Bringing the Digital Revolution to Rural Assam: Ajay Doley’s Journey with Project SMARTPUR

Amid the verdant fields of a bustling village in the Dhemaji district of Assam, Ajay Doley stands out as an Agent of Change. At 32, with a humble educational background, Ajay took on the mantle of a village-level entrepreneur under NOKIA-Bal Raksha Bharat’s visionary project SMARTPUR which is aimed at “Impacting Rural India through Digital Inclusion.”

Since December 2022, Ajay has been the driving force behind the Smartpur Digital Centre in his village, thus bridging the gap between technology and his community’s needs. His mission has been to connect his fellow villagers with essential government social welfare schemes through digital platforms.

The benefits of one such scheme, the ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’ – aimed at providing crucial income support to farmers – were not reaching the community fully due to many of them having incomplete KYC documents. Undeterred, Ajay embraced the challenge to address this issue, in one of the remotest locales of India.

When the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India launched an Electronic-Know Your Customer (E-KYC) campaign in February 2024 to rectify these gaps, Ajay sprang into action. His dedication and tireless efforts bore fruit as he completed a staggering 339 E-KYCs within the campaign period, thus earning him the prestigious 2nd position nationwide – a laurel that makes all of us proud.

Ajay’s remarkable achievement not only brought pride to the Smartpur project but also garnered him a cash prize of INR 10,000 and an Appreciation Certificate from the Ministry. He embodies the spirit of local entrepreneurship, propelling forward the vision of Digital India set forth by the Government of India.

Ajay’s journey exemplifies the transformative impact of Bal Raksha Bharat’s project that aims at Digital Inclusion. This phase of the project, that started in 2020 with support from Nokia India, aims to establish 160 digitally accessible service delivery centres across five states of India.

In Assam alone, 30 such centres have been established. The overarching goal has been to amplify the reach of digital services across crucial sectors such as Health, Governance, Education, Livelihood, and Financial Inclusion.

Ajay Doley’s story is not just about individual achievement; it’s a testament to the power of grassroot-level innovation and community-driven change. Through initiatives like Smartpur, rural India is not just embracing technology; it’s harnessing it to shape a brighter, more inclusive future for all, thus helping realize the government’s dream for a ‘Digitised Bharat’.

Gaurav Sharma

Content Reviewer

“I am an editor and technical specialist at Bal Raksha Bharat, responsible for publishing articles and posts. My role involves evaluating content for consistency, and ensuring a positive user experience across the website."