Varun Hiremath’s Digital Dreams: How One Village Sparked a Rural Tech Revolution
Varun Hiremath’s Digital Dreams: How One Village Sparked a Rural Tech Revolution
For most of us, the digital revolution is a big city of skyscrapers, corporate offices, or high-tech campuses. In this regard, an unprecedented transformation happened in the small tribal village of Deolali, Maharashtra, in the year 2024, with five computers, one trainer and one ambitious dream. Moreover, there was no coverage in the media or ribbon cutting ceremony. This gave rise to the Digital Dreams Initiative, led by Varun Hiremath. It began with the birth of a digital lab, then it changed the lives of rural people and thereby, transformed rural India.
A Vision Rooted in Purpose
The CEO of Fair Deal Wealth Advisors and Co-Founder of the Hiremath Family Foundation, Varun’s career was based on performance, numbers, and financial systems. But his vision wasn’t limited to only data and finance, it was beyond numbers. This led him to engage himself in transforming the lives of people and bridge the gap between rural and urban communities, uphold the values of dignity, opportunity, and empowerment. His initiative of empowering rural people ranged from health, education, environment, livelihood, to providing digital access. Among these, the initiative of Digital Dreams has proved to be the most impactful and ambitious project till date.
The Initiative: Digital Dreams (2024–25)
Varun's work in the villages of Maharashtra and Assam through the Digital Dreams Initiative showed how we can transform rural lives. Some simple computer literacy courses were conducted under this and gave actual opportunities to students.
Twenty-five digital labs were set up under this initiative, giving access to young people aged between thirteen and twenty-one to laptops, internet access, Microsoft Office, Canva, coding kits, etc., supported by local trainers with technology knowledge, addressing the needs of the communities they serve.
The students are given structured weekday sessions where they learn to use digital tools as well as how to use them in the context of the village, offer services (e.g. to make posters, type documents, make ID cards for local shops or residents) and earn incomes from services rendered. Earn While You Learn is the key value; addressing community needs and providing hands-on learning and empowerment.
Pratiksha’s Leap: From Farmlands to Freelancing
Pratiksha Kadam, a sixteen-year-old residing at Deolali, has shared her impact story about how she benefited from the initiative of Digital Dreams. Due to this initiative she was able to familiarize herself with the use of computer and digital technology and this was a luxury for her. She can now type faster than her teacher, creates flyers and posters for local businesses using Canva, and manages her father’s crop sales records in Excel and also started her own rural design studio
Pratiksha herself acknowledges the change, saying, “I never thought someone like me could work on a computer. Now, I teach others.” Her story is a notable example of transformation, which is not only a success but also a remarkable spark, enlightening the rural development.
A Curriculum That Goes Beyond Coding
The program covered areas like digital safety, awareness of UPI transactions, secure password practices, and scam prevention. Also, it provided students with creative tools such as Canva, PowerPoint, and digital storytelling platforms, with the help of which they were design newsletters, presentations, and other forms of content, along with invoicing, freelancing, and basic marketing, to prepare students to serve the local markets and get access to broader freelance opportunities. Along the way, students also developed important skills such as teamwork, public speaking, and personal branding. These lessons not only instilled a sense of confidence in them but also equipped them with the tools necessary for a brighter future, empowering them to succeed and thrive.
The Ripple Effect Across the Village
Through Deolali lab, approximately seventy eight students had the opportunity to take basic digital course with twenty-two girls who can now easily access a computer. Furthermore, the efficiency within the rural schools has grown because the students are motivated to not just attend the physical classes but also digital lab sessions.
There also local business are booming because now students can make product catalogs, digital ads, and posters, and then digital services such as resume-making, wedding invitations, and the design of various invitations are offered by over three hundred families. Therefore, this digital empowerment initiative is on a path towards empowering families, business and community institutions.
How Varun Hiremath Measures Success
Under the Digital Dreams Initiative, pre- and post-training assessments were conducted to monitor improvements in both technical and confidence levels. This enabled freelance earnings as well as re-enrollment for the students who dropped out. Also, the student are able to present their work to peers, parents, and local businesses through showcase days along with gathering feedback through surveys and testimonials. This resulted in a positive outcome at the community level where many students reported a rise in their family incomes and a brighter and more promising future.
