Social Innovation for Digital Equity in Healthcare: A Descriptive Environmental Scan of Selected Digital Initiatives in India

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Background Digital inequities continue to limit equitable access to healthcare and related services in India, particularly among underserved populations. Social enterprises and nongovernmental organizations increasingly employ digital tools and innovations to support healthcare delivery, communication, and community engagement; however, systematic descriptive evidence regarding such initiatives remains limited. Objectives: To describe the characteristics, scope, and patterns of digital initiatives implemented by selected social enterprises, nongovernmental organizations, and community-based organizations in India, with particular focus on digital health–related activities, beneficiary populations, and knowledge-exchange engagement. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive environmental scan was conducted from February to July 2025 among 100 purposively selected organizations operating in India. Data were collected from organizational websites, publicly available reports, digital platforms, and direct communication using a structured data extraction tool developed from relevant literature and pilot reviewed before use. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for key proportions. Qualitative organizational descriptions were analyzed thematically to identify recurring domains of digital engagement using an inductive descriptive approach. Results: All organizations reported use of at least one digital platforms for communication or service delivery, and 96% (95% CI: 90.1–98.9) maintained official websites. Common organizational focus areas included women’s empowerment (93%; 95% CI: 86.1–96.8), health-related activities (72%; 95% CI: 62.3–80.1), and education (48%; 95% CI: 38.0–58.2). Among organizations reporting COVID-19–related digital initiatives (n = 96), telehealth services (75%) and online education platforms (50%) were most frequently described. Women/girls and rural populations were the predominant beneficiary groups. Although all organizations perceived their initiatives as having potential for replication or scale-up, these findings were based on organizational self-report and were not independently validated. Conclusion: This environmental scan describes widespread adoption of digital communication and service-delivery tools among selected social innovation organizations in India. Although digitally enabled initiatives frequently targeted underserved populations, the study did not assess effectiveness or direct impact on digital equity outcomes. Further evaluative research is needed to determine the effectiveness and scalability of these initiatives.