Karya

Karya is a pioneering data cooperative and ethical data company based in Bengaluru, India, founded in 2021. It connects low-income, rural, and marginalized communities, primarily in India and expanding to Africa, with dignified digital work opportunities in AI data collection. The company focuses on providing pathways out of poverty through a smartphone-based platform that allows individuals, especially women from underserved areas, to complete paid micro-tasks such as data capture, labeling, and translation. Workers access tasks through a user-friendly app interface and receive immediate payments via mobile banking, significantly above the local minimum wage. Karya has facilitated over 42 million paid tasks, engaging a large number of low-income workers and targeting millions in poverty through smartphone accessibility. The company also supports community upliftment through the Karya Foundation, which offers skilling and career progression programs. Karya has received recognition for its impact, including a grant from Google.org, and aims to expand its reach and financial support to millions of workers in the coming years.