A Future Built on Expansion and Equity
The Hiremath Foundation intends to expand their program, with the assistance of twenty-five labs, to Odisha and other rural states by March 2026. In addition, laboratories were created to use solar power to address the problem in areas that do not have regular power.
With the Digital Skills Certification Program, students received credentials which could be accepted by employers and institutions. Other projects such as the mobile, bus-based e-learning lab named Project Byte were also distributed to the remote tribal belts.
The greatest aspect of this initiative is the ability to increase its reach without losing community focus by having labs that are locally managed, locally trained, and locally effective.
Skills and Tools Provided
Under the Digital Dreams Initiative, digital literacy skills such as typing, safe internet navigation, and digital citizenship, were imparted on the students, followed by practical software training in Microsoft Office, Canva, and basic coding platforms, which empower them to create presentations, newsletters, ID cards, and digital art.
From the business perspective, courses on invoicing, digital marketplace etiquette, graphic design, and entrepreneurship were provided to serve the local businesses with documentation, marketing, and design services. Also, it covered communication and soft skills such as confidence-building, presentation, teamwork, and personal branding enhancing employability and self-reliance.
With the help of laptops, internet access, printers, scanners, typing tutors, coding kits, and projectors, students were subjected to the environment where learning is both hands-on and future-ready.
Outcome Measurement Methods
The program conducted Pre- and post-assessments to monitor skills and confidence before and after training, tracked Participation in gender ratios, freelance earnings, school re-enrollments, and family-level benefits.
The program also showcased student projects such as newsletters, ID cards, and presentations in public forums, to set an example for learners to display their skills. It also provided for gathering feedback through surveys and testimonials, adapting to evolving needs. This led to numerous community outcomes such as social inclusion of girls, increased educational continuity, and local income generation, leading to a massive success.
This Is Not Charity. It’s Investment.
According to Varun Hiremath, Digital Dreams is not an act of charity but a deliberate investment for the well-being of people, instilling courage, capability, and the creation of a truly inclusive India, through informed decisions, ranging from curriculum design to community integration and scaling strategies.
Conclusion: When Technology Meets Empathy
The Digital Dreams Initiative is far beyond gadgets, coding camps, or temporary exposure. It is about bringing a permanent change to the lives of rural India. With the combination of technology and empathy, villages thrive a lot more than just going online. This initiative shaping India’s digital future, by distributing laptops in small villages of Deolali to Assam, and soon Odisha and beyond,
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Digital Dreams Initiative?
This empowerment initiative was taken under the leadership of Varun Hiremath and the Hiremath Family Foundation, under which digital labs were established to equip the youth aged 13–21 with technology and life skills.
Who is Varun Hiremath?
Varun Hiremath is the CEO of Fair Deal Wealth Advisors and Co-Founder of the Hiremath Family Foundation. He launched Digital Dreams to bridge the gap between rural and urban India, in 2024–25.
Where are the labs located?
There are 25 labs in Maharashtra and Assam, as of 2025. There is a plan for expansion in Odisha and other states.
What digital skills do students learn?
Digital skills relating to Typing, Microsoft Office, Excel, Canva, presentations, basic coding, digital safety, online communication, and troubleshooting were taught to the students.
What tools are available in the labs?
Tools such as laptops, internet, printers, scanners, projectors, educational software, typing tutors, and coding kits were made available in the labs.
How is success measured?
The rate of success under this program is measured through pre- and post-assessments, freelance earnings, school re-enrollment, gender participation, community feedback, and showcase events.
Who can enroll?
This program is mainly for rural youth between 13–21 years old, girls and school dropouts.
How do communities benefit?
This program offers affordable digital services, improved school attendance, new income streams, and access to technology-driven opportunities that highly benefit the communities.
Is internet access required?
Under this program, most labs provide internet, and the program also offers offline learning to ensure effectiveness in areas with low internet connectivity.
What’s next for Digital Dreams?
The Digital Dreams plans to expand into more states, offer certification programs, solar-powered labs, and the rollout of Project Byte, a mobile e-learning bus for remote regions.
