This month’s stories reflect a powerful truth,digital inclusion in India is no longer just about connectivity; it is about people, purpose, and participation. Across villages and small towns, individuals are stepping into new roles as digital enablers, bringing essential services, information, and opportunities closer to their communities. From facilitating access to citizen entitlements to supporting…
In today’s digital world, the gap between the connected and the unconnected continues to grow. While technology has immense potential, millions on the margins still struggle to access it. To be precise, about 75 percent of the Indian population are not meaningfully connected. At Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), we believe digital inclusion is not a…
By Digital Empowerment Foundation Published on: December 04, 2025 The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) participated in the Digital Rights Asia-Pacific Assembly 2025 (DRAPAC25), held from 26–28 August in Kuala Lumpur, which brought together practitioners, researchers, journalists, and civil society members from across the Asia-Pacific to discuss digital rights, governance, and community-centered technology solutions. The assembly…
By Digital Empowerment Foundation Published on: December 04, 2025 On October 13, 2025, the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), in collaboration with Swaniti Initiative, participated in APRIGF AISA 2025 with a lightning talk titled “Digital Dilemmas in Just Transitions: Lessons from India’s Coal Heartland.” Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF) serves as a platform for…
By Digital Empowerment Foundation Published on: December 04, 2025 At 40, Meenakshi Das has spent more than two decades with her hands immersed in thread, colour, and tradition. Introduced to spinning and weaving by a local NGO in 2002, what began as a simple activity gradually became her identity—and a pathway to uplift other women…
By Digital Empowerment Foundation Published on: December 04, 2025 In the heart of Assam, where simplicity and tradition intertwine, lived a young woman named Anju Saikia. Born and raised in the village of Bhurbandha, her journey from a sheltered childhood to becoming a source of strength and opportunity for rural women is a story of…
By Digital Empowerment Foundation Published on: December 04, 2025 In the quiet village of Umri, Madhya Pradesh, a steady stream of villagers walks into a small digital service center. Inside, Purushottam Dhakad greets them with a smile, guiding each one patiently through forms, documents, and online applications. For the people here, he is more than…
By Digital Empowerment Foundation Published on: December 04, 2025 Whenever Laxmi Kumar Oraon visited the nearby café to get any digital service for her children, whether it was filling an online form or downloading school materials, she would quietly watch the operator’s hands glide across the keyboard. “I wish I could do this too,” she…
By Digital Empowerment Foundation Published on: December 04, 2025 This edition captures the many ways digital access is reshaping rural lives across India—from the tea gardens of the Northeast to the coal belts of Jharkhand. Through stories of Soochnapreneurs, young students, weavers, and rural entrepreneurs, we see how connectivity, community leadership, and digital literacy are…
By Digital Empowerment Foundation Published on: August 31, 2025 From 7–11 July 2025, Geneva became the center of global digital dialogue as the WSIS+20 High-Level Event and the AI for Good Global Summit brought together 11,000 participants from 169 countries. Two decades after the first WSIS, the conversations in Geneva reflected on progress made while…