Jyotsna Atre's Venture Aims To Build A Cyber Safe World

"With internet posing threats such as the Blue Whale game, loss of information, sexting etc, the need to make children aware of the very real consequences of their virtual actions is the need of the hour," says Jyotsna Atre. Her venture, Kids' Edition, offers Cyber Safety programs for children and parents to help them manoeuvre through the perils of the digital world.

An army wife and a mother, Atre's tryst with entrepreneurship started after she had spent 15-odd years designing appropriate learning strategies and developing learning materials.

"A lot was changing, and as a young mother, I consciously sought experience in learning programs for younger age-groups. I decided it was time to develop my own learning courses, on topics that I felt were the need of the hour like Cyber Safety. That was the genesis of Kids’ Edition," she says

With a degree in Masters in Communication studies specialising in film production, Atre worked as a copywriter in an ad agency. She also made training and advertising films for the corporate sector and managed her own freelancing business before taking up entrepreneurship.

Read Also: Dhanya Menon: India’s first woman Cybercrime Investigator

Programs and activities

"At the moment, I conduct Cyber Safety presentations and workshops in schools for the 12-16 year age-group. But these workshops are flexible, and can be adapted for younger age-groups too," she says.

Jyotsna Atre conducting workshops

Another important activity is the setting up of Cyber Safety Clubs that are run by the students for students. The basic philosophy behind this is that when teens are empowered to stay safe online, they help others stay safe too.

The challenge for parents

The efforts to keep children safe online must begin with schools, she says. Besides sensitizing children about the perils of Cyber World, she also offers Cyber Safety workshops for parents.

"As parents, we are facing an enormous challenge. We are raising kids who are more tech-savvy and comfortable using digital technologies and social media than we are. And if we are to keep them safe, we need to be aware of the digital world our children are growing up in."

Read Also: Govt Asks Tech Giants To Crack Down On Child Porn, Rape Videos

She admits that the Internet is a treasure trove of information which has transformed our world. While we have moved our lives online, it is obvious that so have the cyber criminals. "But it will need efforts, and that is where Kids’ Edition has stepped in," she averred.

Entrepreneurial journey

"I think I am just at the cusp of beginning my journey as an entrepreneur. I am a one-woman force at the moment -- the CEO, marketing head, facilitator, graphic designer, writer, and peon. So my biggest challenge right now is juggling my many roles. As a start-up entrepreneur, I have to do everything possible to make my business grow in the right direction," Atre says.

"Being your own boss and being able to set your own schedule every day is very liberating! It can give you a real high. The flip side is that you are responsible for every single decision and you have to be doubly sure that you are on the right track" - Jyotsna on entrepreneurship

The most rewarding moment for her is when students walk up to her after workshops and say they learned a lot about staying safe online.

Future vision with Kids' Edition

Her future vision is to reach a wider audience with the Kids' Edition of Stay Safe Online Workshops. "In the pipeline are plans to cater to younger age-groups, and also offer learning materials," she adds.

Advice for women entrepreneurs

"For any enterprise to be self-sustainable, cost control is a priority. Secondly, build a support network as these will spread the word for you. Thirdly, hard work and determination -- that goes without saying."

Read Also: 10 Essential Online Safety Tips for Women