Ayurveda In The Digital Age: A Trans-Disciplinary Framework Linking Fintech Innovation, Digital Transformation, Sustainability And Societal Well-Being In A Globalized World
Jul 2026· Shodh Sari-An International Multidisciplinary Journal· Vol 5, pp. 67-81· 0 citations· 8 references
TL;DR
The research concludes that Ayurveda is not merely a medical tradition but a strategic knowledge framework capable of guiding ethical digital transformation and sustainable global futures.
Abstract
The twenty-first century is characterized by rapid technological advancement, financial innovation, and global digital interconnectedness. While FinTech and digital transformation reshape economies and governance structures, global society simultaneously faces health crises, lifestyle disorders, ecological imbalance, and sustainability challenges. Ayurveda, an ancient Indian knowledge system rooted in holistic health and ecological harmony, provides conceptual foundations that align strongly with modern sustainability and human-centered innovation paradigms. This study explores Ayurveda as a transdisciplinary framework capable of integrating with FinTech ecosystems, digital health technologies, and sustainable development models. Using a mixed-method research design combining conceptual analysis, secondary data synthesis, and statistical interpretation, the study evaluates how Ayurvedic principles can contribute to digital healthcare financing, preventive health economics, wellness entrepreneurship, and sustainable societal transformation. Data interpretation demonstrates that digitalization enhances accessibility, personalization, and scalability of Ayurvedic healthcare, while financial technologies enable inclusive wellness ecosystems. The findings indicate that integrating Ayurveda with digital platforms and financial innovation improves healthcare efficiency, promotes preventive economics, reduces long-term healthcare expenditure, and supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The study proposes an “Ayurveda–Digital Sustainability Nexus Model” linking traditional knowledge, digital innovation, financial inclusion, and societal resilience. The research concludes that Ayurveda is not merely a medical tradition but a strategic knowledge framework capable of guiding ethical digital transformation and sustainable global futures.
Digital social innovation (DSI), the use of digital technologies by citizens, civil society organizations, social enterprises, and public institutions to develop novel solutions to social and environmental problems, has evolved over the past decade and a half as a distinct field of research and practice at the intersection of technology studies, innovation studies, and sustainability science. Current study explores the interdisciplinary literature on DSI and its relationship to sustainability, in its triple-bottom-line sense of environmental, social, and economic dimensions. It traces the conceptual roots of DSI in the broader social innovation literature and in information-systems research on digital innovation, reviews the major theoretical frameworks, including a nascent multidimensional framework spanning digital technology, innovation process, and sustainability focus to connect digital innovation to sustainable development, and examines empirical evidence on how digitally enabled initiatives, from open data commons and citizen science to platform cooperatives, civic technology, telemedicine, and precision agriculture, contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research engages critically with the limits of DSI's contribution, including the digital divide, the environmental footprint of digital infrastructure itself, the phenomenon of data colonialism, and the tendency toward technological solutionism, before setting out a twelve-pathway research agenda and highlights practical implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. DSI offers a genuine, if bounded and unevenly distributed, set of tools for advancing sustainability, and its future contribution depends less on the sophistication of the technology involved than on the governance arrangements, funding ecosystems, and power relations within which that technology is embedded.
Mamadayupova Vasila Shonazarovna· Digital Social Sciences· 0 citations
In South Africa, escalating consumption of digital devices poses significant threats to ecological sustainability and has far-reaching implications for environmental degradation. The ratio of digital devices to human beings is rapidly increasing, underscoring the urgency of interrogating the sustainability implications of digital expansion. This study investigated the complex relationship between digitalisation and sustainable development, focusing on the social, environmental, and economic impacts in the South African context. For this systematic review, researchers synthesised and analysed the findings of 44 articles, published between 2015 and 2025. Using a knowledge–implementation–effect (K-I-E) cycle, the research sought to bridge knowledge gaps, critically assess the ecological costs of digital innovation, and explore how digital technologies align or conflict with sustainability goals. The study hypothesised that unchecked digitalisation exacerbates climate vulnerability, e-waste, and energy consumption, thereby threatening environmental integrity and social equity. The findings underscore the digitalisation–carbon footprint paradox, capturing a contradiction of the digital age, whereby technological progress helps reduce environmental impact and at the same time drives new forms of environmental pressure. This paradox reflects a tension between efficiency gains and expanded energy consumption. The study has major implications for policymakers because it promotes eco-friendly principles. Notably, there is a paucity of literature on digitalisation and sustainability in South Africa, with existing studies largely confined to narrow, sector-specific analyses rather than providing integrated, systemic, and cross-sectoral perspectives.
