Shabana Azmi

Indian social entrepreneur bridging gender gaps through digital literacy

Shabana Azmi (b. 1989) is a Mumbai-based activist whose Digital Kisaan initiative has empowered over 250,000 rural Indian women through smartphone training since 2016. Her program combines agricultural know-how with digital skills, enabling farmers to access market prices, weather forecasts, and government subsidies via WhatsApp groups. A former call-center employee turned NGO leader, Azmi's model inspired similar programs in Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2021 she launched SheCodesAgro, offering coding workshops for agri-based apps. Recognized by the UN's Women in Tech 2022 award, her work is profiled in Forbes India's Social Impact series. Partnering with Google's Digital Garage, Azmi's latest venture provides e-commerce training to tribal communities, increasing women's income by 400% in pilot regions. Her TEDx talk "How Phones are Powering Rural Women" has garnered 2.3 million views. Azmi's memoir From Calls to Crops (2023) details her journey.