program

Detailed Summary

• Host (Srividhya Muralidharan) opened the event, inviting the audience to take their seats and prompting applause for the arriving chief guest.
• Repeated calls for participants to stand, clap, and welcome the dignitaries, creating a festive atmosphere.
• Chief Guest – Smriti Irani entered the hall; the audience was asked to give a warm, standing ovation.

2. Chief Guest’s Address (≈ 8 min)

• Irani highlighted her experience as a former Union Minister (Human‑Resource Development, Women & Child Development, Minority Affairs, etc.).
• She stressed that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can “understand, think, and respond” like a human, making everyday work easier and opening new avenues for learning and earning.
• Emphasised that AI in Hindi on a mobile phone removes language and device barriers – no English or laptop required.
• Linked the program to the three pillars of the AI Impact Summit – People, Planet, Progress – arguing that AI‑enabled empowerment of women strengthens families, communities, and the nation.

3. Tata Group’s CSR Landscape (≈ 12 min)

• Aarti Subramanian (TCS) took the stage, receiving a hearty applause. She outlined TCS’s role in driving AI‑enabled innovation and transformation across the Tata Group.
• A short video showcased the breadth of CSR initiatives across four Tata companies:

Tata Company	CSR Programme	Key Impact (as per video)
TCS	Women Empowerment – “Digital Didi”	1,866 women now digital entrepreneurs; earn ₹10‑50 k / month; active in 10 states & 43 districts.
Tata Steel Foundation	“Disha” digital‑literacy drive	47 k+ women digitally literate; >₹90 cr of government benefits directly received.
Tata Power	“Anokha Dhaaga” – eco‑friendly craft promotion	30 k+ people linked to permanent jobs; tribal artisans earned >₹1 cr.
Tata Chemicals	“Okhai” – craft empowerment for 68 tribal communities (31 k artisans)	Revitalised traditional crafts (Kashmir block print, Odisha handloom, etc.) and created new market channels.

• The presenter stressed that AI is the next logical step for these programmes: AI will help Digital Didis provide faster services, artisans reach broader markets, and women launch new ventures.

4. Program Structure & Objectives (≈ 5 min)

• Srividhya explained that the immersion programme is a hands‑on, Hindi‑language AI session. Participants will:

  1. Design new product ideas (using AI‑assisted sketching & ideation).
  2. Create marketing collateral (posters, social‑media graphics).
  3. Navigate government schemes (search, translate, apply).
  4. Translate documents (e.g., certificates, application forms).
  5. Draft applications (loans, subsidies, permits).

• All activities are mobile‑first; mentors will assist any participant who needs help.

5. Hands‑On AI Immersion (≈ 45 min)

5.1. Mentor‑Led Demonstrations

• Facilitators displayed the AI mobile app (voice‑enabled, Hindi interface).
• Demonstrated image‑to‑text conversion: a photo of a handwritten product sketch was turned into a digital design, then refined using AI suggestions.
• Showed AI‑generated tagline creation for a hand‑woven bag; participants could edit the suggestion instantly.
• Walk‑through of government‑scheme search: a participant typed “कृषि उपज सब्सिडी” and the AI returned eligibility criteria, required documents, and a ready‑to‑fill application form in Hindi.

5.2. Participant‑Driven Activities

• Group 1 (≈ 500 artisans) – focused on product design & visual creation.

  • Example: Jyoti Kumari (Jharkhand) used AI to generate a modern saree pattern inspired by traditional tussar silk; the AI suggested color palettes and printed mock‑ups.
  • Tanupriya Keshri created a marketing poster for a bamboo‑craft business, adding AI‑suggested slogans in Hindi.

• Group 2 (≈ 1 000 entrepreneurs / Digital Didis) – used AI for government‐service navigation.

  • Anjali Prasad demonstrated how the AI translated a bank loan form from English to Hindi, auto‑filling her personal details.
  • Nutan Kumari accessed M‑POS (mobile point‑of‑sale) guidelines, with AI summarizing the steps in simple Hindi.

• Group 3 (≈ 150 digitally‑savvy women) – explored advanced AI use‑cases.

  • Aarti Subramanian (artisan) experimented with AI‑driven product‑pricing calculators, adjusting for raw‑material cost and market demand.
  • Lakshmi Rani (tribal weaver) used AI to generate high‑resolution images of traditional Ikat designs for e‑commerce listings.

• Throughout the session, participants raised hands for assistance; mentors answered in Hindi, often sharing short screen‑share snippets.

