Is growth in the ICT sector pro-poor? The case of India

MEERA TIWARI, SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, MEDIA AND CULTURAL STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF EAST LONDON, UK
Abstract: This paper explores the linkages between the growth of the ICT sector and poverty within the Indian context. Given the early stages of expansion of the ICT sector in developing countries, the literature relating to its impact on poverty reduction is at a rudimentary stage. The paper identifies issues that are critical to examining the impact of investment in ICT in developing countries upon poverty reduction, drawing upon the Indian experience. The identified areas bear potential for further research into ICT growth and poverty reduction in line with the millennium development goals. The current literature on the growth of the ICT sector in India is reviewed followed by a discussion on who the poor are, and what, if any, is their interface with the local ICT sector. It is envisaged that profiling the ICT sector and the poor will lay the pre-requisites to enhanced benefits from the growth in the ICT in developing countries. The paper proposes possible channels and transmission mechanisms for increased benefit from the ICT growth to the poor in India.
Keywords: ICT; poverty; India and millennium development goals