Published in: Digital Divides – The New Challenges and Opportunities of e-Inclusion
Chapter Title: Leveraging Mobile Revolution for Turning Digital Divide into Digital Dividend: Examples from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
Author of Chapter: Vikas Kanungo
Publisher: Taylor & Francis / CRC Press
Chapter DOI: 10.1201/b17986-14
Link to Chapter: Read on Taylor & Francis
Overview
This chapter examines how mobile technologies have catalyzed a profound shift in the digital inclusion landscape across South Asia. Framed around examples from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, the chapter offers a comparative and evidence-backed exploration of how the mobile revolution has emerged as the most transformative force in bridging the digital divide for underserved communities. It is part of the widely cited book “Digital Divides – The New Challenges and Opportunities of e-Inclusion“, published by Taylor & Francis.
The narrative focuses on how mobile phones—when embedded into well-designed public policies, inclusive business models, and citizen-centric service delivery frameworks—can shift populations from the margins of the digital economy into its core. The chapter addresses the socio-economic, technological, and policy dimensions that underpin successful mobile-led digital transformation in developing countries.
As the sole author of this chapter, I drew upon over two decades of experience in digital transformation, policy advisory, and grassroots-level innovation across the Global South. My objective was to move beyond abstract theory and ground the discussion in real-life case studies, field insights, and implementation challenges drawn from my direct work with multilateral agencies, public-private partnerships, and national governments. Key highlights of my contribution include:
- Case studies from India’s mobile governance ecosystem—such as the integration of Aadhaar with mobile delivery systems, mobile-based health (mHealth) services, and digital financial inclusion via mobile wallets and direct benefit transfers (DBT).
- Documentation of Bangladesh’s mobile for development (M4D) use cases, especially in agriculture, maternal health, and mobile education services.
- Exploration of Sri Lanka’s community-level mobile telecenters and disaster risk reduction communication systems.
- Cross-country comparisons that highlight shared challenges such as gender gaps in mobile access, linguistic barriers, and affordability constraints.
- A policy framework to guide future e-inclusion strategies focused on mobile platforms—emphasizing affordability, interoperability, digital literacy, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Why This Chapter Remains Relevant even after 15 years of its publication
In the current decade, as Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) becomes central to inclusive development, this chapter remains a foundational reference point for understanding how mobile-first strategies have delivered tangible impact in resource-constrained settings.
With India’s rapidly maturing stack of digital public goods (Aadhaar, UPI, Jan Dhan, DigiLocker, and UMANG), many of the insights discussed in this chapter have now scaled nationally. Bangladesh’s digital villages and Sri Lanka’s e-citizen services continue to expand using mobile platforms as the primary access point. As countries seek resilient, inclusive, and scalable technology solutions, mobile continues to be the default gateway for millions entering the digital economy for the first time. Moreover, the Global South’s development trajectory suggests that mobile technologies—due to their ubiquity, low entry barrier, and ability to localize content—will remain central to any future strategy for digital equity.
Intended Audience
This chapter is especially valuable for:
- Policymakers designing inclusive digital strategies
- ICT4D (Information and Communication Technology for Development) professionals
- International development agencies
- Researchers and students exploring mobile-based innovation ecosystems
- Public and private sector leaders looking to scale digital service delivery in frontier markets
