For nearly two decades, policymakers, technology providers, civil society organizations, private investors, and philanthropic funders, among others, have invested billions of dollars and worked tirelessly to build and realize the potential of a digital India to improve the lives of its people. However, our understanding of whether these efforts helped people—particularly those who are lower-income or less advantaged and newer to the internet—live better lives, remains under-explored and less understood. Dalberg’s new study, supported by Omidyar Network India, titled The Next Half Billion: Digital Access and Beyond, attempts to answer these questions in a first-of-its-kind, human-centered, panoramic study of 15,000+ recent internet users from lower-income households in India.  

For the purpose of this study, we define the Next Half Billion (NHB) as the second big wave of internet users from households belonging to the bottom 60% of India by income, who only came online after 2017. 

Key findings from the study highlight that investment in digital rails are paying off. Over 90% of households, even in rural India, are now connected; use of advanced services like digital payments and online shopping have grown multi-fold. In parallel, being online is helping 100 million+ NHB users live better, more meaningful lives.  

But these stories of change are counterbalanced by the ways in which our digital ecosystem reinforces existing social inequities. For example, the gender gap is not closing—over 140 million women remain offline and even once online, women are 1.3X less likely to realize the benefits of going online vis-à-vis men. Users’ digital engagement is also marred by significant and widespread experience of digital harms that create persistent negative impact or discourage further use. One in two NHB users had experienced at least one form of digital harm in the past 12 months, while one in four had opted out of digital services due to safety concerns. 

To ensure the benefits of digital participation are fully and more equitably realized for all, our study identifies four forward-looking priorities that must be collectively addressed: (1) Focus on inclusion, especially of those from marginalized and traditionally excluded backgrounds; (2) Address root causes of the persistent gender gap; (3) Build a safer online experience; and (4) Continue to invest in more deeply understanding and designing for the needs and lived realities of these users. 

Download the full report here.

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