One of the primary goals of DEF that flows from its Mission and Vision statements is providing access for all to the Internet. This goal is also fully aligned with global and national mandates with regard to digital inclusion and bridging of the digital divide. All the projects in tgrammatic area have the overarching goal of achieving access for all and creating the infrastructure needed to do s

  • Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) registers itself as a not-for-profit under Societies Registration Act, 1860
  • Participates in the prestigious World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva
  • Publishes a book called eContent: Voices from the Ground, a compendium of digital content from 28 countries
  • World Summit Award selects DEF founder Osama Manazar as grand jury, board member and country expert for nominating digital content best practices from India
  • DEF founder Osama Manzer travels across India and Nepal to study existing ICTD projects that are bringing about development and empowerment of marginalised communities
  • DEF develops framework for Manthan Awards on the lines of the World Summit Awards
  • Establishes partnership with World Summit Awards
  • Formally launches Manthan Awards to identify ICTD best practices in India
  • Ties up with National Institute of Smart Governance (NISG) to develop e-Governance case studies
  • Launches www.gyanpedia.in in partbership with the Ministry of Communication & Information Technology, Government of India, to aggregate content created by students and teachers from 500 schools across seven states of India
  • Manthan Awards go global with launch of Manthan Award South Asia
  • Launches Community Information Resource Centre (CIRC) project with support from Intel
  • Partners ILFS and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY), GOI, to develop content and services framework for Common Service Centres (rural Kiosks) for the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)
  • Ties up with IIM Ahmedabad to develop 10 days’ rural entrepreneurship programme
  • Launches Neerjal, an online drinking water information management system, in partnership with the Barefoot College and Department of Science and Technology, GOI
  • Partners ILFS and the Department
  • Initiates Digital Panchayat programme to empower gram panchayats across the country
  • Starts intervention in the community radio sector
  • Graduates from projects driven by partners to self-determined programmatic interventions
  • Institutionalises seven programmatic verticals – Access & Infrastructure, Governance & Services on Demand, Education & Empowerment, Social Sector & Civil Society, Market & Enterprise, Knowledge Network & Database and Advocacy & Research
  • Launches eNGO programme to digitally empower grassroots NGOs
  • Launches Chanderiyaan project with support from DEITY for integrated development of the silk weaving cluster in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh
  • Hosts World Summit Award Grand Jury 2009 & India International Summit with DEITY where digital experts from 40 countries participate
  • Becomes a member of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC)
  • Launches mBillionth Award.
  • Initiates W4C programme in partnership with ISOC to provide Internet access wirelessly by using unlicensed spectrum
  • Starts eMSME project to connect micro enterprises
  • CIRCs grow from three to twentyfive centres
  • Institutes e-North East Award to reward ICTD interventions in North East India
  • Mint becomes a strategic partner
  • Launches Mobile for Good Awards with Vodafone Foundation
  • Government of India selects DEF founder as a member of the Community Radio Screening Committee
  • DEF founder becomes member of DEITY’s Working Group for Internet Proliferation and Governance
  • With support from NIXI and DEITY, DEF develops 50 ICTD case studies based on ground visits
  • Joins a consortium formed by NASSCOM Foundation for the National Digital Literacy Mission which in 2014 became a GOI Mission.
  • Launches Digital Knowledge Centre.
  • Launches eNGO Challenge.
  • Partners with Internews to promote Citizen Media Network.
  • Initiates Internet Rights project.
  • Launches the district public libraries project with support from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
  • Initiates eHeritage project with UNESCO support
  • Launches Red Rickshaw Revolution with a focus on women’s empowerment
  • Starts Mobile for Social &Behavioural Change project with UNICEF support
  • Launches Social Media for Empowerment South Asia Award with support from the American Centre
  • Launches District Collector Award within Manthan Award
  • DEF starts training community radio stations on how to use digital tools and go online
  • Launches Soochna Seva project with EU support.
  • Conceives and implements Minority Cyber Gram Yojana, a Ministry of Minority Affairs initiative, in Chandoli, Rajasthan.
  • Mobile for Good Awards become a separate entity
  • Launches Manthan South West India Award
  • Initiates eUttara Award
  • Expands eNGO programme to help NGOs migrate to the .ngo and .ong top level domains
  • Introduces festival of development-oriented films and documentaries as part of Manthan Awards
  • Introduces Angel Fund in mBillionth Award
  • Joins Google’s campaign ‘Help Women Get Online’
  • Organises workshops on ICT for disabled people
  • Organises UNESCO international conference on ICT for disabled people
  • Conducts Training of Trainers workshops across India for Google
  • With support from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust establishes 6 CIRCs in Northeast states
  • Establishes six CIRCs in North Eastern states with support from the Sir Drabj; Tata Trust
    • Organises first ever national conference on rejuvenating public libraries using digital tools
    • With support from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust establishes 6 CIRCs in Northeast states
  • Organises first-ever national conference on rejuvenating public libraries using digital tools

For more information, please mail us at info@defindia.org