India’s scattered workforce: the chatbot keeping families in touch during emergencies

Covid exposed the lack of data on the country’s 140 million mobile migrant workers, but a new project in Odisha is helping to fill in the gaps

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aja Pradhan is sitting cross-legged, scrolling on his phone in his village in eastern India when a green WhatsApp chat bubble pops up on the screen. “Namaskar! Apana bahare kama pain jauthibe? Apananka suchana diaantu.” (Hello! Are you going outside for work? Please share your information.)

He reads the message twice, unsure whether to respond. “I don’t know where this information would go,” he says. “Would someone use it against me? The internet can be tricky at times. Why should I even share my details in the first place?”

A volunteer from a nonprofit organisation explains it is a chatbot called Bandhu (friend) that aims to connect the largely undocumented migrant workforce of the state of Odisha to emergency services and keep their families updated on their location. “Your details will not be shared publicly. It is only to help you in case of emergencies,” says field worker Subhalata Pradhan.