E-governance: Learning from Karnataka Anil Kumar Vaddiraju 1 S. Manasi 2 Abstract The technological changes of the 20th and 21st centuries, the growth of computer technologies, digital technologies and telecommunications have changed the way the state conducts its functions and delivers governance. Whether or not they have improved the welfare function of the state, the way governance is delivered has been altered. In this article, we discuss the application of electronic governance (e-governance) in Karnataka with the help of three case studies. We discuss the cases of land records management in rural and urban areas and initiatives in Bengaluru traffic management. The case studies indicate that e-governance improves service delivery and that there are points to be gleaned from the successful implementation of the same in Karnataka. Finally, we argue that while there is necessity for optimism regarding the application of technology in service-delivery functions, the overall digitisation of economy may be something qualitatively different. Keywords E-governance, governance, digitisation, capitalism, privacy laws, regulation Introduction The term ‘governance’ is today increasingly being used in the domain of public administration, particularly in the context of a gradual rollback of the state in Article Indian Journal of Public Administration 1–14 © 2019 IIPA Reprints and permissions: in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india DOI: 10.1177/0019556119844582 journals.sagepub.com/home/ipa 1 Centre for Political Institutions, Governance and Development, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. 2 Centre for Research in Urban Affairs (CRUA), Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. Corresponding author: Anil Kumar Vaddiraju, Centre for Political Institutions, Governance and Development, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Dr. V K R V Rao Raod, Nagarabhavi, Bengaluru 560072, Karnataka, India. E-mail: anilvaddiraju@gmail.com