ON - Omidyar Network

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Comat Technologies fuels economic growth in rural India by providing millions of people annually with access to computer-based job training, financial services, and digitized government documents.

Why We Invested

Comat bridges the digital divide in rural India by bringing access to Internet and basic government, financial, and educational services. Omidyar Network's first direct investment in India, Bangalore-based Comat provides technology-based services to the rural poor, helping to create jobs, boost economic prosperity, and bring greater transparency to government processes.

Founded in 1996, the privately held company runs India's largest network of Rural Business Centers (RBCs), storefronts where otherwise isolated villagers can learn job skills, find non-agricultural employment, or access government documents. For example, Comat has digitized 20 million land records, which farmers use as collateral to secure loans. More than 6.7 million land owners in the state of Karnataka now have easy access to the records for a standard fee and avoid the challenges of government latency and corruption.