SheConnects Digital Accelerator

The SheConnects Digital Accelerator: India is a flagship grant initiative founded by the Reliance Foundation and the Gates Foundation, managed operationally by the GSMA Foundation.

Part of a broader ₹200-crore (~$24M USD) Global South mandate, the program awards non-dilutive grant capital to scale proven, evidence-backed digital solutions that increase digital adoption, financial inclusion, and economic agency for women and girls across India.

• Grant Award Range: ₹85 Lakhs to ₹4.2 Crores INR (~$100k to $500k USD) per recipient organization.

• Funding Type: 0% Equity / 100% Non-Dilutive Grant (CSR grant funding).

• Project Execution Window: 15 to 18 months.

• Technical Support Package:

  • Dedicated Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) technical support.

  • Specialized capacity-building bootcamps and South-South learning exchanges.

  • Ecosystem profiling across international partner networks and events.

Proposals must scale digital innovations across at least one of six key impact areas:

1. Digital Financial Inclusion: Mobile wallets, micro-savings, digital credit, and insurance access.

2. Livelihoods & Micro-Enterprise: Tech tools boosting women-led micro-enterprises and informal workforces.

3. Health, Agriculture & Education: EdTech, AgriTech, and digital health platforms tailored for women.

4. Behavior Change & Communication: Community-driven digital literacy and social norm transformation.

5. Cyber Safety & Digital Security: Solutions combating online harassment, fraud, and privacy risks.

6. Innovative Tools & DPI Integration: Deploying India Stack / Digital Public Infrastructure to improve service delivery for women.

1. Entity Type: Must be a registered non-profit organization (NGO / Section 8 company) operating in India. (For-profit startups and individuals are ineligible as direct leads).

2. Geographic Focus: The project must focus on digital adoption and utilization for women/girls in India, with clear local implementation partnerships or presence.

3. Institutional Alignment: Demonstrated commitment to gender equality, inclusion of underrepresented demographics, and closing the digital gender gap.