Recently, the Kerala High Court upheld the right to have access to the internet as a part of the fundamental right to education along with the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

Benefits-

• India’s digital economy will touch $1 trillion by the year 2022. India would be a $10 trillion economy by 2030 and half of it would be the digital economy.
• Fintech sector—the Fintech sector in the recent couple of years has seen a huge jump in growth. Digital currency and online payment platforms have played a major role in financial inclusion.
• Public Services Sector—steady and efficient digital transformation across areas like e-governance and this has also considerably brought down leakages and corruption. In recent years India performed well in the transparency index.
• The health care sector is catching up to meet the demands of its tech-savvy population. Demand is shifting now to quality and affordable healthcare, much of it being fulfilled by a public-private partnership.
• Digital healthcare startups are playing a major role in addressing areas like preventive healthcare, analytics, emergency services and engage with super-aggregation platforms like Facebook and Google.
• Enterprise and Deep Technology sector—startups in this sector have made their presence felt globally with their success. The IT services in the country are set to reach USD 13.2 billion by the end of this year.
• E-commerce and Consumer internet sector—India’s e-commerce market is set to grow three times to surpass USD 100 billion by 2022.
• Travel and Hospitality sector—this sector has enjoyed rapid online growth since the beginning of this century. The growth is also attributed to the increase in disposable income, especially, among the millennials, who are changing decades of traditional travel trends.

Challenges

• Slow roll-out of Wi-Fi hotspots and the slow speed, in comparison to other developed nations.
• Most small and medium scale industry is struggling to adapt to modern technology.
• Entry-level smartphones have limited capabilities for smooth internet access, and the outreach of the ‘smartphones’ is limited.
• There is an absence of enough skilled manpower in digital technology.
• Lack of user education and there are limited facilities to train personnel. India needs over one million cybersecurity experts to check and monitor the growing menace of digital crime.

A digitally connected India can help in improving the social and economic condition of people through the development of non-agricultural economic activities apart from providing access to education, health, and financial services. However, it is important to note that ICT alone cannot directly lead to the overall development of the nation. The overall growth and development can be realized through supporting and enhancing elements such as literacy, basic infrastructure, overall business environment, regulatory environment, etc.