How Dialflo’s Voice AI Is Powering Hubballi–Dharwad’s Blue Dot Experiment to Bridge Rural Employment Gaps

 (Source: Mint) The Blue Dot Project in Hubballi–Dharwad, backed by EkStep Foundation and powered by Dialflo’s Voice AI, is helping ITI graduates find verified local jobs in real time transforming India’s education-to-employment landscape.

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A New Kind of Connection

In September 2025, the Zila Panchayat hall in Dharwad was standing-room-only. On one side sat factory owners; on the other, students from Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), their principals, and district officials. The discussion was about one of India’s toughest challenges how to connect millions of young people with trusted, local work.

For decades, India’s skilling ecosystem has trained millions through its ITIs. Yet, despite high graduation rates, only a fraction find placements. Many graduates want jobs within 15–20 kilometres of home, while nearby MSMEs struggle to find talent. Between them lies an invisible gap: “An ITI on one side of the road and an MSME on the other and they’ve never met.”

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The Blue Dot Idea

The solution wasn’t another job fair or portal. It was a completely new layer of digital infrastructure. The Blue Dot Experiment, piloted by the Karnataka Skill Development Authority with support from the EkStep Foundation, set out to make people and opportunities visible on a map — just like restaurants or petrol pumps. Every student and employer became a “blue dot” representing who they are, what they do, and what they’re looking for.

• WHAT: In Hubballi–Dharwad, an early pilot is trying to solve how to connect millions of young people with trusted, local work.
• HOW: Profiles are captured by a dialflo voice bot, verified by principals and placement officers, made visible over an open protocol, and matched to nearby jobs in real time.
• SO: Keeping jobs local helps employees, small businesses, and the economy. Students no longer wait months for openings; MSMEs save time and cost.

Dialflo’s Role: Giving Voice to the Vision

It’s been a true honour for Dialflo to be part of this project from day zero. Our Dialflo Voice AI agents became the first touchpoint for thousands of job seekers guiding them through the process of building a verified digital profile.

This journey has been nothing short of inspiring. We watched our conversational agents grow and adapt in real-world conditions:

• managing interactions in low-network environments,
• learning regional accents and dialects, and
• engaging with students across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan.

We’ve learnt, evolved, and built something deeply meaningful together a digital assistant that doesn’t just collect data, but builds trust.

How It Works

1. Dialflo voice AI onboarding: Candidates speak to an AI-powered bot in Kannada or Hindi — answering simple questions: “What’s your trade?” “Where can you work?” “What salary do you expect?”
2. Verification: Principals and placement officers verify credentials via a digital attestation process.
3. Visibility: The verified profiles appear on a shared map — as blue dots — visible to employers looking for local talent.
4. Matching: Employers can instantly see verified nearby candidates and offer interviews.
5. Hiring: Using DigiPass, MSMEs confirm employment within hours — a process that once took weeks.

On-Ground Impact

What started in one government ITI now spans 350 MSMEs and over 1,100 students. Hiring that once took weeks happens within hours. Employers no longer chase leads or rely on word of mouth.

Volunteers like Atiya Yasmeen from Head Held High Foundation went door-to-door convincing small businesses to join. Placement officers such as Suresh Kumar Jalwad and Shivaprakash Chitragar became ambassadors for the idea.

For trainees like Bushra Kotwal and Farhad Anjum, who trained in embroidery and sewing, the transformation was personal: “I can work near home. My parents don’t worry anymore.”

Scaling Beyond Dharwad

Backed by EkStep’s open-protocol stack (ONEST) — the same ecosystem that helped build Aadhaar, UPI and DigiLocker — the Blue Dot infrastructure is now being extended to other districts: Belgaum, Mysuru, Jhunjhunu, Ranchi, and beyond.

The principle remains simple: just as UPI made payments flow, shared digital rails can make jobs flow — connecting local youth to local opportunity at scale.

The Human Meaning of a Blue Dot

A young trainee in Hubballi once smiled quietly when he realized he could work nearby and still care for his widowed mother. “That was his happiness,” recalled Yasmeen.

For him, the blue dot wasn’t just a digital signal. It was freedom — one less bus fare, one less rumour to chase, and one more hour at home.

Looking Ahead

At Dialflo, this pilot reaffirmed our belief that technology is most powerful when it speaks the language of the people it serves. As we continue refining our Dailfo Voice AI stack for rural and semi-urban India, the lessons from Hubballi–Dharwad stay with us:

• Real-world empathy matters as much as accuracy.
• Connectivity gaps can be bridged by intelligent design.
• Dialflo Voice AI can make digital public goods truly inclusive.

Because in the end, connecting India’s youth to dignified local work isn’t just a technological challenge it’s a human one.

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Credit : Mint