Any sincere academic work on India’s digital eco-system faces two major risks: first, the digital landscape changes faster than you can deploy your research tools, and secondly, your observations and conclusions are outdated by the time your hard work hits the book stores.
As an economic slowdown adversely impacts India’s rural economy, tele-density in the villages is already showing signs of receding. This is the big ‘bottom of the pyramid’, which spawned many business dreams, and plans of multinationals and Indian companies alike.
In addition, stung by international reaction to its authoritarian clamp down on communications in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Government has told the Supreme Court that the social media is a ‘possible threat to democratic polity’, warning the American tech behemoths who are the largest players in the Indian digital and social media based economy.
So both the ‘Digital’ and ‘Politics’ have changed since Pradip Ninan Thomas undertook the research work and wrote The Politics of Digital India: Between Local Compulsions and Transnational Pressures. But the author adroitly avoids the two risks mentioned above due to his wide canvas and precision of his thought process. The book is like a ride where you get a good view of the milestones and where the road is headed.