Providing rural connectivity infrastructure: ICT diffusion through private sector participation

India is vast country and traditionally an agrarian economy. Nearly 70% of India’s population still resides in the villages. The penetration level of the new telecommunication tools is low in the rural areas as compared to the urban sector. New technologies and ICT platforms are evolving, featuring collaboration between the development agencies, academia and the local government. This case-study analyzes, how the technology incubated in the labs of IIT-Madras was transferred to the rural areas. Factors responsible for the success are cost effectiveness of technology, provision of value-added services, and commitment from the governmental authorities, and entrepreneurial orientation. Such initiatives along with private participation which help in bridging the technological divide and creating an opportunity for divide convergence.