Rekha Seth

Pioneering Indian tech entrepreneur who empowered women through technology in the 1980s

Rekha Seth (b. 1950) revolutionized India's IT sector by co-founding Sahaj Computers in 1983, one of the first companies to focus on women's tech education. Her Wikipedia page highlights her visionary approach to training over 50,000 women in computer literacy through programs like 'Women & Computers' workshops. Seth's organization developed India's first computer course for non-technical women, creating a blueprint for gender-inclusive tech education. She pioneered distance learning models that reached rural areas, connecting 150 training centers across India by 1995. Her 1998 initiative 'Women in Technology' established mentorship networks linking 2,000+ professionals. Seth's work directly influenced India's IT workforce composition, increasing female participation from 12% (1980) to 34% (2000). Her 1993 report Computers for Women: A New Literacy became a global reference for gender-focused tech policies. She later advised UNESCO on digital literacy programs in 14 developing countries, impacting over 2 million lives internationally. Seth's legacy persists through Sahaj's current AI-for-women initiatives and her 2005 TEDx talk viewed by 500,000+ viewers.