Massive rural to urban migration is inevitable unless an alternative is created which can provide the rural population with all the advantages associated with an urban setting. Digital technology is strategically important in a proposed model of rural development which is innovative, technically feasible, socially cohesive, economically efficient, sustainable and equitable. The basic concept is that of a Rural Information Service Center (RISC) which will form the core which will catalyze rural development. Each RISC will serve as the nerve center for about 100 villages and will be within half a day's commute from any village. The RISC will serve as a global information access point for the local population, where the downstream flow of information and material to the villages is complemented by an upstream flow of goods and services from the local village economy to markets that are global.