Payal Arora: Rethinking Technology Through the Eyes of the Global South

This episode features Payal Arora, digital anthropologist and author of The Next Billion Users: Digital Life Beyond the West. She explores how people in the Global South are reshaping the way we think about technology, innovation, and inclusion. From challenging Western tech myths to designing more equitable digital futures, Arora shares insights from decades of fieldwork and her upcoming book From Pessimism to Promise. She discusses the intersection of gender, labour, and digital platforms through her FemLab initiative, and highlights lessons the Middle East and North Africa can draw from emerging markets. Engaging, insightful, and forward-looking — this conversation redefines what it means to create technology for everyone.