Vodafone India Ltd., one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers has partnered with the National Association of Blind (NAB), Mumbai to develop a unique project titled “Drishti”, to help provide employment/ earning opportunity to the visually impaired and make them self dependent. Under this project, Vodafone has set up a tele- calling centre within the NAB premises at Worli, wherein NAB members have been trained by Vodafone on voice recognition system, to connect with potential post-paid customers.
A pilot conducted by hiring three visually challenged agents and monitoring their performance, threw up very positive findings. The productivity levels of the visually impaired agents, was more than twice the productivity levels of Vodafone’s regular DSAs. Encouraged with the performance, Vodafone has scaled up the operations to accommodate twenty visually challenged agents and four more are under training on voice recognition system, and will be absorbed soon.
The objective is to create a win-win situation between supporting a social cause and Vodafone’s business goals, in the process generating new skill sets and facilitating earning opportunity for the differently abled.
Speaking on the occasion Arvind Vohra, Business Head – Mumbai, Vodafone India says, “As a value based organisation, we at Vodafone, believe in making a meaningful contribution towards the society. Project Drishti is a proud moment for Vodafone Mumbai as it has added one more chapter to our ongoing endeavour of extending a helping hand to the less privileged. This initiative is particularly special because we are reaching out to the visually impaired people and helping them enhance their quality of life, through imparting special skills that will enable them to earn a living and be self-dependent. We have made a humble albeit significant beginning and are keen to scale up and take on more NAB members in the future.”
Speaking on the occasion Pallavi Kadam, Director, National Association for the Blind, India “We are extremely grateful for Vodafone support towards socio-economic rehabilitation of the visually impaired by giving them an opportunity to work and stand on their own feet. At present, there are 20 visually impaired persons working & 4 are under training. For the comfort and convenience of the tele-calling team, the call center was set up in the NAB premises. Following the success of project Drishti, we have requested Vodafone India to expand the operation further.”
