Digital Divide in India

Despite being the second-largest online market with over 560 million internet users, less than half of India’s population has access to the internet.

As in other parts of the world, the digital divide in India increased during the pandemic. Even though internet penetration in the past five years has grown, it decreased 5% from 2020 to February 2021. As previous years had been increasing, we could assume the pandemic was one of the main reasons it dropped to a lower level than in 2018.

Depending on the region, income level, and gender, access to the internet varies and is a barrier to digital equality in India. Rural villages have less access than urban regions. In these communities, women are less likely to own a mobile device or a computer, as they are dependent on their spouses.

This became an essential issue in accessing primary healthcare, vaccines, and education during the pandemic. With schools returning to classrooms, it is critical to provide tools and access for underserved communities to decrease the gap that online learning may have caused between private and public schools, reducing opportunities for rural students.    

Even with the government’s efforts to provide mobile connectivity, as announced recently by the COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India), there is still much to be done. It is crucial to find ways to help reduce inequalities between India's rural and urban regions to provide equal opportunities for all.