Harmanpreet Singh, Gauri Sharma, Ruchi Tiwari, Mahi Tyagi , Shivangi Varma, Naukhaiz Aftab.

ABSTRACT

The rapid digitalisation and expansion of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in India have brought mixed outcomes, particularly for informal sector workers. The digital divide is a result of existing inequalities in socioeconomic status, geography, caste, and gender. While digitalisation has improved access in many areas, its benefits remain unevenly distributed. This paper investigates structural and systemic factors behind this gap and explores legal frameworks and the PPP model to promote financial inclusion.
Using qualitative analysis of secondary data, this study finds that access to digital services remains uneven for informal workers with low digital skills and sporadic access to the internet. It underscores spatial divide, limitations of the “one-size-fits-all” approach and the lack of legal protection in labour codes. It also reveals disparities within the informal sector, where MSME owners benefit from DPI but many workers remain excluded.
Key recommendations include a universal legal definition for informal workers, rural digital awareness, government digital hubs under PPP model, and simplified user-centric e-portals designed with principle of privacy. Bridging the digital divide needs inclusive policy reforms to improve access to DPI across the Indian informal economy.