Osama Manzar is a global leader on the mission of eradicating information poverty from India and global south using digital tools. He is a social entrepreneur, author, columnist, impact speaker, angel investor, mentor, and sits on several government and policy committees in India and on international organisations working in the areas of Internet and digital divide.
With a 20 years experience, Osama has worked in the areas of journalism, new media, software enterprise and ended up creating Digital Empowerment Foundation that works in India to digitally empower the masses with a footprint of 150 locations and interventions in more than 10 countries, mostly in South Asia.
Manzar is a British Chevening Scholar and is also International Visitors Leadership Fellow of US State. He has coauthored more than 5 books including Internet Economy of India. Osama has instituted 10 awards for recognising digital innovations for development in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. He is a member of licensing committee for community radio in India at ministry of information & broadcasting; and among others member of Working Group – IT for Masses at Ministry of IT in India. He is member of the board at Association of Progressive Communication and World Summit Award.
Osama has travelled more than 2000 villages across 30 countries and pretty much specialize in advising digital models of village development.
My drive and passion for my work comes from millions and millions of creative and highly knowledgeable people who because of skewed developmental parameters are considered poor and backward; such people’s energy drives me to enable them with digital tools so that they no more be seekers but producers and contributors to the world’s monopolistic wisdom!
Twitter: @OsamaManzar