New Delhi, India — October 30, 2019 —SAP India’s Code Unnati joins hands with Project Nanhi Kali to provide quality education and digital access to over 11,000 underprivileged girl children by 2020. The partnership was announced today at a high-profile event at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi in the presence of Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

"The government has launched various schemes for the empowerment of girl child such as 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', 'CBSE Udaan Scheme' etc. It is our vision to provide equal opportunities to the girl child for their development and growth. We are happy to see that corporates like SAP India and Mahindra and Mahindra are coming forward to promote gender sensitisation as well as gender equality", said Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Stating on the occasion, Mr. V S Parthasarathy of the Mahindra Group, who has been a strong advocate of girl child education and Project Nanhi Kali. "The Mahindra Group is strongly committed to the cause of girl child education and empowerment which we believe can have a transformative effect on the future of India. The partnership between Project Nanhi Kali and SAP India will help take this noble cause to the next level with the support of advanced digital technology. I have been advocating ‘Corporates for Change’ and the multiplier effect it could bring when like-minded corporates come together. This association is a classic case in point." he concluded Mr. V S Parthasarathy, Group CFO and Group CIO, Mahindra Group

"At SAP, we are committed to improve people’s lives and create a lasting impact. From 2017, through Code Unnati, SAP has trained over a million children across 14 states on our digital curriculum. Our collaboration with Nanhi Kali will help girl students to be digitally ready and empower them to bring about a positive change in the economy. Leveraging on Code Unnati and Nanhi Kali we will improve the quality of education for the girl children and prepare them for the digital shift in the society,” said Sindhu Gangadharan, SVP and Managing Director, SAP Labs India.

While women account for nearly half of India’s population, only 25% of the workforce is female . The literacy level continues to remain around 46% in the rural areas and girls continue to lack access to quality education. To prepare for the wave of digital transformation the country is currently experiencing, building digital skills is essential and Project Nanhi Kali already provides Secondary School girls in the programme with access to digital tablets pre-loaded with educational content.

Code Unnati, SAP’s flagship initiative, equips youth and children with quality STEM education and Digital Literacy. The focus of the training module is to impart digital literacy and foster the female workforce. Code Unnati will work with Project Nanhi Kali to further enhance the digital learning platform.

Further, the collaboration aims to create girl-friendly ecosystems, provide access to quality education and sensitize communities toward the importance of girl child education. This partnership contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals of - No Poverty, Quality Education, Decent Work & Economic Growth, and Partnership for achieving the Goals.

The support provided under this partnership would include-

• Academic support centers with trained tutors focusing on interactive and concept-based learning
• Piloting the digital literacy curriculum soon along with quality education
• Regular assessments and efficient tracking of attendance
• A school supplies kit consisting of school bag, shoes, notebooks, stationary and feminine hygiene material
• Community & parent sensitization

Together the programs will provide support across the nation including places such as Maharashtra (Mumbai), Gujarat (Bharuch), West Bengal (Darjeeling) and further expand training to 5,000 girls in high need areas of Karnataka; and 1,000+ girls in Shravasti and Varanasi regions in Uttar Pradesh, thereby educating 11,275 girls by 2020.

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About Project Nanhi Kali

Project Nanhi Kali was founded in 1996 by Mr. Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of the Mahindra Group which is today one of India’s top industrial houses. The genesis of this programme was his belief that educated women not only contribute to the economy, but also would lead to reduction of social evils like dowry and child marriage. To date, Project Nanhi Kali has empowered more than 3,75,000 girls across rural, tribal and urban regions across India by providing them with academic and material support. It also mobilises communities to change mindsets towards girl child education. Project Nanhi Kali is jointly managed by K.C. Mahindra Education Trust and Naandi Foundation. To know more, please visit www.nanhikali.org.

About SAP

As the Experience Company powered by the Intelligent Enterprise, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP® system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers’ businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want – without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables more than 437,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people’s lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.