New Releases
Fana-e-Haq
2026 | By Osama Manzar
Fana-e-Haq reflects on the quiet erosion of rights in a digitally pervasive age. Rooted in Haq—truth and right—the work examines how citizenship is reduced to consumption, questioning whether awareness and agency can still reclaim dignity, identity, and the possibility of conscious citizenship.
Insight & Innovation Think Tank
Explore our diverse range of publications that spotlight grassroots innovation, digital inclusion, and social impact across India. Stay informed with stories that drive change and empower communities.
Fana-e-Haq
2026 | By Osama Manzar
Fana-e-Haq reflects on the quiet erosion of rights in a digitally pervasive age. Rooted in Haq—truth and right—the work examines how citizenship is reduced to consumption, questioning whether awareness and agency can still reclaim dignity, identity, and the possibility of conscious citizenship.
Fana-e-Haq reflects on the quiet erosion of rights in a digitally pervasive age. Rooted in Haq—truth and right—the work examines how citizenship is reduced to consumption, questioning whether awareness and agency can still reclaim dignity, identity, and the possibility of conscious citizenship.
Reminder: Log in. Link up. Light the Margins
2025 | By Manisha Aryal
A field notes from India on SoochnaPreneurs (Information Entrepreneurs) playing roles of digital social entrepreneurs at a village level.
A field notes from India on SoochnaPreneurs (Information Entrepreneurs) playing roles of digital social entrepreneurs at a village level.
NetChakra 2.0 – 40 Years Chronology of Internet in India
2025 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
NetChakra 2.0 presents a 40-year chronology of the Internet in India, capturing key milestones, policies, and innovations that have shaped its digital journey.
NetChakra 2.0 presents a 40-year chronology of the Internet in India, capturing key milestones, policies, and innovations that have shaped its digital journey.
The Invisible E-waste Economy of Seelampur
2025 | By Alfiya Azeem Khan and Dr. Raina Ghosh
This book highlights the empirical fieldwork conducted in Seelampur as part of a larger research project by the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF, India) on the theme of the Circular Economy.
This book highlights the empirical fieldwork conducted in Seelampur as part of a larger research project by the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF, India) on the theme of the Circular Economy.
Imprints of Change: The Digital Journey To Swaraj
2024 | Edited by Dr. Arpita Kanjilal and Ashwini Shah
This anthology captures the transformative journey of the Digital Swaraj Fellowship (2023–24), sharing Fellows’ experiences and insights from advancing digital inclusion across India. It reflects their challenges, learnings, and achievements in bridging divides and nurturing a new generation of digital changemakers.
This anthology captures the transformative journey of the Digital Swaraj Fellowship (2023–24), sharing Fellows’ experiences and insights from advancing digital inclusion across India. It reflects their challenges, learnings, and achievements in bridging divides and nurturing a new generation of digital changemakers.
Navigating Through Digital and Social Realities: Stories of Struggle, Hope and Resilience
2024 | Edited by Anuska Roy, Sidharth Shankar and Ritika Bhatia
This book is a collaboration between the Digital Empowerment Foundation and Youth Ki Awaaz, presenting 30 powerful stories in English and Hindi by young voices from across India. It explores lived digital experiences and highlights key issues of digital rights, safety, and inclusivity.
This book is a collaboration between the Digital Empowerment Foundation and Youth Ki Awaaz, presenting 30 powerful stories in English and Hindi by young voices from across India. It explores lived digital experiences and highlights key issues of digital rights, safety, and inclusivity.
SoochnaPreneurs in Consumer Acquisition and Value Creation: A Review
2025 | By Dhiraj Singha
This review is based on the analyses from a three-year study of the SoochnaPreneur model, showing how engaging rural women improves service outreach, enhances value, and supports local economies through inclusive digital and financial empowerment.
This review is based on the analyses from a three-year study of the SoochnaPreneur model, showing how engaging rural women improves service outreach, enhances value, and supports local economies through inclusive digital and financial empowerment.
“The Himalayan Digital Hurdle: What Limits Rural Pithoragarh’s Access to Digital Spaces”
2025 | By Dhiraj Singha & Raina Ghosh
The report highlights digital exclusion in Uttarakhand’s Dharchula due to harsh terrain and poor infrastructure. It recommends resilient tech like satellite internet and community radio to bridge the gap.
The report highlights digital exclusion in Uttarakhand’s Dharchula due to harsh terrain and poor infrastructure. It recommends resilient tech like satellite internet and community radio to bridge the gap.
Digital Just Transition: Digital Pathways for Community-centered Just Transition
2025 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
This discussion paper, Digital Just Transition: Digital Pathways for Community-centered Just Transition, was developed as part of an ongoing effort to explore the role of digital accessibility in economic diversification in Ramgarh and Bokaro.
