Nokia’s flagship initiative, Smartpur, was developed to revolutionize access to livelihood opportunities, healthcare, financial inclusion, education, and governance for rural communities by leveraging the transformative power of technology. Smartpur is a digital village ecosystem project that aims to integrate technology into the daily lives of people living in remote villages. By utilizing digital connectivity, the project seeks to empower local entrepreneurs and provide them with the infrastructure to make essential services accessible at the village level through Smartpur centres.
 

As Nokia’s flagship CSR initiative, Smartpur is a pioneering digital village ecosystem designed to empower rural and remote communities across India through inclusive and sustainable development. Rooted in Nokia’s CSR vision of “Connecting the Unconnected,” Smartpur bridges gaps in access to essential services while strengthening rural resilience through technology-enabled entrepreneurship and grassroots capacity building.

Implemented by REACHA, the project operationalizes the Smartpur model by establishing digital centres in underserved villages, managed by trained local youth entrepreneurs. These centres serve as critical access points for delivering services across six interconnected pillars: Governance, Livelihood, Financial Inclusion, Education, Health and Disaster Risk Reduction. 

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Through Nokia’s Smartpur initiative, the REACHA team is engaging deeply with communities across 205 Smartpur Centres across Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. 

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Smartpur centres are digitally equipped hubs focused on farmers, artisans, small business owners, women, and youth; promoting digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and improved access to services for marginalized populations.
 

Through strategic collaborations with government departments, private sector employers, and technical agencies, Smartpur aims to enhance the quality of life in rural communities. The initiative has raised awareness about government schemes, improved service delivery, enhanced digital literacy with a focus on gender inclusion, and linked individuals to financial services, income-generating opportunities, and healthcare.

Each Smartpur centre is envisioned as a self-sustaining, digitally enabled rural hub, with an emphasis on inclusivity, especially for women, youth, farmers, and other marginalised households. Site selection has been informed by comprehensive baseline studies and community needs assessments, ensuring high-impact and contextually relevant deployment.

These centres function as multi-service delivery nodes; not in silos, but as part of an integrated ecosystem.

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In many ways, the Smartpur project is a confluence of the CSR law, Nokia’s Connecting the Unconnected vision and REACHA’s founding mandate. It is fundamental to our mission and closely aligns with the aims and objectives laid out by REACHA’s founder, Shri. J. C. Pant. He had emphasised, even in the early days of REACHA, that rural development, women’s empowerment, and last-mile delivery of government welfare programmes must be at the heart of all efforts for nation building.

 

Nokia’s vision and commitment have been cornerstones of Smartpur’s success. The company’s CSR support has extended beyond financial aid; it has enabled the emergence of digitally confident, economically resilient, and socially aware rural communities. Smartpur stands as a powerful example of how technology, when humanized, can not only bridge access gaps but also reshape the development narrative for rural India.​

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