ABSTRACT
This chapter critically examines India’s transformation into a digital authoritarian state through the lens of Strategic Digital Information Operations (SDIOs) under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once envisioned as a hub of digital inclusion and innovation, India has increasingly weaponised digital platforms to suppress dissent, manipulate public opinion, and consolidate political power. The chapter outlines a complex strategy that includes state censorship, internet shutdowns, disinformation campaigns, troll and bot networks, and emotionally charged identity-based mobilisation. Through extensive legal and technological control over social media and internet infrastructure, the state has engineered a surveillance regime that stifles democratic discourse and enables mass censorship under the guise of national security and morality. Case studies including the farmers’ protests, the Delhi riots, the COVID-19 “infodemic,” and information manipulation in the 2019 and 2024 elections demonstrate how digital tools are wielded not only for narrative dominance but also for inciting polarisation and suppressing marginalised voices.
