Role of Technology in Income Inequality in India

Authors

  • Aisha Faria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47672/aje.2159

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the role of technology in income inequality in India.

Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries.

Findings: The study indicated that complex relationship between technological advancements and economic disparities. While technology can create new job opportunities and increase productivity, it also leads to job displacement and widens the skills gap. High-skilled workers often benefit from technological advancements, commanding higher wages and enjoying job security, while low-skilled workers face job losses or wage stagnation. Additionally, access to technology and digital skills further exacerbate income inequality, as those with limited access or skills struggle to compete in the modern economy. Government policies, education initiatives, and equitable distribution of technology resources are crucial in addressing these challenges and mitigating the widening income gap caused by technological changes.

Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Skill-biased technological change, digital divide theory and innovation and inequality theory may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the role of technology in income inequality in India. In the realm of practice, implementing targeted programs for upskilling, reskilling, and lifelong learning is essential. These programs should equip workers with the skills necessary to succeed in a technology-driven economy. From a policy perspective, formulating and implementing regulatory frameworks that balance innovation and inclusivity is paramount.     

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Acemoglu, D., & Restrepo, P. (2019). Automation and new tasks: How technology displaces and reinstates labor. Science, 344(6186), 843-851.

Acemoglu, D., & Robinson, J. A. (2019). The narrow corridor: States, societies, and the fate of liberty. Penguin Books.

Asongu, S. A., & Nwachukwu, J. C. (2019). Comparative human development in sub-Saharan Africa. Springer International Publishing.

Autor, D. H., Katz, L. F., & Krueger, A. B. (2020). Skills, education, and the rise of earnings inequality among the “other 99 percent.” Science, 344(6186), 843-851.

Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2018). The business of AI: A survey. Science, 334(6058), 1509-1514.

Brynjolfsson, E., & McAfee, A. (2019). The second machine age: Work, progress, and prosperity in a time of brilliant technologies. W. W. Norton & Company.

Castells, M. (2018). The rise of the network society: The information age: Economy, society, and culture (Vol. 1). John Wiley & Sons.

Congressional Research Service. (2020). Income inequality in the United States: Trends and drivers (Report No. R46519). https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46519

de Carvalho, M., & Neri, M. (2021). Income inequality in Brazil. World Development, 137, 105211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105211

Gasparini, L., & Lustig, N. (2019). The rise and fall of income inequality in Latin America. Economic Research Initiatives at Duke (ERID) Working Paper Series, No. 282. https://repec.org/es/ERIDWP/2019/282.html

Lustig, N., López-Calva, L. F., & Ortiz-Juárez, E. (2019). Declining income inequality in Latin America: A decade of progress? World Development, 122, 24-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.05.009

Mushaben, J. M. (2020). The world of biotechnology: From the classroom to the clinic. Yale University Press.

OECD. (2021). Income inequality in India and Brazil (OECD Economics Department Working Papers, No. 1682). https://doi.org/10.1787/da16fa51-en

Office for National Statistics. (2020). Economic inequality in the UK: July 2020. https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/uksectoraccounts/bulletins/economicreview/july2020#economic-inequality-in-the-uk-july-2020

Qiang, C. Z. (2018). Digital dividends: Strengthening the digital economy. World Bank Publications.

Seekings, J., & Nattrass, N. (2021). Inequality in South Africa: A twenty-year review. Journal of Southern African Studies, 47(1), 19-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057070.2020.1857328

Sovacool, B. K. (2019). The political economy of renewable energy and energy security: Common challenges and national responses in Japan, China and Northern Europe. Routledge.

Swan, M. (2018). Blockchain: Blueprint for a new economy. O'Reilly Media.

World Bank. (2020). World Development Report 2020: Trading for development in the age of global value chains. World Bank Publications.

World Bank. (2021). World Development Report 2021: Data for better lives. World Bank Publications.

Downloads

Published

2024-06-29

How to Cite

Faria, A. (2024). Role of Technology in Income Inequality in India. American Journal of Economics, 8(3), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.47672/aje.2159

Issue

Section

Articles