| APrIGF 2025 Session Proposal Submission Form | |||||||||||||||
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| Part 1 - Lead Organizer | |||||||||||||||
| Contact Person | |||||||||||||||
| Ms. Maitri Singh | |||||||||||||||
| Organization / Affiliation (Please state "Individual" if appropriate) * | |||||||||||||||
| Digital Empowerment Foundation | |||||||||||||||
| Designation | |||||||||||||||
| Senior Officer and Researcher | |||||||||||||||
| Gender | |||||||||||||||
| Female | |||||||||||||||
| Economy of Residence | |||||||||||||||
| India | |||||||||||||||
| Stakeholder Group | |||||||||||||||
| Civil Society | |||||||||||||||
| Part 2 - Session Proposal | |||||||||||||||
| Session Title | |||||||||||||||
| Digital Dilemmas in Just Transitions: Lessons from India’s Coal Heartland | |||||||||||||||
| Thematic Track of Your Session | |||||||||||||||
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| Description of Session Formats | |||||||||||||||
| Lightning Talk (20 minutes) | |||||||||||||||
| Where do you plan to organize your session? | |||||||||||||||
| Onsite at the venue (with online moderator for questions and comments from remote participants) | |||||||||||||||
| Specific Issues for Discussion | |||||||||||||||
| This Lightning Talk will explore the role of digital technologies during the energy transition of regions across Asia Pacific using case stories from India's two districts, Ramgarh and Bokaro (Jharkhand, India). As net-zero and just transition efforts accelerate the global phase-down of fossil fuels, including coal, communities dependent on mining face potential economic distress, unemployment, and social dislocation. Consequently, it is imperative to ensure a just transition that does not leave dependent communities behind in the process of achieving net zero. Such an approach requires inclusive, localised and decentralised solutions. In this light, digital technologies, including electrotechnologies, have become one such approach towards enabling what has been proposed as a more 'sustainable shift'. However, digital technologies play both enabling and disruptive roles. On the positive side, digital technologies offer pathways for reskilling displaced workers, enabling new livelihood options like digital agriculture, forest monitoring, and solar energy systems which can be managed by local communities (eg. Self help groups) and E-governance platforms can improve access to welfare schemes, finance, and markets, particularly for rural and remote populations. However, rapid digitisation is also a double-edged sword. It generates e-waste (e.g., discarded solar panels), increases reliance on precarious gig work with few protections, and deepens digital exclusion due to poor infrastructure and the gender digital divide. Many communities lack the digital literacy and connectivity to fully benefit from such initiatives. This talk highlights the dual potential of digital in just transitions, empowering communities or reinforcing inequalities. It urges policymakers and practitioners to design digital interventions that are context-specific, environmentally responsible, and inclusive of marginalized groups, ensuring that technology serves justice, not just efficiency. |
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| Describe the Relevance of Your Session to APrIGF | |||||||||||||||
| This session directly relates to the sub-theme of Sustainability, engaging with topics such as affordability, connectivity, renewable energy, e-waste, energy efficiency, and the reuse of green technologies. Using case stories from Ramgarh and Bokaro (Jharkhand, India), it explores how digital technologies are being deployed in coal-dependent regions to support a just and sustainable transition. The talk highlights how tools like solar microgrids, digital agriculture platforms, forest monitoring systems, and e-governance portals are helping communities access new livelihood opportunities, welfare schemes, and essential services. These digital solutions show potential for enhancing energy efficiency, enabling decentralized renewable energy adoption, and making public service delivery more accessible and affordable, especially in underserved areas. However, the session also critically examines the negative externalities of rapid digitalization, such as the generation of e-waste (e.g., discarded solar panels and digital hardware), dependency on gig-based jobs with limited protections, weak digital infrastructure, and gendered digital exclusion. These issues underline that while digital tools can support green and inclusive development, they can also reinforce existing inequalities if not governed responsibly. In relation to the overarching theme, the session addresses how current models of digital governance often top-down and influenced by corporate and geopolitical agendas are inadequate for regions marked by socio-economic disparities, fragmented connectivity, and political diversity. It emphasizes the need for a regionally grounded, multistakeholder model of Internet governance that centers community experiences and lived realities, particularly in transition economies. By bringing voices from coal regions into global digital discourse, the session calls for governance frameworks that are inclusive, rights-based, and accountable, ensuring no one is left behind. |
