India today is one of the fastest growing economies of the world comprising over 300 million strong middle class with increasing purchasing power. A highly talented, skilled and English-speaking human resource base forms its backbone. The digital revolution has irrevocably changed the way human beings function–everything from how we live and work to play. However, the fruits of the digital age benefit only a tiny percentage of the population. Rural India still suffers from substantial poverty. The Planning Commission has estimated that 27.5% of the population was living below the poverty line in 2004–2005, down from 51.3% in 1977–1978, and 36% in 1993-1994. 75% of the poor are in rural areas primarily comprising daily wagers, self-employed households and landless laborers. The development gap between the rich and the poor among and within the country has widened. In such a context, timely access to relevant information and knowledge on education, health, livelihood, can go a long in improving the lives of the underserved.

Information and communication technologies are tools that can diminish distances and eradicate isolation, speed up developmental processes and enhance the overall quality of life. A knowledge center is a model for providing such tools to underserved and marginalized communities in order to help them access relevant information and opportunities to better their quality of life. A knowledge center has many functions and one of the main ones is to provide ‘information services’ to the groups it serves.