Created out of a deep understanding of the global digital divide, New Delhi based  Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) is a not-for-profit that has been  tirelessly working  for digital inclusion across the world and in particular India, South Asia and the Asia Pacific region since its inception in 2002.

DEF’s mission is to use ICT and digital tools to bridge the digital divide and empower underserved and information-dark communities in such a way as to create a digital age, post-industrial global society where all people on Planet Earth have access to information, knowledge and services at all times and at all places.

Working with a multi-stakeholder approach to end all kinds of inequality and create a more inclusive global society, DEF has so far set up over 10,000 digitally empowered entities in India and abroad impacting more than a million people and a network of more than 25,000 grassroots NGOs/CBOs/CSOs who in turn have digitally impacted more than a billion people across the world by helping them to cross the border and enter the information age.

Apart from its various programmes, DEF has also launched various Awards such as The Manthan Award South Asia and Asia Pacific, the mBillionth Award South Asia, e-NGO Challenge, and Social Media for Empowerment Award South Asia and Asia Pacific.

These awards help to identify and recognise innovations and best practices that help to ensure more extensive use of ICT and digital tools for socio-economic development and empowerment of the masses, especially marginalised communities. They also help to create an ecosystem of digital practitioners who can use the various award platforms created by DEF to network, learn from each other and find ways to partner and collaborate with each other to scale up their efforts for greater impact.

Over the last 12 years, DEF’s work has earned the faith of national governments, global multilateral agencies, non-profits, institutional philanthropists and donor agencies as well as private sector corporates and their philanthropic foundations.  Today it is not only a leader of the digital revolution in India but is an influential voice in the global community of digital evangelists.