Spatial Variations in Digitalization and its Impact on the Occupational Structure: Evidence from Rural India

Digitalization has played a crucial role in transforming the world into a digital economy, restructuring the socio-economic fabric of the globe. Digitalization in rural India is vital for ensuring sustainable development and competing in the global economy. The paper has examined the degree of inequality in various indicators of digitalization across the rural counterparts of different Indian states. This study has attempted to make a comparative analysis of the extent of digitalization in major states of rural India by using the Composite Digitalization Index (CDI). Here, we have observed a wider disparity in the extent of digitalization in various parts of rural India. Moreover, this paper has also examined the impact of digitalization on occupational structure. The estimates suggested that digitalization has significantly affected the migration of labourers from agriculture to the non-agricultural sector, contributing to economic growth and sustainable development.