Digital Sovereignty and India: Rhetoric and Reality

Digital sovereignty (DS) has emerged as a key concept and practice among states, and India is no exception to that. In this article, I situate the approach and practice by the Indian state on DS and contextualize that in light of developments and trends globally. The Indian state through legislations like the DPDP Act has tried to establish a data protection regime while through other laws and policies has given DS a thrust. Yet in reality, it is difficult to achieve 100% DS as there are conflicting interests and demands on account of trade agreements and other factors. Further, DS is still a work in progress even for the European Union despite its ambitious vision and strategy. DS is also dependent on technological self-reliance and becoming a key player in digital innovation globally. The various initiatives under the Atma Nirbhar approach encourage self-reliance and innovation in digital trade and services. But the reality is different because globally DS is a contested concept and practice. So it is argued that while DS may not be realized fully in practice, it is a useful idea and practice, but the goal posts on DS may also be shifting given the developments in technology, fragmented world order and geopolitical tensions. Hence, this article argues that claims about DS cannot be taken at face value and have to be critically examined even if we are sympathetic to the idea of DS and translating that into practice.