Digital Inclusion and Socio-Economic Development of Handloom Weavers: A Study of Nuapatna Cluster

Abstract

The aim of this study is to find the connection between the concept of digital inclusion and the socio-economic development of the handloom weavers of Nuapatna cluster of Odisha, one of the most culturally rich textile heritage hubs of India with their unique art of fine Khandua silk weaving and Ikat weaving. The study adopts a holistic approach to understanding the determinants of digitally related access, financial inclusion, e-commerce use, gender gap, and institutional support mechanisms that can explain how they influence the livelihood outcomes of a historically marginalized community of artisans in the context of the rapidly expanding digital economy in India and the national policy commitments under the Digital India programme. Secondary data sources like government reports, national surveys, ministry publications and previous research are systematically examined in the study to analyse the 5 dimensions of digital inclusion and the measurable impacts of 5 dimensions on the welfare, income security and market participation of weavers. The findings suggest that access to digital technologies offers great potential for economic empowerment, but that this potential is not distributed equally, and that a lack of suitable infrastructure, digital literacy and gender-based exclusion, together with low levels of integration of implementing institutions across the sectors are major challenges to achieving the potential. While the potential of e-commerce and digital financial services to enhance the income of weavers and minimize intermediaries' dependency is significant, adoption in the handloom sector is still severely low in the country. The study suggests that sustainable socio-economic change for Nuapatna weavers would be achieved by having integrated policy frameworks, which would not focus on digital literacy as an isolated technological solution but as an integral part of broader Nuapatna artisan development that aims to ensure livelihood security, preservation of their culture, gender equality, and institutional fortification.