October, 2025
Editor's Note
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 creating pathways to rights, livelihoods, and dignity. Read more
Digital Op-Ed
In the remote tea gardens of Assam and North Bengal, the arrival of the internet is quietly reshaping everyday life. Once isolated from mainstream access to information and services, these communities are now connecting to education, healthcare, and government schemes through digital means. Initiatives like Internet Roshni and local Soochnapreneurs are helping residents navigate the online world and build confidence in using technology. The shift is especially empowering women and young people, opening new avenues for learning and livelihood. Yet, barriers like patchy connectivity, limited digital skills, and entrenched inequalities continue to hinder progress. The story underscores how true digital inclusion requires not just infrastructure, but sustained community engagement and capacity building.
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Stories from the Ground
Access and Infrastructure
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 would think, a little wistfully. At that time, she barely knew how to operate a mobile phone. For her, the digital world felt distant and exclusive, something meant for others, not for women like her living in Jhakra, Jharkhand. Read more
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 a service provider—he’s their bridge to a world that was once far beyond their reach. Read more
Market & Social Enterprises
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 resilience, community, and quiet determination. Anju grew up with her parents and brother in a deeply nurturing environment. Read more
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 in her community. Meenakshi dedicates about three hours each day to spinning. Over the years, her passion and persistence helped her establish a small spinning... Read more
Research and Advocacy
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.” Read more
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 explored the theme “Collective Digital Futures: Power, Resilience, and Imagination,” highlighting common challenges across diverse contexts. Read more
Oral Bytes
Advanced internet infrastructure in 10 villages of Uttarakhand II Wireless Aid Community Network
Whose Citizenship Counts? | Exclusion of Transgender Persons in India’s Digital Policy Landscape
One Bit Per Person
AI as Public Good : Analysing the interplay of Private Investments, Public Infrastructure and Public Accountability
This APRIGF workshop, co-hosted by Megha Garg, Varun Ramdas, and Suruchi Kumari (DEF), explored AI as a Public Good by examining the balance between private investment, public infrastructure, and accountability. Suruchi highlighted regional AI strategies, including India’s $1-billion AI Mission, and raised key questions on data ownership and responsibility in PPP-led systems such as smart cities and healthcare. The session emphasized the need for transparent governance and ethical frameworks to ensure AI serves public welfare rather than private or structural interests.
Gram-worthy Dialogues!
In this episode, we explore how citizen journalism is reshaping information ecosystems in the era of YouTube and other digital platforms. Nitesh Bhardwaj discusses the opportunities and challenges faced by grassroots creators—from access, resources, and representation to issues of bias, shadow banning, censorship, misinformation, monetisation, and algorithmic influence. The conversation also reflects on the policy changes needed to strengthen and safeguard citizen journalism at the grassroots level. Watch here