Who has ICT Access in India? A Gender-based Analysis

This article examines the determinants of India’s information and communications technology (ICT) access. We use the second wave of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) of 2011–2012, a nationally representative survey at the individual level, and find that ICT ownership and usage are abysmally low for women compared to men. Using probit and sample selection models to capture determinants of ICT access, we find women are disadvantaged in owning and using ICT systems. By re-estimating our models separately for men and women, we find that marriage has an opposite effect on the two genders—it has a positive impact on men owning and using ICT systems and a negative effect on women. As an extension, we also find that networks strongly influence ICT access. While social networks improve the probability of owning ICT devices for women, political connections enhance the propensity to use ICTs for men. JEL Codes: O33, O35