Made in Humane Club
Key highlights
- Mobile phones are the near-universal gateway to the internet for Indians, connecting men and women alike.
- Despite near-universal smartphone use, only 56.6 percent of women own one, indicating many rely on shared devices for digital access.
- Women are 10 percentage points more likely than men to use the internet only for entertainment, while men are 14 percentage points more likely to combine leisure and information.
- Men are 13.7 percentage points more likely than women to carry out UPI transactions, underscoring gender gaps in digital financial proficiency.
In India, the hum of notifications, the glow of screens, and the rhythm of taps reflect a society increasingly intertwined with the digital world. Yet behind this connectivity lies a complex landscape, where access, opportunity, and confidence shape how people experience technology. The digital realm promises more than communication; it offers learning, empowerment, and transformation but the journey is rarely uniform. The Comprehensive Modular Survey on Telecom (CMS-T), conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) during its 80th Round (January–March 2025) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), offers a detailed lens into these journeys, revealing not just who is connected, but how they engage, adapt, and grow in the digital age.
This article traces India’s digital landscape through the lens of gender, beginning with the devices that power connectivity and the gaps in its ownership and usage. It then explores what men and women do online, from communicating to seeking information and entertainment Finally, it dives into the spectrum of digital skills, spanning basic tasks, financial transactions, and advanced productivity, showing how opportunity, exposure, and confidence shape each person’s digital journey. Together, these layers reveal the subtle divides and varied experiences that define digital participation across India.
Mobile phones power India’s digital life
The types of devices people use to access the internet are critical, as they shape not only how individuals engage online but also the scope of activities they can perform and the effectiveness of their digital experience. Figure 1 shows that mobile phones are the principal means of internet access in India, with 98.9 percent of men and 99.2 percent of women using them, underscoring their central role in connecting the population to digital services and information.
Women online, yet tethered to shared devices
Digital inclusion is often measured by usage, but ownership and control reveal the deeper realities of access. Figure 2 shows that while smartphone usage is nearly universal, with 99.2 percent of men and 99 percent of women using one, ownership is far from equal. 73.7 percent of men own a smartphone compared to only 56.6 percent of women, making men 1.3 times more likely to own one than women. This gap between ownership and access suggests that many women rely on shared or household devices to stay connected. Shared access may allow participation, but it comes with limitations: it constrains privacy, restricts autonomy in communication and financial transactions, imposes dependency on male or family gatekeepers, and often dictates when and how women can use technology. Consequently, women’s digital engagement, though seemingly high, is shaped by conditions that prevent independent and consistent use, limiting opportunities for learning, personal and professional development, and financial empowerment.
Passive browsing, active learning: gendered online behavior
Gender differences in internet usage reveal not just who is online, but how digital engagement unfolds differently for men and women. Figure 3 shows that women are around 10 percentage points more likely than men to use the internet solely for entertainment and communication (35.7 percent versus 25.8 percent, respectively). In contrast, men are 14 percentage points more likely than women to use the internet for both entertainment and information (58.6 percent versus 44.6 percent, respectively), combining leisure with learning, work, or research. Exclusive information-only use is rare for both genders, at less than 1 percent. Women are still 4.2 percentage points more likely than men to remain offline despite internet access (18.9 percent versus 14.7 percent , respectively).
Women’s restricted use of the internet for mostly entertainment and communication reflects passive, consumption-driven engagement. In contrast, men’s broader, multi-purpose use allows them to combine leisure with learning and work, enabling deeper digital gains. This shows that connectivity alone does not ensure empowerment, as men enjoy greater freedom to explore while women remain confined to passive uses. As a result, women’s digital presence often translates into narrower skills, knowledge, and opportunities, reinforcing an invisible gendered divide in how the internet is experienced and leveraged.
Gender differences in everyday digital tasks reinforce unequal opportunities
Digital engagement among men and women reveals a layered landscape of skills, participation, and experience, highlighting how exposure to different tasks shapes confidence and readiness. Even when basic access is similar, the types of activities individuals engage in show meaningful variations that can influence professional and academic outcomes.
Figure 4 shows a 7.7 percentage-point gap in copying and moving data (80.2 percent of men versus 72.5 percent of women). This subtle lag can create cumulative disadvantages, making it harder for women to move toward more complex digital activities. Everyday communication exhibits similar patterns. Figure 4 shows, men are 9.5 percentage points more likely to send and receive emails (65.9 percent versus 56.4 percent, respectively) and 7.6 points more likely to send messages and e-mails with attachments (81.7 percent versus 74.1 percent, respectively). These gaps may stem from limited opportunities to practice digital communication in professional, personal or educational settings, or from societal expectations that constrain women’s participation in technology-mediated networks. Such exclusion restricts women’s ability to build professional relationships, collaborate on projects, and navigate administrative processes, thereby limiting their career and academic advancement.
The gap widens further in financial tasks. Men are 13.7 percentage points more likely to perform UPI transactions (62.6 percent versus 48.9 percent, respectively), reflecting greater confidence and autonomy in digital finance, while women’s lower participation points to barriers in financial inclusion and independent economic participation. Advanced digital skills, though low across both genders, are indicators of professional readiness. While overall proficiency is low among both men and women, Figure 4 shows that men are 4.4 percentage points more likely to create electronic presentations (38 percent versus 33.6 percent) with presentation software and 5.1 percentage points more likely to produce e-documents (17.7 percent versus 12.6 percent) with word processing software. These differences reflect gaps in access to training, practical experience, and confidence with essential workplace tasks related to information organization, communication, and documentation.
The digital landscape tells a story of uneven journeys. While nearly everyone is connected, the paths people take online diverge—some navigate freely, exploring, learning, and transacting, while others move cautiously, shaped by limited access, shared devices, or fewer opportunities. Each interaction, from sending a message to creating a document, is a step toward building confidence and skill, yet the pace and possibilities differ. This underscores that true digital inclusion goes beyond connectivity; it requires intentional spaces that nurture independence, foster skill, and enable everyone to fully embrace the promise of the digital age.
To cite this analysis: Sneha Thomas (2025), “Digital dreams, gendered realities: Women in digital India” Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA), Ashoka University. Published on ceda.ashoka.edu.in
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