From Access to Agency : Digital Entrepreneurship for Women’s Empowerment in South India
Authors
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S. Kavitha
Principal Investigator, ICSSR Special Project, GRG School of Management Studies, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Peelamedu, Coimbatore - 641 004, Tamil Nadu
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0910-9814
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Vandana Madhavkumar
Associate Professor; Dean – Industry Relations; Co-Principal Investigator, ICSSR Special Project, GRG School of Management Studies, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Peelamedu, Coimbatore - 641 004, Tamil Nadu
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5923-9727
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Parveena M. B.
Research Assistant, ICSSR Special Project (Corresponding Author), GRG School of Management Studies, PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, Peelamedu, Coimbatore - 641 004, Tamil Nadu
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-6497-9357
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17010/amcije/2026/v9i1/176104Keywords:
female labor underutilization; gendered digital divide; digital micro-entrepreneurship; social commerce; digital capital; algorithmic precarity.JEL Classification Codes : J16, J21, L26, O33
Abstract
Purpose : This study examined the underutilization of female human capital across five South Indian states and explored whether digital entrepreneurship could be a potential avenue for women in the region to translate their access to digital tools into economic participation, given the high level of education among the women but the low formal employment rate in the region.
Design/Methodology/Approach : The study employed a descriptive research design with secondary data gathered from two nationwide surveys and employed the digital capital framework to analyze the women's digital entrepreneurship institutional ecosystems in the state context.
Findings : The results revealed major intra-regional inequalities in digital capital convertibility. Kerala recorded the highest internet usage but the lowest female labor participation, a case of conversion failure. Telangana attained the highest labor participation despite moderate internet usage, showcasing the catalytic role of state-led incubation. Andhra Pradesh showed a usage gap, where device access did not translate into internet use. Structural problems in the platform economy such as algorithmic precarity and time poverty disproportionately weighed on women.
Practical Implications : Shaping an equitable future of work required shifting policy focus from digital access to digital capital convertibility. Recommendations included gender-responsive gig worker protections, care-sensitive algorithmic governance, and a right to disconnect for platform-based workers.
Originality/Value : The study offered a comparative, state-level application of the digital capital framework to South India, integrating labor data with institutional analysis to identify conditions under which digital access converted into women’s economic agency.
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