The United States (US)-based non-profit Portulans Institute (PI) released its Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2022 report. As per it, India moved up six spots to claim the 61st place in the index from 67th in NRI 2021.
- India’s total score also increased to 51.19 in 2022 from 49.74 in 2021.
- The index has been topped by the United States (US) as the most network-ready society with an overall score of 80.3. It is followed by Singapore with a score of 79.35, and Sweden with a score of 78.91 at 2nd and 3rd rank respectively.
NRI measures the readiness of countries to exploit opportunities offered by Information Communications Technology (ICT) for development and competitiveness.
Points to be noted:
i.The theme of the NRI 2022 report is ‘Stepping into the new digital era: How and why digital natives will shape the world’.
- The sub-themes are Youth & Digital Transformation, The future of work, and Education and skills.
ii.It is published by the PI and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
iii.NRI was initially launched in 2002 by the World Economic Forum (WEF), however, in 2019, it has been redesigned.
- The 2022 NRI is the 4th edition of a renewed NRI model.
Basis of Assessment:
The report ranks a total of 131 economies based on their performances in four different pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact covering a total of 58 variables.
- The 2022 index includes 49 high-income economies, 32 upper-middle-income economies, 36 lower-middle-income economies, and 14 low-income economies.
Table showing Overall and Pillar’s ranking of top 5 Economies and India in NRI 2022:
| Country | Rank | Score | Technology | People | Governance | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 61 | 51.19 | 56 | 46 | 83 | 62 |
| US | 1 | 80.30 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 20 |
| Singapore | 2 | 79.35 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| Sweden | 3 | 78.91 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 78.82 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 4 |
| Switzerland | 5 | 78.45 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 5 |
Table showing Top rankers by pillar in NRI 2022
| Pillar | Economy (Top Ranker) |
|---|---|
| Technology | US |
| People | Korea |
| Governance | Norway |
| Impact | Sweden |
Table showing Indicators in which India is in top 5:
| Indicators | Rank |
|---|---|
| AI talent concentration | 1 |
| Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country | 2 |
| International Internet bandwidth | 2 |
| Annual investment in telecommunication services | 3 |
| Domestic market size | 3 |
| ICT Services Exports | 4 |
| FTTH/Building Internet subscriptions | 5 |
| AI scientific publications | 5 |
Key Highlights:
i.India is ranked 3rd out of 36 in the group of lower-middle-income countries after Ukraine (50) and Indonesia (59) at 1st and 2nd rank respectively.
- In terms of pillar performance, it has a score higher than the income group average in each of the four pillars.
- At the sub-pillar level, it has a higher score than the average of lower-middle-income countries in all of them.
ii.India ranked 11th within the Asia and Pacific region which is topped by Singapore.
iii.India’s weakest indicators were Happiness (Rank-121), Online access to financial accounts (117), Gender Gap in Internet use (102), E-commerce legislation (87), and Internet access in schools (71).
iv.Among sub pillars, India need to improve the economy’s performances in the SDG
Contribution, Inclusion and Quality of Life sub-pillars.
v.Based on the top ten performers in NRI 2022 affirms, advanced economies in Europe, parts of Asia and the Pacific, and North America are some of the world’s most network-ready societies.
vi.Among the low-income country category, Rwanda (101st) is at the top amid improvements in regulation and a legal framework for emerging technology.
- The High Income category is topped by the US while the category of Upper-Middle Income Countries is topped by China.
vii.The top 25 positions are grabbed by high income economies with exception to China at 23.
Recent Related News:
i.The 15th Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2022 was released in which India slipped 6 places to rank at 107th out of 121 countries with a score of 29.1. The level of hunger in India is rated as ‘serious’.
ii.According to the 2022 Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI), India ranks 41st out of the 44 countries, as compared to 40th position out of 43 countries in 2021. India had an overall indicator value of 44.4, up from 43.3 in 2021.
About Portulans Institute (PI):
Founders– Soumitra Dutta and Bruno Lanvin
Headquarters– Washington DC., United States
