Women ICT Frontier Initiative: Focus on fostering digital skills of women entrepreneurs

Tirupati: In a significant step towards empowering women entrepreneurs, the national launch of the ‘Women ICT Frontier Initiative (WIFI DX) and Training of Trainers (ToT): Empowering Women Entrepreneurs through Digital Transformation’ was held at Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV). The event, attended by key dignitaries including

district collector Dr S Venkateswar, representatives from UN-APCICT and SPMVV, marked a major milestone in fostering digital skills among women entrepreneurs across India.

During the inaugural address, Dr Kiyoung Ko, director of UN-APCICT/ESCAP, highlighted the growing focus on women entrepreneurs since the launch of the Women ICT Frontier Initiative (WIFI) eight years ago.

“We have expanded from two courses to six, covering topics like digital marketing and AI applications,” he said, adding that the programme now includes WIFI DX (Digital Transformation) and is set to introduce WIFI AX (Artificial Transformation) to further enhance its reach.

Dr Ko praised SPMVV for its vital role in the WIFI programme, stating, “SPMVV is a strong partner in rolling out WIFI in India and beyond. I hope it becomes a powerhouse in

empowering women entrepreneurs, positioning India as a leader in female-led business innovation”. He wished the students would seize entrepreneurial opportunities in the digital era.

Collector Dr S Venkateswar expressed pride in SPMVV being chosen as the Indian centre for WIFI DX training, a programme already implemented in 18 countries. He encouraged women to leverage the training to thrive in the digital business landscape.

“This initiative will enhance women’s understanding of digital systems in business, especially in areas like digital payments, e-commerce and e-marketing, helping them run more profitable ventures”, he said, emphasising the importance of digital tools for entrepreneurial growth.

He also highlighted the government’s vision for technology-driven development, noting, “Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu stresses the use of technology for transparent and efficient services and our state aims to position Amaravati as an IT hub and Tirupati as an electronics hub”.

Vice-chancellor Prof V Uma noted the transformative potential of WIFI DX for women entrepreneurs. “Since 2018, SPMVV has been the sole Training of Trainers (ToT) center in India, providing digital training to over 3000 women as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative”, she said, reaffirming the university’s commitment to advancing women’s roles in the digital economy. Registrar Prof N Rajani, APCICT-WIFI-SPMVV core members Prof V Durga Bhavani and Prof P Vijaya Lakshmi, APSCHE Vice Chairperson Prof P Uma Maheswari Devi and UN-APCICT programme management officer Nuankae Wongthawatchai among others took part in the programme.