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Connecting the unconnected: innovations in mobile government in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh

Mobile penetration in the hinterland of many developing economies, including India, has helped in digital inclusion of the weaker sections of the society. In this study, an innovation in mobile government - the digital gram pratinidhi (DGP) or the village digital representative - is described where electronic public services are made available to the unconnected rural population in the geographically remote districts of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) through a tablet device. This innovation is implemented by the government through a public private partnership model. Using data from the government records, the study identifies the determinants of success and adoption of the DGP program through econometric estimation. The study provides some evidence that men recruited as DGP, earn higher incomes through dispensing a higher volume of e-public transactions in the unconnected villages, as compared to their women counterparts. Some weak evidence shows that the men DGP be holders of an educational degree, and preferably be in their twenties. The study further highlights the constraints in ramping up this innovation, and suggests some managerial implications for future practice.