Bridging the Digital Divide through Social Inclusion: A Cross- Country Analysis Study of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh

In the 21st century, where digitalization is at its peak, the problem is that digital exclusion persists, which hinders the notion of attaining equal opportunities for people; in this sense, inclusion in the digital realm is connected to the state of social inclusion. Social inclusion is the amalgamation of several concepts, and perceiving it from the lens of the digital divide is one of those many factors. The paper endeavours to explore a quantitative relationship by studying three countries: Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, and understanding the state of digital and social inclusion in them by undertaking an Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLS) analysis, which will be adjusted via country, and Years Fixed Effects. Data from the World Bank Database was extracted to link the digital divide and social inclusion, which are intertwined to draw the relationship that people with either social or economic vulnerabilities are likely to be digitally excluded rather than prioritized. The study found that Pakistan needs to catch up in social progress and digital inclusivity in South Asia when compared to India and Bangladesh, which have fared better and have, over the years, been able to improve their digital and social inclusion rates. The paper also recommends improving economic and social dimensions to promote development and lessen the digital divide.