In the realm of advancing technology, which evolves with each passing day, it becomes fascinating to observe how humans adapt to and adopt these changes. In an age where artificial intelligence is gradually permeating the world and reducing the share of jobs available to humans, it becomes crucial to examine how people perceive and embrace it.

Often, those who are privileged enough to access education and work in white-collar jobs hold a dominant voice in shaping public opinion. However, these very dominant voices are often heard making statements like, “Rural communities are less progressive and slower to adopt it,” or “Illiteracy will make it difficult for them to utilize it judiciously.” But the barrier to adoption and innovation often lies not in low literacy levels, but in a constrained mindset, one that can just as easily be found in the most educated and literate individuals.

At ECHO India, while working with partners to democratize knowledge through our platform and build capacities, we often heard that physical training is more effective than virtual sessions. The most cited reason was that the rural community, women, and farmers would not be comfortable using digital platforms like iECHO, as these require registration and digital navigation, often leading many to argue for the continued emphasis on in-person training or a hybrid approach. This preference stemmed more from a comfort zone than a real limitation, as many were simply not ready to switch or adopt something new due to the extra mental labour it would produce.

Despite successful case studies and data, support from partners remained limited, until a few like TRI (Transform Rural India) chose to believe in the potential and began conducting training in some of the remotest villages of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. These trainings involved mostly women extension workers and progressive farmers. It wasn’t a rosy beginning, but with resilience and commitment, the initiative gradually picked up momentum. Ultimately, it was observed that the "spokes," the term for community-based learners, not only enjoyed the training sessions but also engaged deeply. On one front, they received digital capacity-building training, and on another, a beautiful peer-learning culture emerged. Technically stronger participants supported others, building collective confidence in using technology. This led to a cascading effect. Women farmers, who often struggled even to be recognized as farmers, gained acknowledgment from their families after virtually attending the training, practicing their learnings in the field, and presenting them through case studies in sessions.

Overall, all it took was a small belief, to begin, to try, instead of clinging to the same outdated assumptions so often cited in literature. In contrast, several urban-based, educated partners still resist adopting the model. Even today, many hesitate, thinking it takes “too long” to open the app or register. Ironically, these are the same partners who continue to struggle, as they seek fully packaged solutions delivered instantly, without being willing to experiment. Their time is considered too precious, yet they overlook the long-term benefits that such a shift could bring.

To me, this presents a perfect case study of a capped mindset, one that keeps chasing newer, shinier solutions with more “sauce” rather than putting in consistent effort to test and believe in the simplest recipe, one that works.