Dotting Daughters

 

 

Dear Shri Vaishnawji,

{  Hon’ble Minister, MeITY }

Subject: A Concrete Scheme for Women in Data Annotation

A year ago, on 28 May 2024, I shared a blog titled Teach a Man to Fish / a Woman to Earn, urging the government to empower millions of Indian women by enabling them to participate in the burgeoning data annotation industry. I highlighted how this sector could provide dignified, skill-based livelihoods for women across India, leveraging their potential to drive economic growth.

Today, a recent article in The Economic Times (8 July 2025) titled Smarter AI Needs Smarter Humans validates this vision, underscoring the explosive growth of data annotation as a critical pillar of AI development. I write to urge you to launch a concrete scheme—tentatively called Dotting Daughters of Annotating—to make this opportunity a reality for millions of Indian women.

The Opportunity: Annotation as a Game-Changer

The Economic Times article highlights India’s emergence as a global hub for data annotation, driven by our skilled workforce, including flexible workers, data engineers, and domain experts like auditors and radiologists. The demand for high-quality datasets to train AI models is surging, with tasks evolving from simple labelling to complex STEM problem-solving and code correction. This industry’s growth, underscored by Meta’s $ 14.3 billion investment in Scale AI, presents a multi-million-dollar opportunity for India. With 40% of Turing’s workforce already based here, India is poised to lead, provided we act swiftly.

Revisiting My 2024 Proposal

In my blog last year, I proposed that MeITY could empower women by creating training programs and digital platforms to connect them with annotation jobs. These roles, requiring logical thinking and problem-solving—skills abundant in Indian women educated in science and math—offer flexible, home-based work. This aligns perfectly with the needs of rural and semi-urban women, enabling financial independence without disrupting family responsibilities. I suggested partnerships with tech firms to provide tools, training, and access to global annotation projects, ensuring sustainable livelihoods.

Why Dotting Daughters of Annotating?

The Economic Times article confirms that data annotation now demands deep expertise, from IIT graduates to PhDs in STEM fields. Indian women, with their strong educational foundation, are ideally suited to meet this demand. A dedicated scheme like Dotting Daughters of Annotating could:

• Train and Upskill:
• Launch online courses in collaboration with platforms like IndiaAGI.ai and tech firms like Turing and Appen, focusing on annotation skills for AI, including coding, financial analysis, and medical data labeling.
• Create Digital Hubs:
• Build platforms to connect women with global annotation projects, ensuring fair pay and secure work environments.
• Promote Inclusion:
• Target women in Tier-2/3 cities and rural areas, offering multilingual training in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, and more to maximize reach.
• Leverage Existing Talent:
• Tap into India’s pool of science and math-educated women, as noted by Appen’s Kolln, to drive innovation in AI training.

A Call to Action

Shri Vaishnawji,

Your leadership in digital transformation has already set India on a path to global tech leadership. I urge MeITY to act on this opportunity by launching the Dotting Daughters of Annotating scheme. This could:

1.     Train 10 million women over five years, creating a skilled annotation workforce.

2.     Partner with private players like TeamLease Digital and global firms to ensure job placement.

3.     Integrate with IndiaAI’s Responsible AI Solutions to ensure ethical, bias-free annotation practices.

This initiative would not only empower women but also position India as the world’s annotation capital, driving economic growth and social equity.

My blog from last year (Teach a Man to Fish / a Woman to Earn) laid the groundwork; the time to act is now. I’d be happy to contribute ideas or connect with MeITY to refine this vision.

Yours sincerely,
Hemen Parekh
www.HemenParekh.in