This discussion paper, Digital Just Transition: Digital Pathways for Community-centered Just Transition, was developed as part of an ongoing effort to explore the role of digital accessibility in economic diversification in Ramgarh and Bokaro.
Just Transition and Economic Diversification of Jharkhand’s Coal Heartland
2025 | By Swaniti Initiative and Digital Empowerment Foundation
The year 2024 marked a crucial turning point in climate change—global mean temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time in recorded history.
The year 2024 marked a crucial turning point in climate change—global mean temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time in recorded history.
At the Digital Margins – The Connectivity Status of Totopara, North Bengal
2025 | By Dhiraj Singha
The baseline study by DEF examines the digital divide, socioeconomic challenges, and cultural preservation needs of the Toto tribal community in remote West Bengal.
The baseline study by DEF examines the digital divide, socioeconomic challenges, and cultural preservation needs of the Toto tribal community in remote West Bengal.
Rural women microentrepreneurs, consumer acquisition, and value delivery: Evidence from a quasi-experiment in rural India
2025 | By Aindrila Chatterjee, Amit J. Chauradia, Kiran Pedada
This study examines how recruiting rural women as microentrepreneurs in India significantly improves consumer acquisition and value delivery, highlighting the social and economic impact of gender-inclusive entrepreneurship.
This study examines how recruiting rural women as microentrepreneurs in India significantly improves consumer acquisition and value delivery, highlighting the social and economic impact of gender-inclusive entrepreneurship.
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Your Content Goes Here
A Leadership Series Interview ft. Osama Manzar
2025 | By Simit Bhagat Studios
A leadership interview in which Osama Manzar reflects on resilience, purpose, and building sustainable social impact through community-led digital empowerment.
A leadership interview in which Osama Manzar reflects on resilience, purpose, and building sustainable social impact through community-led digital empowerment.
Landscapes of Creative – Producers of India
2025 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
“Landscape of Creative Producers in India” is a visual data report that maps the vast scale of India’s 200 million artisans and 30 million MSMEs while exposing the stark “meaningful access” gaps in digital connectivity, formal finance, and rural infrastructure.
“Landscape of Creative Producers in India” is a visual data report that maps the vast scale of India’s 200 million artisans and 30 million MSMEs while exposing the stark “meaningful access” gaps in digital connectivity, formal finance, and rural infrastructure.
Delhi’s Unregulated E-Waste Markets and the Marginalised Women Workers Who Bear Its Cost
2025 | By Raina Ghosh & Alfiya Azeem Khan
Documents exploitative gendered labor conditions and health harms in informal e-waste recycling hubs.
Documents exploitative gendered labor conditions and health harms in informal e-waste recycling hubs.
Does the Number of ICT Users Indicate Digital Adoption?
2025 | By Osama Manzar & Arpita Kanjilal
Argues that digital user numbers alone cannot measure meaningful inclusion and emphasizes the need to bridge deeper structural divides.
Argues that digital user numbers alone cannot measure meaningful inclusion and emphasizes the need to bridge deeper structural divides.
Clicking Through Barriers, Empowering Persons with Disabilities
2025 | By Arpita Kanjilal & Mira Swaminathan
Examines barriers preventing PwDs from participating fully in the digital ecosystem and advocates inclusive policy design.
Examines barriers preventing PwDs from participating fully in the digital ecosystem and advocates inclusive policy design.
Becoming Digital Citizens
2025 | By Osama Manzar & Arpita Kanjilal
Examines how Explores India’s growing digital disparity and calls for community-centered digital public systems accessible to every citizen.
Examines how Explores India’s growing digital disparity and calls for community-centered digital public systems accessible to every citizen.
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Threats or Opportunities for Local Languages, Culture & Knowledge?
2015 | By Osama Manzar
International Language Development Conference
International Language Development Conference
Case Study: Digital Literacy Partnership
2024 | By UNESCO
The UNESCO case study features the Digital Empowerment Foundation, detailing how NGO, government, and media partnerships promote Media and Information Literacy (MIL) adoption through 300 women factcheckers who combat village misinformation.
The UNESCO case study features the Digital Empowerment Foundation, detailing how NGO, government, and media partnerships promote Media and Information Literacy (MIL) adoption through 300 women factcheckers who combat village misinformation.
Chhattisgarh’s Female Fact-Checking Warriors Are Championing Cybersecurity Woes in India
2025 | By Poorvi Gupta
In rural Chhattisgarh, women fact-checkers are fighting misinformation, online fraud, and gendered cyber threats through digital literacy and community empowerment.
