April, 2026
Editor's Note
This edition brings together a set of stories that sit at the intersection of policy, technology, and grassroots transformation, with a special focus on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and its growing role in reshaping rural development outcomes. As India continues to build and scale DPI systems—spanning identity, payments, data exchange, and service delivery the conversation is no longer about digital access alone, but about how these foundational layers... Read more
Digital Op-Ed
The article argues that Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) must be designed around people, not just technology. It explores how current DPI conversations often focus on systems like identity, payments, and data exchange while overlooking whether these systems are actually accessible, usable, and meaningful for citizens, especially in rural and marginalized contexts.
It highlights that even well-built, interoperable systems fail if people lack devices, connectivity, digital literacy, or local access points, stressing the need for “meaningful access” rather than mere availability.
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Stories from the Ground
Access and Infrastructure
The Digital Empowerment Foundation, in partnership with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, inaugurated Samriddhi Kendra in Umri Village, Guna District, Madhya Pradesh, in the presence of Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region. More than a ceremonial launch, the initiative represents a critical step toward reimagining how digital infrastructure can be designed to serve communities at the last mile. Read more
Education and Empowerment
In the remote Himalayan town of Dharchula, where steep paths connect scattered homes and the river marks both a boundary and a lifeline, education had long been shaped by geography. Schools existed, but access, resources, and exposure, especially to the digital world, remained limited. A quiet shift began when a group of educators, community volunteers, and local leaders came together with a shared goal: not just to provide schooling, but to expand what education could mean. Read more
Market & Social Enterprises
“I never imagined that I could become a digital warrior for my community. Today, I am not only earning but also helping others access essential services. If I can do it, why not others?” With these powerful words, Soochnapreneur Business Mitra Rakhi Biswas reflects on a journey that has transformed not only her own life but also the lives of many women in her community. Read more
Governance and Citizen Services
At her Nano SheMaker digital centre, Girja’s work goes far beyond education; it has become a vital access point for citizen entitlements in her region. Every week, community members visit her centre seeking help with essential services that were once difficult to access due to distance, lack of awareness, or digital barriers. Girja assists them in applying for government schemes, updating Aadhaar details, linking bank accounts, and accessing benefits such as pensions, scholarships, and ration services. Read more
Research and Advocacy
ChakraView is an artistic exploration of how data extracted from human lives is processed, reshaped, and often distorted within algorithmic systems frequently without meaningful human oversight. Presented as part of the Museum of Digital Society (MoDS), the exhibition examines how deeply personal data—drawn from our behaviors, choices, and identities, is transformed into algorithmic outputs that can reproduce bias, reinforce inaccuracies, and enable discrimination. Drawing inspiration from the concept of “chakras,” ChakraView reflects on the lifecycle of data in the digital age. Just as chakras represent flows of energy within the body, the exhibition imagines data as a circulating force—collected, analyzed, and redeployed in ways that influence and even control human lives. Read more
EDGE: 30 years of the Internet in India
Between 2010 and 2015, India witnessed a rapid digital surge—4G launches, e-commerce growth, and millions coming online. It felt like a breakthrough moment.
But beneath this growth, a deeper question remained: who was still left out?
This episode explores the gap between urban digital expansion and grassroots realities, and why internet growth in India remained largely top-down.