Muofhe Thenga, R. Dlamini· Sustainability· 0 citations
Globalization is reshaping rural economies through digital transformation and increasing environmental pressures, creating both opportunities and challenges for women-led entrepreneurship. In this context, technological innovation has emerged as a key mechanism for promoting sustainability, competitiveness, and inclusion. The objective of this study is to analyze two emerging global trends—namely inclusive digitalization and climate-smart technologies—and their implications for rural women entrepreneurship within a prospective horizon of 2026–2031. The research adopts a qualitative approach with an interpretative and prospective orientation, based on documentary analysis of academic literature and international institutional reports. The findings reveal that inclusive digitalization facilitates market access, enhances business visibility, and improves productivity by enabling rural women entrepreneurs to overcome structural and geographical barriers. At the same time, climate-smart technologies contribute to strengthening resilience and sustainability in rural production systems by optimizing resource use and improving adaptive capacity in the face of climate change. However, the results also indicate that persistent structural inequalities, particularly in terms of gender, access to technology, and digital capabilities, continue to limit the full potential of these innovations. The study concludes that technological innovation plays a multidimensional role in rural development, simultaneously influencing economic performance, environmental sustainability, and social equity. It also highlights the need for inclusive innovation ecosystems and targeted policies to ensure that technological transformation leads to equitable and sustainable outcomes for rural women entrepreneurs.
Evelyn Guerra· Journal of Business and Eco...· 0 citations
The era of globalization and digitalization has transformed citizenship into a dynamic construct that requires individuals to continuously adapt to rapid social and technological changes. This study examines the concept of adaptive citizenship as a response to the challenges emerging from globalization and the digital age. Employing a qualitative literature review, the study analyzes national and international peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2019 and 2024, supplemented by relevant academic books and policy documents. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, including data reduction, categorization, interpretation, and conclusion drawing, to identify key themes, patterns, and conceptual frameworks associated with adaptive citizenship. The findings identify four core dimensions of adaptive citizenship: digital literacy, global awareness, social participation, and national identity. Together, these dimensions provide a comprehensive framework for developing citizens who are critical, ethically responsible, and firmly rooted in national values while remaining responsive to global transformations. The study underscores the importance of reorienting citizenship education toward a more contextual, competency-based, and adaptive approach that prepares learners to navigate the complexities of an increasingly interconnected and digitalized world.
M. Asif, Nur Fauzi, Toto Suryadi et al.· Digital Theory, Culture &...· 0 citations
The rise of digital technologies has transformed the landscape of social innovation, introducing powerful tools that enhance connectivity, scalability, and data-driven decision-making across sectors. This article presents a comprehensive examination of Digital Social Innovation (DSI), emphasizing both the opportunities and complexities brought about by digital transformation. Drawing on recent scholarship, empirical case studies, and expert interviews, the article explores how digital platforms facilitate collaborative problem-solving and rapidly extend the reach of social interventions. Key opportunities identified include improved resource mobilization, real-time impact analysis, and alignment with Sustainable Development Goals. However, challenges such as digital exclusion, governance uncertainty, privacy concerns, and ethical risks persist. The study adopts a qualitative multiple case study methodology to analyze applications in health, environment, and finance, revealing success factors and barriers to impact. Strategic recommendations are offered for advancing inclusivity, ethical frameworks, adaptive policy, and robust evaluation models. Ultimately, the article argues that harnessing the full potential of digital social innovation requires holistic strategies and participatory approaches to foster equitable and sustainable social change in the digital era.
V. Veena· International Journal of Rec...· 0 citations
The rapid expansion of intelligent technologies and digital transformation has intensified global debates regarding sustainability, ethical governance, industrial resilience, and human well-being within contemporary industrial systems. Industry 5.0 has emerged as a human-centred and sustainability-oriented framework that seeks to balance technological innovation with broader societal and environmental objectives. This paper critically examines the relationship between Industry 5.0, intelligent technologies, and human-centric sustainability in the digital age. The study adopts a conceptual and integrative literature review methodology grounded in an interpretivist research philosophy. The findings reveal that intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoT, blockchain, collaborative robotics, and digital twins have substantial potential to improve sustainability, resource efficiency, industrial resilience, and workforce empowerment when responsibly governed. The paper develops a Human-Centric Sustainability Framework for Industry 5.0 and recommends strengthening ethical governance, inclusive innovation, workforce reskilling, and sustainability-oriented policies to support resilient and human-centred industrial transformation.