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Highlights
TCS’ BridgeIT program focuses on equipping marginalised communities with digital skills and business literacy to support community innovation and create successful digital entrepreneurs.
The success story of Bapi Raita, a Saura tribal, catapulting their monthly income from a few thousand to over a lakh is one of many inspiring journeys started by the initiative.
BridgeIT’s meaningful impact
A tribal household in Odisha’s Rayagadha district could not earn even ‘the minimum’ as per India’s Minimum Wages Act in a month. The 27-year-old entrepreneur, Bapi Raita, is a Saura tribal. The Saura tribe is among the most ancient tribes of India. The entrepreneur recalls those days when the entire family could not even manage eating two meals a day.
As BridgeIT, TCS’ novel initiative, created an entrepreneur in this seven-member family; it catapulted their monthly income from a meagre Rs 4,000 to more than a lakh over eight months.
The road uphill
Bapi paid for his Diploma in Civil Engineering by doing odd jobs, working as a driver and offering tuitions. He started taking up odd jobs right from his school days in Gunupur so that he could pay his fees, since he was determined not to drop out.
Armed with a diploma from Balaji Institute of Science and Technology, Gunupur, he went from pillar to post for a job, but could not find one. He then began doing work related to construction on a contractual basis. It was during this time that he also got married and moved to Bangalore, sure to land a job in a big city. Bapi worked in a garment factory for eight months but had to return to his village as his wife fell ill.
Jobless again, he encountered a local NGO, PREM, who introduced him to TCS’ BridgeIT program. Bapi enrolled in the program after appearing for an interview. On completion of his training, he started his online business.
Bringing ideas to life
Initially, e-business was alien to him. He hardly had any business acumen. Gradually, he learnt relevant business skills for the digital space with the training and mentoring provided by the BridgeIT facilitators. His e-business slowly started picking up but not without its share of challenges. Internet connectivity was a huge hurdle; he would take his laptop and go to a small hill nearby to get work done.
His perseverance saw him overcome every hurdle. Soon, nearly 400 customers started visiting his shop daily. Today, his current monthly earnings stand at over INR 1 lakh.
Bapi also wears BridgeIT Cluster Lead’s hat for the area where he operates. This means, he gets to mentor seven other digital entrepreneurs from nearby villages – a role that brings a sense of fulfilment. Besides mentoring the seven, he visits other entrepreneurs nearby to equip them with business ideas and motivate them to try out new business opportunities.
BridgeIT has changed my life and has brought hope of a good future for me, my family and our community.
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