Digital Quality Of Life Index Highlights Digital Health Of India
The journey of digital India has seen some significant changes in recent years. Taking steps to minimise the digital divide will empower nations to explore new opportunities in the digital age. The DQL Index 2023 examined 121 countries on five significant parameters to assess the quality of digital life.
Surfshark’s 5th annual Digital Quality of Life Index shows an increase of seven ranks from 59th to 52nd. France hits the top position, followed by Finland, Denmark, and Germany. Singapore tops the list in terms of Asia. The DQL index comprises five pillars: Internet quality, Internet affordability, e-infrastructure, e-government, and e-security.
Internet quality and penetration in India have improved but still lag behind in the DQL list. India jumped to the 16th rank on the parameter of Internet quality, which is 36 per cent higher than the global average. Mobile internet speed in India has increased by 297 per cent in the last year, while fixed broadband speed has increased by 16 per cent.
However, internet affordability remains a question for the majority of the population. India holds the 28th rank in terms of internet affordability. It considers the time spent working to afford the cheapest broadband and mobile internet. For fixed broadband and mobile internet, Indians must work for 1 hour, 48 minutes, and 44 minutes, 22 seconds each month, respectively.
The Index highlights the gaps in the nation's digital infrastructure and draws our attention to improving them. It holds the 91st rank in terms of e-infrastructure. Recently, the G20 forum revealed that the adoption of digital public infrastructure has been boosted. This parameter measures the number of active internet users and their smooth online experiences.
India is rising on the path to a global digital economy with a range of government initiatives like Digital India, Skill India, etc. India holds the 35th rank in terms of e-government. This index measures the advancements of governments in the digital space plus AI readiness.
The DQL index ranks India in the 66th position in terms of e-security. The digital transformation has shown security risks in their operations. About 91 per cent of Indian companies have experienced ransomware attacks in the last year, according to CyberArk. India’s performance has fallen six places lower than last year. However, it is still better than Bangladesh (85) and China (79).
