Google.org grants $1 million to Indian non-profit organisation Karya

New Delhi: Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the tech giant, has awarded a $1 million grant to Mumbai-based non-profit organisation Karya to boost upskilling of low-income communities.

The grant will support Karya’s ongoing efforts to help tens of thousands of community members access AI-related economic opportunities and complete complex, employment-linked digital tasks via their smartphones, ranging from annotating data to providing feedback that improves the performance of local language AI models, a company statement said.

Karya will use the grant to create a digital skilling pathway and translate it into 10 major Indic languages to support India's AI-ready workforce. It will also develop a multilingual chatbot using Generative AI for real-time support for its app and web-based work platforms, enhancing access to AI-related tasks and economic opportunities.

Sprint program

South Korean startup Callus Company on Wednesday announced the launch of the SPRINT PROGRAM in India, aiming to build a talent pool of 1,00,000 candidates by 2026 collaborating with top educational institutions and expanding its reach across India.

It has partnered with universities like SRM University in Chennai, Amity University in Noida, and VTU in Bangalore, according to a company statement.

The programme will provide AICTE-compliant internships, allowing students to meet graduation criteria, gain valuable experience, and improve their employability.

"Our mission is to create an equitable and sustainable platform that opens doors for Indian talent in the global job market, enabling them to build long-term careers with fair compensation," Ryan Kim, CEO of Callus Company, said.

Fireside Ventures appoints Adarsh Menon as Operating Partner Fireside Ventures, an early-stage venture fund investing in consumer brands, has named Adarsh Menon as its Operating Partner, effective immediately.

With over 23 years in sales and marketing, Menon has significant expertise from leadership positions at companies like Flipkart, Hindustan Unilever, and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

He will join Fireside's leadership team and will serve on the boards of select portfolio companies.