On the fringes of the erstwhile Calcutta lies a bustling settlement - Metiabruz. Once known as the “second Lucknow” and amidst the old colonial buildings, within yet separated from the hustle-bustle of the Kolkata metro lights, Metiaburz follows its own code of life. It houses one of the most conservative minority communities where its women are living reflections of gender barriers. Restrictions to higher education, inaccessibility to the outside world is not unheard of here. Young girls and women do have dreams but most of them lay hidden and concealed behind a veil of societal norms. 

And then in 2007, Anudip started its operations to empower the vibrant dreams, shaping them into a reality. This is a story of one of them. Simi Khan is a 23 year old bright young woman who grew up seeing how other women in her community were treated - restricted at home, given less access to education and employment. Breaking away from stereotypes, Simi enrolled for Anudip‘s digital skilling program to follow her aspirations and become financially independent. Today, she is an employee of one of the leading digital data services, working on advanced and latest technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Simi has been able to inspire her mother, to join the technology course and work in breakneck technology.  An exemplary testament of woman empowerment and the profound will to break down barriers, Simi is just one among the thousands, whose life has been transformed by Anudip’s game-changing technology-driven initiative to train and empower crisis-stricken people. Anudip through its technology driven programs has been able to empower more than 40,000+ women and girls from marginalized communities in advanced technology-driven job.

Underserved youth and women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are led through a process of continuous improvement, diverse training, and mentoring at Anudip with the help of new-age technologies. The fully-digitized curriculum with customized content, interactive multimedia and games as part of the immersive professional development program helps create digital-age learning experiences and new-age employment towards becoming respected global citizens. Anudip is a not-for-profit organization, engaging youth and women from unserved communities of migrants, political refugees, reformed insurgents, impoverished families below poverty levels, rescued victims of trafficking, persons with disabilities, religious and ethnic minorities across India and USA to be a part of the internet economy. Spread across 16 Indian States and New Orleans in the US, Anudip partners with renowned institutions like Accenture, JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, US Embassy, HSBC, Bank of America, Microsoft, National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) of India, Google, NetHope, Citi, Bank of America, Cisco, ITC, Accenture, ICRA, NetHope, Google, Capgemeni, ICRA to create knowledge economy livelihoods. Anudip’s stellar placement record with 75% consistent success over the years stems from its training programs being tailored to actual needs of employers like Tata Consultancy, 3rd Life, Walmart, Flipkart, 3rd Life, Tech Mahindra, Neilson, Amazon, Paytm and many others from across sectors. In conjunction, industry leaders from reputed organizations join for diverse volunteering opportunities and become mentors to usher job-aspirants for careers in the twenty-first century economy. 

Anudip is a strategic partnership with iMerit Technology, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and other new age technologies. More than 2000+ Anudip’s alumni have been employed at iMerit, working on new age technologies. The Anudip-iMerit collaboration has brought tech-based work to girls in rural suburbs of India. It has turned out to be a successful outsourcing exercise, whereby girls from villages were undertaking global projects that required the know-how of AI skills as well as data annotation. 

Anudip has been entitled as the Best Organization for Women Empowerment by at the Women Empowerment Summit and GIWL Awards 2019. The Company has been adjudged winner by ‘The Indian Chambers of Commerce’ in ‘Enhancing Employment through Vocational Skills’ for successfully generating sustainable knowledge-economy livelihoods for high-need communities under the Social Impact Awards 2019. Anudip is a proud recipient of the Outstanding Employer Initiative 2019 at the 9th National Education Award. Skills Development Corporation of India (NSDC) has awarded Anudip as the Best Partner Jury Awards for 2018 for its innovative business model to touch lives through Immersive Development Program employing education, skills, technology and employment. In 2020, Anudip has been recognized as a Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviors proven to deliver increased innovation. Anudip has won Indian Achiever’s Award 2020-21 in recognition of outstanding professional achievement & contribution in nation building. 

The Harvard Business School highlighted Anudip’s contribution as a Skilling Institute in Harvard Business Review as a testimony on how Anudip empowered India’s educated yet marginalized women and youth through skills and technology.

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Impact-Story is a series on development and CSR interventions leading to some impacts on the ground. If you have a project, innovation or intervention that has changed the lives of a few people or a community, please share a brief note at shilpi@csrbox.org. Our Team will get back to you after validating the information for a detailed coverage.