June, 2025
Cover Story
Across India’s villages, towns, and underserved districts, a silent but powerful transformation is underway, driven by access, powered by information, and made possible through digital empowerment. From menstrual dignity to AI-driven justice, this month’s newsletter explores the ways in which Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) continues to bridge gaps between the state and the citizen, tradition and technology, and exclusion and opportunity. Read more
Digital Op-Ed
Connecting the Unconnected is a monthly column by the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) that explores how technology can drive inclusion and governance in India. The column focuses on how the digital divide impacts communities differently and advocates for equitable, citizen-informed solutions that ensure technology empowers rather than excludes.
In the upper stretches of Uttarakhand’s Darma Valley, when disaster strikes — or when it simply rains — you don’t reach for your phone. You try to reach a slope, a boulder, or a patch of rock, which local residents call Jannat (heaven). It’s the one place where your phone might catch a fleeting bar of signal.
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Stories from the Ground
Access and Infrastructure
In the village of Ajjipura, Karnataka, Akhil Pasha’s Smartpur-Spoke Centre revolutionised rural life by providing essential services, with his role as a Bank Correspondent of SBI, particularly helping individuals like Girish secure vital insurance coverage, saving them time and money while promoting financial inclusion in rural India. One of the most remarkable aspects of Mr. Pasha’s initiative was his role as a Bank Correspondent of the State Bank of India (SBI). Read more
People often begin to slow down or think of retirement as they approach the age of sixty. However, that is not the case for Bodhi Devi, a sixty-year-old woman from Tilonia, Rajasthan, who has been actively working with Barefoot College for the past three years, ever since the untimely passing of her husband due to a heart attack. Read more
Education and Empowerment
Kumari Pratima first encountered menstruation when she was 6, but the whispers around it began a year earlier when a friend confided in her using a curious euphemism, “Mamaji aa gaye hain” (Uncle has arrived). At the time, this coded language was the only way young girls could speak about their periods. When Pratima herself began menstruating and informed a female teacher, she was permitted to leave school early. Read more
Just 70–75 kilometres from the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the village of Saidanpur has long remained shadowed by infrastructural gaps and limited opportunities, despite India’s 75 years of independence. Once renowned for its handloom heritage, the village was gradually losing its identity due to neglect, a lack of digital awareness, and the absence of training. Read more
Market & Social Enterprises
In the quiet village of Payranga, nestled in Assam’s Kamrup district, Karina Begum quietly sustained herself by stitching traditional garments. A third-generation artisan, Karina inherited the intricate craft of making mekhela chadors, handwoven textiles that carry the rich cultural legacy of Assam. Despite her artistry, her business was limited in both reach and revenue, primarily serving local buyers. Read more
In West Bengal, where talent meets tradition, artisans have been weaving, stitching, carving, and crafting for generations. In rural areas, despite their skills, access to sustainable markets and consistent income has remained elusive. Digikargha, working at the intersection of craft and commerce, has taken a transformative step to change this narrative. Read more
Governance and Citizen Services
Shankar Prasad Mahto, a 60-year-old resident of Deoria village in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, had long been seeking clarity on various government welfare schemes. Like many elderly citizens in remote rural areas, he was unsure of the eligibility criteria, documentation, and application processes required to access these schemes. Read more
Parvez Alam is an inspiring example of how digital technology can elevate rural business initiatives. He has grown from a tiny community service provider to a vibrant digital entrepreneur as Spoke Coordinator at the Shababpur Smartpur Centre, which is supported by the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF). Read more
Research and Advocacy
Over the last two years, the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), in collaboration with Swaniti Initiative, has led the Just Transition & Economic Diversification of Jharkhand’s Coal Heartland project — a transformative, community-centered initiative in the coal districts of Ramgarh and Bokaro. Focused on addressing the realities of coal dependency while paving digital pathways for livelihood diversification, this project marked a critical step in reimagining a future beyond fossil fuels. Read more
In today’s algorithmically governed world, the digital space has become a battleground for justice. From deciding who receives welfare benefits to whose identities are erased by misinformation, algorithms and data infrastructures are increasingly shaping public life. Read more
Regular Features
Oral Bytes
Transforming Rural Communities Through Digital Empowerment
Empowering Villages Through Technology
Expert Says
One Bit Per Person: Reimagining Digital Access for the Data-Poor | Ashhar Farhan @3B on Wheels
What if digital access were reimagined not in gigabytes but in just one bit per person per second?
In this compelling talk from 3B on Wheels – BYTES BEYOND BANDWIDTH II, Ashhar Farhan, founding Vice-President of Lamakaan Amateur Radio Club (LARC), challenges our assumptions around connectivity and digital infrastructure. He traces how the world's largest machine—the telecom network—has failed to equitably serve the poor and disconnected, despite its massive scale and investment.
eChampion
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in systems of governance, economy, and daily life, its social impact can no longer be viewed as a secondary concern. While AI offers enormous innovation potential, it also carries deep risks, particularly in societies marked by long-standing, deep-seated social and institutional inequalities. Read more