The report, titled ‘The Evolving Landscape of Digital Inclusion in India‘, was launched by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in partnership with The Quantum Hub (TQH) on Friday.
It 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. The country’s internet user base grew 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.
“Yet, 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,” the report noted.
Access to mobile devices is nearly universal, but inequalities remain in the number of mobile devices owned by households. The average number of mobile phones per household increases steadily across economic groups, from 1.5 among the poorest households to 2.9 among the richest households.
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.Beyond infrastructure, 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, one in five (20.4 per cent) reported needing help from someone outside the household.
This dependence on intermediaries rises to nearly one in three among households with no formal education, indicating that for many, the internet functions as a mediated service rather than an independently usable tool.
“The data is clear: connectivity alone does not translate into capability. India’s next phase of digital policy must focus as much on functional skills, vernacular design, and closing the gender gap as it has on rolling out infrastructure,” said Aparajita Bharti, co-founder of The Quantum Hub.