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By the time you read through the end of this article, you will most likely glance at your phone or computer at least a couple of times to check your latest notifications. Technology has touched every fabric of society. Nevertheless, this great connector that has changed lives of a sizeable portion of the population has also left out a huge segment of society. The great digital divide is real.
New technology adoption has always had its challenges. Examples abound of how every new technology faced resistance before the wider population got to benefit from them. When motors entered the manufacturing industry, labourers were sceptical of their relevance. But technology increased the shelf life of food, improved human health, and also reduced drudgery.
The inevitable truth is this: Today’s technology has the potential for disruptive social innovation, the potential to build an inclusive economy.
India’s digital dilemma
India is a booming economy, with some disturbing facts. The fifth largest GDP contributor in the world is also one of the five countries where half of the world’s poor live. The Global Hunger Index at 102 is worse than its neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It ranks 131 out of 189 in the Human Development Index.
The inequalities in society is a reflection of what we see in the technology space. In India, more than 1,300 new tech start-ups evolve each year, that is, 2-3 tech start-ups are born every day. Over the last 25 years, India has evolved as the capital of technology innovation. But the number of innovations in the social/development sector is abysmal.
Entrepreneurs in social development not only need funding but also trust, and a zeal for finding innovative solutions to address their problems. The technology has to be people centric and welfare oriented.
Take for example, the Khushi Baby app, which targets immunization and healthcare for underprivileged and remote communities of women and infants. It doesn’t just monitor maternal and post-natal health but also educates women by sending timely and informative health reports, empowering them with or without the internet. Or, Samagra, which uses ICT, behavioural sciences and human centered design to provide accessible, affordable and sustainable sanitation services to communities. Similar entrepreneurial energy and rigour is needed in the social sector for the right talent and skill to serve the underserved.
For Social Impact start-ups, investment capital and profits don’t work the same way as capitalist ventures. Cooperation has to come in from alternative sources — philanthropic capital, CSR funds and increasingly booming Impact Investments. Scale is achieved through government tie-ups and a strong partner ecosystem. Private, public, profit and non-profit organisations together have to look for innovative solutions for technology adoption in job security, living standards, health, education, and environmental sustainability.
Covid-19 emphasised the importance of technology and digital access and made it the new normal. It has also brought a huge shift in the social development sector. Impact investment has become more technology-led and is challenging the traditional roles of donor-recipient models.
The conventional philanthropic models are now taking new shapes wherein technology and infrastructure are considered building blocks for social change. For example, the GiveIndia crowdfunding platform makes donations transparent by ensuring that help reaches the ones in need by using Aadhaar cards for beneficiary tracking, and monitoring their conditions with technology support.
Technology has the potential to heal the cracks of unequal society. But technology must not only be a means to increase efficiency, but also to enhance life quality, especially those who stuck in the cycles of poverty and injustice. It is time we enabled our future entrepreneurs to innovate for all.
Closing the gaps in funding, policy, cooperation, communication and attracting the right talent to solve for the biggest (not the most lucrative) problems is a necessity. With these we can address the issues of health, education, sanitation, climate and food security for all by leapfrogging development on the back of technology. Instead of a digital divide, technology can and will be the great equaliser.
The writer is CEO (North America),The Nudge Foundation
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