Digital Sovereignty in the Global South: Autonomy in a Connected World

Digital sovereignty, the assertion of national authority over digital infrastructure, data, platforms, and technologies, has become a critical concern amidst global surveillance and platform dependency, particularly for the Global South, including India. This study investigates the multifaceted nature of India's pursuit of digital sovereignty, moving beyond technical or legal definitions to examine infrastructure control, technological autonomy, and governance legitimacy. Drawing on the Resource-Based View, Dependency Theory, and Institutional Theory, the study posits five hypotheses about the impact of local digital infrastructure investment, data governance frameworks, digital literacy and skills, open-source technology adoption, and regional cooperation on digital sovereignty. Employing a quantitative survey methodology (i.e., based on 317 responses) and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique, the research provides empirical support for the theoretical framework, highlighting the crucial roles of institutional coherence, infrastructural development, and endogenous capabilities in fostering national digital autonomy. These findings contribute to the understanding of digital sovereignty as a strategic imperative and developmental goal for emerging economies, offering insights for policymakers in the Global South.