ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 delineates marginalization in the digital economy by examining issues of digital access in India. More specifically, it seeks to ascertain how digital devices and speed of connectivity shape the ability to work and school at home during the pandemic and beyond. In overall terms, mobile phones are the principal means of connectivity in India and there is a widespread lack of access to personal computers. This is especially true in rural areas, so that the “digital divide” in India reflects both economic and urban–rural inequalities. Within the urban, the shift to work from home has led to increased demand for fixed broadband in small towns, leading to questions over the adequacy of mobile broadband access. In terms of online schooling, rural schoolchildren have especially suffered exclusion during the pandemic due to lack of access to smartphones. Within urban areas, children in low-income families have faced similar forms of exclusion. The broader aim of this chapter is to provide an alternative perspective on the digital economy through the lens of technological and social inequalities. It also seeks to understand the extent to which future workers of India are gaining access to the skills they need to thrive in the digital economy.
