Lubna Ludheen

In an era where technology is shaping livelihoods and governance, the 7th Digital Citizen Summit (DCS) 2025 is taking place as a crucial space for dialogue and reflection. The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), along with the Centre for Development Policy and Practice, the Government of Telangana, and other partner organisations are hosting DCS 2025 at T-Hub, Hyderabad, on November 14-15, 2025. The theme for this year is People and Platforms: Let’s Talk Accountability. It aims to examine the changing balance between innovation and regulation, agency and accountability, participation and justice in digital platforms. DCS 2025 is the official Pre-Summit Event of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, expanding its call to engage with emerging questions on ethical artificial intelligence, platform responsibility, and inclusive governance. This year's summit focuses on bringing attention to the global challenge of platform power. The theme of the summit asks an important question: Who bears the burden of shaping digital spaces, and who holds the power to transform them? In doing so, it calls for reclaiming digital infrastructures as public goods and insists that the accountability of digital platforms is not merely a policy concern but a democratic necessity. As discussions and debates on digital governance continue to grow worldwide, the DCS 2025 summit emphasises that accountability must be understood as a collective responsibility shared among citizens, governments, private companies, and civil society. By highlighting justice, participation, and rights, DCS 2025 looks at a digital space where power is distributed, technologies are inclusive, and innovation remains rooted in ethics and equity. The summit has multiple thematic areas, covering data governance, digital justice, community resilience, and the fight against misinformation. Sessions under Accountable Data Governance will examine the need for data ecosystems that safeguard representation, rights, and transparent oversight.Discussions on Community Resilience in Climate Futures will look at digital innovations that address climate change through local, sustainable interventions. The track on Digital Citizenship, Dignity, and Social Justice will aim to discuss how women, gender-diverse individuals, and marginalised caste communities experience and navigate digital spaces. The session on Fictions, Feeds, and Facts will address the disinformation and narrative manipulation, aiming to enhance media literacy and community storytelling as democratic tools. The session on Tech for Meaningful Connectivity will highlight how civic technology, community networks, and participatory design can bridge digital divides and build inclusive infrastructures. The Community Network Xchange (CNX) track redefines digital access as more than connectivity—it focuses on empowering communities through data literacy, local ownership, and meaningful participation. It showcases hyperlocal models where communities build and manage their own digital infrastructures, thus asserting technological self-determination. The Digital Artisans of India (DAOI) track celebrates the intersection of craft and technology. Through DAOI, DEF, in collaboration with Digikargha and Creative Dignity, the summit will honour artisans who have successfully leveraged digital platforms, AI tools, and e-commerce platforms to sustain their livelihoods, innovate designs, and preserve their heritage. The track recognises startups and organisations that combine sustainability, creativity, and empowerment in the digital crafts ecosystem. The Just AI Awards, jointly organised by DEF and the Government of Telangana’s Emerging Technologies Wing under the World Summit Award framework, aim to spotlight ethical AI innovations for social good. It was launched nationally in 2024. The awards expand this year to the Asia-Pacific region, honouring AI solutions that promote justice, inclusion, and transparency. Rooted in DEF's Just AI initiative, these awards aim to redefine technology’s purpose—from automating over people to empowering communities. They celebrate innovations that align with human rights, sustainability, and equity, resonating with India's growing role in shaping the global ethical governance of AI. The Museum of Digital Society, a key feature of the summit, serves as a living chronicle of DEF’s journey in digital empowerment. Through archives, publications, and interactive exhibits, the museum narrates how storytelling, technology, and social inclusion intersect to create transformative change. It stands as a testament to the belief that digital equity is achievable when technology is built by and for communities. Also ReadHyderabad traffic police launch 'Arrive Alive' reel contest to promote road safety awareness Across two days, DCS 2025 will bring together over 100 sessions, workshops, and exhibitions spread across T-Hub's dynamic spaces: The Marvel, The Orion, The Oasis, DefCon, and The Pinnacle. Day 1 will have discussions such as “Living with the Giants: Rethinking Big Tech from the Global South” by ARISE and DEF, “From Barriers to Breakthroughs: Women for Ethical AI” by UNESCO’s Women for Ethical AI initiative, and “Whose Bodies, Whose Data?” by the Software Freedom Law Centre. Other notable sessions include “Accountability in the Digital Health Era” led by the Centre for Development Policy and Practice and “Whose Citizenship Counts? Exclusion of Transgender Persons in India’s Digital Policy Landscape.” The evening will feature the Just AI Awards Ceremony, followed by a keynote presentation on the ethics and inclusivity of AI. Day 2 continues the dialogue through workshops on data justice, disinformation, and digital rights. Highlights include “Gig and Platform Workers Dialogue: Data, Wages, and Social Protection” organised by the Telangana Gig Workers Union and DEF, and “Memes, Myths, and Misinfo: Reshaping Narratives on Gender, Sexuality, and Rights” by the YP Foundation. The day will conclude with the Digital Artisans of India Awards, celebrating the transformative power of creativity in the digital age. The final session will feature Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Digital Technologies, reaffirming global cooperation for accountable and equitable digital governance. The Digital Citizen Summit 2025 is not just a forum—it is a collective movement towards reimagining the digital future. By bringing together policymakers, technologists, researchers, and civil society from across the Asia-Pacific, the summit seeks to redefine the relationship between people and platforms. As the world stands on the cusp of the AI revolution, this year’s summit reminds us that accountability is not an afterthought—it is the foundation upon which digital justice, democracy, and dignity must rest.An in-person press meet will happen from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the CDPP office in Hyderabad, Telangana. For more details, please contact info@cdpp.co.in. For more details on DCS 2025, visit https://dsummit.defindia.org/To register visit DCS 2025

Lubna Ludheen

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