In rural Chhattisgarh, women fact-checkers are fighting misinformation, online fraud, and gendered cyber threats through digital literacy and community empowerment.
Community Champions Digital Leaders Shaping a Just Transition
2025 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
The Report is a grassroots study focused on highlighting community perspectives to inform just and inclusive economic policymaking.
The Report is a grassroots study focused on highlighting community perspectives to inform just and inclusive economic policymaking.
The Ideal Internet 3.0 – Digital Divides & Vulnerabilities of Indian Teens Online
2024-25 | By RATI Foundation
Ideal Internet 3.0 is a national study examining how Indian teenagers experience digital access, literacy, safety, and agency across class, gender, and geography.
Ideal Internet 3.0 is a national study examining how Indian teenagers experience digital access, literacy, safety, and agency across class, gender, and geography.
Meta’s Political Content Limit Causes Steep Drop in Reach for Accounts
2024 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
Accountable Tech asked five Instagram accounts with more than 10,000 followers each to share their Instagram account insights analytics data with us to measure the change in average reach per piece of content posted over a three month period.
Accountable Tech asked five Instagram accounts with more than 10,000 followers each to share their Instagram account insights analytics data with us to measure the change in average reach per piece of content posted over a three month period.
Social Innovation Mapping
2024 | By Law for All
An overwhelming majority of Indians do not have access to justice. Government mechanisms and public entitlements only reach a small percentage of citizens. While social innovations have marginally expanded the reach of the justice system, we still have a long way to go to address the needs of 1.3 billion people.
An overwhelming majority of Indians do not have access to justice. Government mechanisms and public entitlements only reach a small percentage of citizens. While social innovations have marginally expanded the reach of the justice system, we still have a long way to go to address the needs of 1.3 billion people.
Just AI Awards 2025
2025 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
It is a report of 2025 Just AI Awards, which recognise and showcase ethical AI innovations that demonstrate measurable social impact. The awards highlight practical applications of AI that advance equity, inclusion, sustainability, and accountable governance.
It is a report of 2025 Just AI Awards, which recognise and showcase ethical AI innovations that demonstrate measurable social impact. The awards highlight practical applications of AI that advance equity, inclusion, sustainability, and accountable governance.
Kargha Tales: Stories of our Digital Artisans of India
2025 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
Kargha Tales documents the lived journeys of India’s artisans as they navigate craft, community, and the digital world. Through intimate narratives and visual storytelling, it captures resilience, dignity, and innovation, showing how traditional knowledge adapts through digital pathways to sustain livelihoods, preserve heritage, and claim visibility in contemporary markets.
Kargha Tales documents the lived journeys of India’s artisans as they navigate craft, community, and the digital world. Through intimate narratives and visual storytelling, it captures resilience, dignity, and innovation, showing how traditional knowledge adapts through digital pathways to sustain livelihoods, preserve heritage, and claim visibility in contemporary markets.
Kargha Tales: Stories of our Digital Artisans of India
2024 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
Kargha Tales brings together powerful stories of India’s digital artisans, tracing how craft, culture, and technology intersect. Through voices from diverse regions and traditions, the book celebrates resilience, innovation, and dignity, showing how digital tools help artisans preserve heritage, expand livelihoods, and reach global audiences.
Kargha Tales brings together powerful stories of India’s digital artisans, tracing how craft, culture, and technology intersect. Through voices from diverse regions and traditions, the book celebrates resilience, innovation, and dignity, showing how digital tools help artisans preserve heritage, expand livelihoods, and reach global audiences.
Alfaaz ki Mehfil 2024
2024 | Intoduction by: Mohammad Zaheeruddin
How I fortuitously fell in love with Urdu poetry is explained in the Preface to the first edition (below). It turned out to be not a passing affliction but an enduring affection.
How I fortuitously fell in love with Urdu poetry is explained in the Preface to the first edition (below). It turned out to be not a passing affliction but an enduring affection.
From Bytes to Rights: 21 Years of Digital Entrepreneurship and Inclusion in Rural India
2024 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
This book is an odyssey into the heart of grassroots transformation and digital empowerment through the SoochnaPreneur Award 2023-24, an initiative born from the vision of Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF).
This book is an odyssey into the heart of grassroots transformation and digital empowerment through the SoochnaPreneur Award 2023-24, an initiative born from the vision of Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF).
Power of People and Participation
2023 | By Digital Empowerment Foundation
We at the Digital Empowerment Foundation have been striving towards eradicating information poverty in India for the last 20 years.
We at the Digital Empowerment Foundation have been striving towards eradicating information poverty in India for the last 20 years.