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| Methodology / Agenda (Please add rows by clicking "+" on the right) | |||||||||||||||
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| Moderators & Speakers Info (Please complete where possible) - (Required) | |||||||||||||||
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| Please explain the rationale for choosing each of the above contributors to the session. | |||||||||||||||
| Deeksha is a member of the Digital Just Transition Taskforce and a public policy researcher with a strong focus on just energy transitions and economic diversification in coal-dependent regions. Currently an Associate Fellow at Swaniti Global, she has led and co-authored several research projects across India, combining fieldwork with data-driven analysis. Rishi is a Fellow at Swaniti Initiative and the lead author of the study 'Just Transition and Economic Diversification of Jharkhand’s Coal Heartland'. He brings deep knowledge of coal sector dynamics and the role of digital solutions in enabling just transitions at the community level. Maitri Singh leads Digital Just Transition work at the Digital Empowerment Foundation, co-authored the Digital Just Transition discussion paper, and is part of the taskforce secretariat. She is also a Youth IGF and InSIG alumna. All three bring grounded experience from field research in Jharkhand, working closely with affected communities. |
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| If you need assistance to find a suitable speaker to contribute to your session, or an onsite facilitator for your online-only session, please specify your request with details of what you are looking for. | |||||||||||||||
| We may need an online moderator to manage the online participants, as all the speakers (including moderator ) will be present in person. | |||||||||||||||
| Please declare if you have any potential conflict of interest with the Program Committee 2025. | |||||||||||||||
| No | |||||||||||||||
| Are you or other session contributors planning to apply for the APrIGF Fellowship Program 2025? | |||||||||||||||
| Yes | |||||||||||||||
| Upon evaluation by the Program Committee, your session proposal may only be selected under the condition that you will accept the suggestion of merging with another proposal with similar topics. Please state your preference below: | |||||||||||||||
| Yes, I am willing to work with another session proposer on a suggested merger. | |||||||||||||||
| Brief Summary of Your Session | |||||||||||||||
| Brief Summary: Digital Dilemmas in Just Transitions: Lessons from India’s Coal Heartland The lightning talk “Digital Dilemmas in Just Transitions: Lessons from India’s Coal Heartland” examined how digital technologies can support equitable energy transitions in two coal-dependent districts of Jharkhand, Ramgarh and Bokaro. Moderated by Deeksha Pande from Swaniti Initiative, the session featured Rishi Kishore from Swaniti Global and Maitri Singh from the Digital Empowerment Foundation. Rishi explained that India’s move away from coal, in line with the Paris Climate Accord, will deeply affect local economies. His study in these districts found limited awareness and significant challenges in diversifying livelihoods. He argued that digital technologies can provide critical support by enabling access to information, finance, and markets, and by creating new opportunities such as tourism, gig work, and data centers. Maitri cautioned that digital inclusion gaps could worsen inequalities, noting that nearly half of India’s population remains offline, with women particularly disadvantaged. She also raised concerns about the environmental and social impacts of data centers and the lack of worker protections in the gig economy. The discussion concluded with calls for bridging infrastructure gaps, large-scale capacity building, affordable digital access, and empowering self-help groups to ensure that digitalization truly supports a just and inclusive transition. |
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| Substantive Summary of the Key Issues Raised and the Discussion | |||||||||||||||
| Rishi Kishore set the context by discussing the implications of India’s coal phase-down under the Paris Climate Accord and the need for planned, equitable transitions to prevent economic and social disruptions. Drawing from a study conducted in Ramgarh and Bokaro, he explained that coal has been the backbone of these districts’ economies for decades, and diversification is constrained by limited awareness and access to finance. He highlighted how digital technologies can catalyze just transitions by improving financial inclusion, enhancing market linkages for local enterprises, supporting new industries such as tourism and gig work, and even facilitating land repurposing through data centers in post-mining areas. Maitri Singh built on this by highlighting the limitations and risks of relying heavily on digital solutions without addressing pre-existing inequalities. She cited data showing that nearly half of India’s population remains offline and that women are significantly less likely to use the internet. In Ramgarh and Bokaro, smartphone access remains limited, and digital exclusion prevents communities from fully benefiting from government welfare schemes. Maitri also expressed concern about the environmental and social implications of emerging digital infrastructures such as data