Qualcomm with its Qualcomm Wireless Reach initiative and the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) today announced results from their mobile technology program, Soochnapreneur, that connects India’s rural poor to information about hundreds of government entitlement programs and creates technology-based entrepreneurship opportunities for rural youth.
The Soochnapreneur (sooch-nah-pre-neur) program demonstrates how advanced wireless technologies can be used for social and economic empowerment, helping to bridge information poverty gaps through last-mile information access and delivery of services.
The Soochnapreneur program takes its name from the words “Soochna” which means ‘information’ in Hindi and “entrepreneur.” The program aligns with the Government of India’s Digital India plan, which aims to empower citizens through ubiquitous access to the Internet and use of mobile phones and services. 
Approximately 70% of India’s population lives in rural areas that have high poverty and illiteracy rates. Many of these citizens are unaware of existing government entitlements and lack Internet access which could provide them with information such as eligibility requirements and process to obtain the entitlements. Additionally, there is a need to provide rural youth with new entrepreneurial opportunities that will enable them to earn a livelihood, and ultimately contribute to their communities. The SoochnaPreneur program has addressed these challenges by equipping 100 rural youth in the West Champaran district of Bihar; Guna district of Madhya Pradesh; Alwar and Barmer districts of Rajasthan; Ranchi district of Jharkhand; and Bargarh district of Odisha with mobile tools and connectivity to empower them to become SoochnaPreneurs.
Soochnapreneurs have been provided with 4G LTE-enabled tablets, pre-loaded with the MeraApp, a mobile application that contains detailed information on more than 600 government entitlements; 3G and 4G LTE connectivity with data plans; and training on how to use the technologies and deliver information services to their community. Additionally, two Soochnapreneurs have been teamed to jointly set up infrastructure comprising of a laptop computer, printer, and scanners enabling them to scan documents and print applications for Government services.
Soochnapreneurs have enabled approximately 7,000 beneficiaries to apply for benefits, such as housing, road construction, and emergency medical expense coverage. As of June 2017, Soochnapreneurs participating in the program were earning an average monthly income of Rs 1,600 (approximately $25 USD) which is increasing.
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