Ankita Poddar

Pioneered online education for rural Indian women through her startup

Ankita Poddar is a social entrepreneur from India who made a significant difference in education accessibility through her startup OnlineShiksha. Founded in 2015, this platform provided affordable digital literacy programs specifically targeting rural women who lacked access to traditional education. By 2019, the initiative had trained over 50,000 women across 12 states, enabling them to secure digital jobs and start online businesses. Poddar's approach combined mobile-first learning with local language content, overcoming cultural barriers through partnerships with women's self-help groups. Her TEDx talk "Breaking Barriers with Bytes" explains how technology can empower marginalized communities. In 2017, she launched the Digital Saris project, using blockchain to trace artisan supply chains and connect weavers directly with global buyers. This dual focus on education and economic empowerment earned her recognition as one of India's Top 30 Social Innovators under 30 by Forbes Asia in 2018.