COGITO Talks… Click, Vote, Grow: How India is 'rural proofing' its future

India's rural areas are developing at an extraordinary rate, and it poses both challenges and extraordinary opportunities to rethink development at a large scale. Across the OECD, over nine in ten households are now connected to the Internet, but in rural regions connectivity still lags behind, with only about 89% of rural households having even a basic broadband connection. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2024/11/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2024-volume-2_9b2801fc.html India reflects these contrasts in its own way, but the speed of change is remarkable. Over the four years ending in December 2024, internet penetration in rural India surged from 59% to 78%, a jump that outpaced urban growth, which rose from 77% to 90% over the same period. https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/indias-rural-subscribers-to-primarily-drive-arpu-growth-in-fy26-crisil/121130745 Recorded live from the OECD Rural Development Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Shayne MacLachlan speaks with Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Secretary to the Government in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, about how India’s fascinating track-record of rural transformation can offer practical lessons to policymakers everywhere. Tune in to hear how one of the world’s most dynamic rural transformations is unfolding and what it means for the future of development. Dr. Shahid currently serves as Secretary to the Government, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (Local Self-Government). Over the course of his distinguished public service career, he has held several key leadership positions, including Secretary, Tribal Affairs, J&K Government; CEO, Mission Youth J&K; Managing Director, Skill Development & Livelihood Initiatives; and multiple tenures as District Development Commissioner/District Magistrate in Srinagar, Rajouri, Bandipora, Leh, Udhampur, Kathua, and Reasi. He has also served as Additional Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office, Director, Information & Public Relations, Managing Director, J&K Tourism Development Corporation, Additional Secretary, Planning & Development, Special Officer, Relief & Reconstruction Leh, and SDM Nowshera. Internationally, Dr. Shahid is recognized as a resource person on mobile indigenous communities, transhumance, and migration. He is a member of the UN Working Group for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists and has represented India in international collaborations on pastoralism and migratory indigenous peoples in Albania (2021), Ethiopia (2021), and Italy (2022). As Public Affairs and Communications Manager, Shayne engages with policy issues concerning SMEs, tourism, culture, regions and cities to name a few. He has worked on a number of OECD campaigns including “Going Digital”, "Climate Action" and "I am the future of work". **** To learn more, visit OECD Latin American Rural Development Conference www.oecd.org/en/events/2025/11/…nt-conference.html and the OECD's work on Rural Development www.oecd.org/en/topics/policy-i…l-development.html. Find out more on these topics by reading Reinforcing Rural Resilience www.oecd.org/en/publications/re…e_7cd485e3-en.html and Rural Innovation Pathways www.oecd.org/en/publications/ru…s_c86de0f4-en.html. To learn more about the OECD, our global reach, and how to join us, go to www.oecd.org/about/ To keep up with latest at the OECD, visit www.oecd.org/ Get the latest OECD content delivered directly to your inbox! Subscribe to our newsletters: www.oecd.org/newsletters