"In technology policy circles, the EU is often positioned as the “third way” — an alternative to the laissez-faire approach in America, where market forces steer tech development, and China’s state-controlled model, where technology is instrumentalised for political control. The EU’s rights-based regulatory approach offers a democracy-driven alternative. But India is keen to claim its own role offering an alternative to Chinese and American tech governance. After a decade of Digital India policies, this is well under way.
Since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2015, the Digital India initiative has delivered spectacular results. The uptake of digital identities, payment systems and internet access has steadily climbed, although a significant gender gap remains.
Nearly 6mn Indians work in the technology sector, and the country is now exporting its digital public infrastructure model to emerging economies. From Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric ID system, to Unified Payments Interface, the payments network, Indian tech is gaining traction across the global south.
But there is a flip side. India also holds the dubious distinction of being the global leader in internet shutdowns — with more than 800 reported in the past decade. Critics argue that these shutdowns are human rights violations, as are restrictions to press freedom, digital rights and data privacy. Significant numbers of content moderation requests are made by the government itself. Elon Musk’s X is suing over what it considers illegal requests to censor content on the platform."
https://www.ft.com/content/10ac3203-c694-409e-b053-73c418fca827
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