centers, which lack sufficient oversight and could harm already vulnerable communities. Additionally, she pointed to the precarious nature of gig economy work in India, where social security and worker protections remain weak. During the discussion, Deeksha Pande prompted both speakers to share recommendations for policymakers and community leaders. Maitri emphasized bridging infrastructural gaps, particularly electricity and internet access, and called for capacity building at both community and administrative levels. She recommended subsidizing digital tools for women, conducting thorough research before implementing digital solutions, and avoiding over-digitization to prevent e-waste accumulation. Rishi underscored the importance of leveraging Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the process, noting that the new coal mine closure guidelines (January 2025) recognize SHGs as key to ensuring economic continuity in mining regions. He proposed digitally equipping SHGs and linking them with markets through community-based initiatives such as SoochnaPreneurs led by the Digital Empowerment Foundation. In response to audience concerns about infrastructure reliability, Rishi clarified that in coal-producing areas, electricity supply is relatively stable due to nearby thermal plants, and internet connectivity has improved significantly with the spread of affordable 4G. However, he acknowledged that sustaining reliable infrastructure during and after the transition will require continuous planning. Overall, the session emphasized that while digital technologies hold strong potential to drive just transitions in India’s coal regions, they must be implemented inclusively. |
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| Conclusions and Suggestions of Way Forward | |||||||||||||||
| A primary recommendation was to strengthen both digital and physical infrastructure. While internet connectivity and electricity access have improved in these regions, reliability and affordability remain uneven. Expanding high-speed internet, ensuring stable electricity, and making data access affordable are essential to integrate digital tools into local livelihoods, education, and governance. Public investment and local partnerships can help bridge these infrastructural gaps. Another crucial step is capacity building. Digital literacy and skills training should target local communities, especially women, youth, and workers likely to be displaced by the coal phase-down. Local administrations must also be trained to effectively manage and promote digital initiatives. Building capacity at both community and institutional levels will make digital inclusion efforts more sustainable and contextually relevant. Affordability and inclusion emerged as key concerns. The digital divide in Jharkhand remains significant, with limited smartphone ownership and gender disparities in internet use. Subsidizing digital devices for women and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) can enhance participation in the digital economy. Empowering SHGs through digital training and market linkages can promote entrepreneurship and create alternative livelihoods. Successful community-based initiatives such as the SoochnaPreneur model demonstrate how digital empowerment can strengthen local economies. The speakers also emphasized evidence-based and cautious adoption of new technologies. While digital infrastructures like data centers and gig platforms can bring opportunities, they must be planned carefully to avoid social and environmental harm. Detailed impact assessments and transparent regulations are needed to ensure these developments benefit rather than displace local communities. Similarly, policies must safeguard gig workers through fair wages and social protection measures. Finally, the discussion warned against over-digitization. Not every challenge in transitioning economies requires a technological fix. Excessive digitalization could deepen existing inequalities and add to India’s growing e-waste problem. A balanced approach that combines digital innovation with traditional livelihood systems and community-driven models will be more resilient. |
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| Number of Attendees (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||||
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| Gender Balance in Moderators/Speakers (Please fill in numbers) | |||||||||||||||
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| How were gender perspectives, equality, inclusion or empowerment discussed? Please provide details and context. | |||||||||||||||
| Gender and inclusion were key themes in the discussion. Maitri Singh highlighted that 47% of Indians remain offline and women are 33% less likely to use the internet, with limited smartphone access in Ramgarh and Bokaro. Both speakers stressed that without targeted action, digital transitions could widen gender gaps. They recommended subsidizing smartphones for women, digitally empowering Self-Help Groups, and building community and institutional capacity to ensure women’s equal participation in a just digital transition. | |||||||||||||||
| Consent | |||||||||||||||
 I agree that my data can be submitted to forms.for.asia and processed by APrIGF organizers for the program selection of APrIGF 2025. |
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