Digital Inclusion and Economic Equity: Evaluating the Role of Business Analytics in Overcoming Socioeconomic Challenges

This study investigates the role of business analytics in advancing digital inclusion and promoting economic equity among underserved populations in India, with a focus on mitigating persistent socioeconomic challenges. While digital access has expanded rapidly, meaningful inclusion, defined by affordability, digital literacy, relevant content, and the ability to translate digital engagement into tangible outcomes, remains uneven. Drawing on mixed-methods data collected during March to August 2025 from 390 survey respondents and 30 in-depth interviews across urban and peri-urban India, the research tests five hypotheses linking digital inclusion, business analytics adoption, digital literacy, perceived algorithmic fairness, and socioeconomic outcomes. Quantitative data analysis is done using multiple regression analysis, where the bootstrapped mediation and interaction-based moderation are used to test all five hypotheses, and thematic analysis was performed on qualitative data. Findings confirm that higher levels of digital inclusion correlate positively with perceived economic equity, but this relationship is significantly mediated by digital literacy and amplified by institutional use of business analytics. Analytics-driven services enhance accessibility, personalization, and responsiveness, thereby strengthening the equity-enhancing potential of digital tools. Crucially, perceived algorithmic fairness emerges as a foundational element of user trust and sustained engagement. The study underscores that technological interventions alone are insufficient; to effectively address socioeconomic challenges, they must be embedded within ethically designed, transparent, and human-centered ecosystems that prioritize the needs and agency of marginalized communities. These insights carry important implications for policymakers, practitioners, and designers aiming to harness data-driven innovation for inclusive development and overcome the socioeconomic challenges.