5.3. Real‑Time Outputs Displayed

• The large screen showed a live dashboard tallying completed tasks:

  • 1 155 AI‑assisted creations (designs, posters, applications).
  • 381 translated documents.
  • 75 marketing videos (short clips created via AI‑video tool).

• The facilitator highlighted a few stand‑out outputs, such as a digital poster for a “Kashmir Block‑Print” collection and a AI‑generated business plan for a micro‑enterprise.

6. Participant Stories & Testimonials (≈ 30 min)

• Structured “story‑telling” block where selected women shared how digital empowerment has transformed their lives.

Participant	Background	Key Insight
Tanupriya Keshri (Jharkhand)	Former weaver, now runs a CSC (Common Service Centre)	AI helps her process 10‑12 k ₹ / month; she can now guide villagers on pensions, ration cards, and subsidies.
Jyoti Kumari (Bihar)	Handicraft entrepreneur (cotton‑toy production)	With AI‑designed product catalogs, she secured orders from a metropolitan retailer; income rose from ₹8 k to ₹45 k / month.
Nutan Kumari (Odisha)	Mother of two, runs a kitchen‑catering unit	AI translation of food‑safety certificates saved her a week of bureaucracy; she now supplies to a corporate canteen.
Anjali Prasad (Jammu & Kashmir)	Traditional block‑print artisan	AI‑generated high‑resolution mock‑ups enabled her to showcase designs on an e‑commerce platform, expanding sales beyond the region.
Lakshmi Rani (Madhya Pradesh)	Digital Didi for 5‑village cluster	AI‑assisted query‑answering reduces average response time to citizens from 48 h to 10 min.

• Many participants expressed initial fear (“I thought AI would be too hard”) but reported instant confidence gains after the first few tasks.
• Several women recited short poems celebrating the newfound “AI‑Sakhi” (friend) that empowers them.

7. Q&A & Open Discussion (≈ 15 min)

• Audience questions (mostly in Hindi) covered:

  1. Data privacy – “If AI stores my personal details, how is it protected?” – Answer: The app uses end‑to‑end encryption, data remains on the device unless the user explicitly shares it.
  2. Internet connectivity – “What if my village has no stable network?” – Answer: The app works offline for most functions (design, translation); only cloud‑based features need connectivity, which can be accessed via local Wi‑Fi hotspots.
  3. Scaling to other languages – “Can I use the same tool for regional dialects?” – Answer: The AI models are being trained for multiple Indian languages; Hindi remains the primary launch language.
  4. Monetisation possibilities – “How can I charge for AI‑enhanced designs?” – Answer: Encouraged participants to publish designs on platforms like Etsy, Amazon India, or local e‑markets, leveraging AI‑generated portfolios as a sales asset.

• The moderators reiterated the responsibility of AI users: verify outputs, double‑check critical information, and avoid blind reliance.

8. Closing Remarks (≈ 8 min)

• Srividhya thanked the chief guest, CSR partners, mentors, and the 1 600 women participants.
• Emphasised that this immersion is a starting point, not a one‑off event. TCS and the Tata Group will continue ongoing mentorship, periodic up‑skill webinars, and a community forum for peer‑to‑peer support.
• Re‑iterated the three‑pillared vision (People – empowering millions of women; Planet – sustainable livelihoods; Progress – digital inclusion).
• Invited participants to share their AI‑created artefacts on the “AI Sakhi” portal and to stay connected for future batches.

9. Transition & Acknowledgements (≈ 5 min)

• A short thank‑you video displayed, spotlighting the joint CSR effort across Tata Steel, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, and TCS.
• The host announced logistical details for exiting the hall (use designated doors, keep phones silent).
• The session concluded with another standing ovation for all speakers and participants.

Key Takeaways

• AI can be accessed in Hindi on a simple smartphone, removing language and hardware barriers for rural women.
• Hands‑on, mentor‑guided immersion enables participants to immediately produce market‑ready assets (designs, posters, applications).
• Tata Group’s multi‑company CSR ecosystem already supports digital literacy; AI now extends those gains into higher‑value economic activities.
• Real‑world impact stories demonstrated measurable income boosts (up to ₹45 k / month) and time‑saving in government‑service interactions.
• Data privacy and verification remain critical; participants were reminded to validate AI outputs before acting.
• The program is not a one‑off event – TCS will sustain the initiative with ongoing training, a community portal, and periodic follow‑ups.
• Women’s collective confidence grew markedly: many who entered with apprehension left chanting “AI Sakhi – our friend!” and pledged to teach others.
• Scalability is feasible: the model can be replicated across other Indian languages and states, amplifying the reach of AI‑enabled empowerment.

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