Indian Households with Limited Digital Access Remain Significant Despite High Mobile Penetration

India's Digital Divide: A Stark Reality Behind the Numbers

A report titled 'The Evolving Landscape of Digital Inclusion in India' has shed light on a significant digital divide in the country, despite near-universal mobile phone ownership at 95.1 per cent. The report, launched by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in partnership with The Quantum Hub (TQH) on Friday, highlights a shift from access to opportunity.

The report draws on the India Human Development Survey (IHDS-3) conducted between 2022 and 2024, covering over 47,000 households. India's digital expansion over the past decade has been unprecedented, with the country's internet user base growing from roughly 198 million in 2015 to more than 1.03 billion by 2025, driven by affordable smartphones, low-cost mobile data, and rapid expansion in digital infrastructure.

However, beneath this remarkable expansion lies a more uneven reality. Inequalities emerge in the quality of connectivity, the devices people use, the skills they possess, and the extent to which digital technologies translate into education, finance, work, government services access, and social participation. While access to mobile devices is nearly universal, inequalities remain in the number of mobile devices owned by households.

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Furthermore, while India's internet ecosystem is mostly mobile-first, with 71.4 per cent of households connecting via mobile devices, 27.5 per cent of households have no internet access at all. A persistent gender divide continues to shape India's digital landscape, with only 35.6 per cent of working-age women using the internet compared to 57.6 per cent of men.

The study also revealed a "hidden divide" in digital skills, noting that among households that use digital services, 20.4 per cent reported needing help from someone outside the household. This dependence on intermediaries rises to nearly 30 per cent among households with no formal education, indicating that for many, the internet functions as a mediated service rather than an independently usable tool.

The report has significant implications for India's next phase of digital policy, which must focus on functional skills, vernacular design, and closing the gender gap, in addition to rolling out infrastructure.

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