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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, MODERN MANAGEMENT, APPLIED SCIENCE & SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJEMMASSS) [ Vol. 8 | No. 3 (IV) Special Issue | July - September, 2026 ]

Beyond Connectivity: Can Digital Literacy Unlock Venture Growth for Rural Women?

Dr. Dipti & Pankhudi Raj

Digital technologies have transformed entrepreneurial processes by creating new opportunities for market participation, resource mobilization, and business growth. Despite increasing digital connectivity, rural women entrepreneurs continue to face significant barriers related to market access, financial inclusion, information asymmetry, and limited entrepreneurial networks. Existing research has extensively examined women entrepreneurship, rural entrepreneurship, and digital entrepreneurship; however, limited attention has been devoted to understanding how digital literacy enables rural women entrepreneurs to translate digital access into venture growth. Consequently, the mechanisms through which digital literacy contributes to entrepreneurial outcomes remain insufficiently theorized. Addressing this gap, this conceptual paper develops a theoretical framework that positions digital literacy as an entrepreneurial capability that facilitates venture growth among rural women entrepreneurs. Drawing on the Capability Approach, the Resource-Based View (RBV), and digital entrepreneurship literature, the paper argues that digital literacy extends beyond technical competence and functions as a strategic capability that enables entrepreneurs to access, evaluate, and leverage digital resources for business development. The proposed framework suggests that digital literacy contributes to venture growth through four interrelated mechanisms: market access, financial inclusion, entrepreneurial networking, and opportunity recognition. The paper advances entrepreneurship scholarship in three ways. First, it reconceptualizes digital literacy as an entrepreneurial capability rather than merely a technical skill. Second, it integrates insights from women entrepreneurship, rural entrepreneurship, capability theory, and digital entrepreneurship to explain how digital resources are transformed into entrepreneurial outcomes. Third, it proposes a set of theoretically grounded propositions and a conceptual framework that can guide future empirical research. The study also offers practical and policy implications for entrepreneurship support programs, digital inclusion initiatives, and capability-building interventions aimed at fostering sustainable venture growth among rural women entrepreneurs.

Dipti, D., & Raj, P. (2026). Beyond Connectivity: Can Digital Literacy Unlock Venture Growth for Rural Women? International Journal of Education, Modern Management, Applied Science &Amp; Social Science, 08(03(IV)), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.62823/ijemmasss/8.3(iv).9576
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DOI:

Article DOI: 10.62823/IJEMMASSS/8.3(IV).9576

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.62823/IJEMMASSS/8.3(IV).9576

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