February, 2026
Editor's Note
As digital technologies continue to reshape how we live, work, and connect, it is becoming increasingly clear that the question is no longer just about access but about who controls, benefits from, and is represented within these systems. This edition brings together diverse perspectives that explore the evolving digital landscape, from global debates on platform governance to grounded, community-led models of access and empowerment. Read more
Digital Op-Ed
The article explores how Delhi’s Seelampur operates as a hidden hub in the global e-waste economy, where discarded electronics often from wealthier countries are informally recycled by marginalized communities. It shows that this system survives on cheap, hazardous labor and weak regulation, effectively shifting the environmental and health costs of the digital economy onto the poor, while formal systems and global producers avoid accountability.
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Stories from the Ground
Access and Infrastructure
For Mohammed Jahangir, a spinal cord injury once placed significant limits on mobility, making access to work and independence feel distant. But access is not just about physical movement, it is about whether systems are designed to include or exclude. Read more
Education and Empowerment
In the quiet villages of Assam, digital services were once a distant dream. Residents often had to travel nearly 15 kilometers to access something as basic as a pension form or a ration card application. For many, especially women, the cost, time, and effort involved meant that essential services remained out of reach. Read more
Market & Social Enterprises
In Telangana, Ikat weavers have long been custodians of a rich craft tradition, creating textiles that carry culture, identity, and generations of skill. Yet, like many artisan communities, their access to markets has remained limited, often mediated by middlemen and constrained by geography. Today, that is beginning to shift.Through targeted digital training, these artisans are not just learning tools, they are entering the digital marketplace as entrepreneurs. Read more
Governance and Citizen Services
“Before opening my digital centre, my life was limited to my home and weaving. Today, I help my community and aid people in accessing services closer to their doorstep. I feel blessed that my husband has supported me throughout this journey, and proud that I could even conduct a training session on photography and social media marketing for artisans like us.” Read more
Research and Advocacy
“The Platform Question” is an anthology that emerges from a global collaboration among scholars, practitioners, and activists who come together to critically reflect on the expanding role of digital platforms in an increasingly digitized world. As platformization continues to reshape economies, governance structures, and everyday social interactions, it introduces new forms of regulation, control, and accountability that profoundly affect both marginalized communities and society at large.The collection brings together diverse perspectives to unpack these transformations. It engages with pressing debates on platform regulation and the growing need to hold Big Tech accountable, particularly in areas such as content moderation and data governance. At the same time, it foregrounds feminist critiques that examine how algorithmic systems reproduce bias, exclusion, and risk especially in digital environments like online dating platforms and social media spaces. Read more
EDGE: 30 years of the Internet in India
In Episode 2 of EDGE, Osama Manzar takes us through the years 2000–2005, a turning point in India’s digital history.
As the dotcom boom reshaped the internet economy, Osama documents how billions were committed to technology, while large sections of society remained disconnected. This episode explores the emergence of the digital divide, the rise of early e-governance initiatives, and the moment when connectivity began to feel like a public necessity rather than a privilege.
From tracking internet investments to travelling across India to understand how technology touched real lives, this conversation captures a powerful shift from technology for markets to technology for people.