Bio
Osama Manzar is founder and director of Digital Empowerment Foundation and Senior Ashoka Fellow. Osama 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, access, and digital inclusion.
Manzar is a British Chevening Scholar and is also International Visitors Leadership Program Fellow of US State Department. He has coauthored more than 5 books including Internet Economy of India. His recent book was released during COVID19 pandemic called “The New Normal: How to Survice the New World Order”. Osama has instituted 10 awards for recognising digital innovations for development in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. He is a member of advisory committee for Digital Services at National E-Gov Division (NEGD) at the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology. Osama has served several Boards and Advisory Councils like: Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI); World Summit Award (WSA), Down to Earth Magazine, Barefoot College Tilonia; Ibtada; Society for Labour & Development, Protsahan Sanstha; Multivarsity Alliance; and ProtoVillage.