Ten years ago, we started such a journey in an area with full confidence, where no one had gone before. Where it was suspected to use Indian technology for decades, we changed that thinking and believed in Indians’ ability to use technology. While for decades the only thought that the use of technology would deepen the gap between the rich and the poor, we changed that mindset and eliminated that gap through technology.
When the intention is correct, the innovation strengthens the underprivileged. When the approach is inclusive, the technique brings changes in the lives of people standing on the margins. The same belief was the foundation of Digital India-a mission, which began to make access to all of them democratic (easy), inclusive digital infrastructure and to provide opportunities. In the year 2014, internet access was limited, digital literacy was low, and online access to government services was extremely limited. Many people suspected whether a huge and diverse countries like India could really become digital. Today, this question has been answered not in data and dashboard, but through the lives of 140 crore Indians. From governance to education, transactions and construction, Digital India is everywhere.
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PM Modi called Digital India a mass movement – Photo: Amar Ujala Graphics
India’s 5G rollout is the fastest in the world
In the year 2014, there were about 25 crore internet connections in India. Today this number has increased to more than 97 crores. Optical fiber cable over 42 lakh kilometers, which is 11 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon, is now adding remote villages. India’s 5G rollout is one of the fastest rollouts in the world, and 4.81 lakh base stations have been set up in just two years. High-speed internet has now reached from urban centers to advance military posts, such as Galwan, Siachen and Ladakh.
The role of middlemen ended
India Stack, which is our digital backbone, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now makes more than 100 billion transactions annually. About half of the total real-time digital transactions in the world are in India. The amount of more than Rs 44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to the citizens through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), which ended the role of middlemen and withheld a leakage of Rs 3.48 lakh crore. Schemes such as ownership have issued more than 2.4 crore property cards and mapped 6.47 lakh villages, which has led to an end to the uncertainty of land that has been for years.
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PM Modi called Digital India a mass movement – Photo: Amar Ujala Graphics
The common citizen gets a huge market ..
India’s digital economy is now empowering MSME and small entrepreneurs. Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a revolutionary platform, which opens the window of new opportunities by establishing direct contact with the huge market of sellers and buyers. The Government E-Marketplace (GEM) allows the common man to sell goods and services to all the departments of the government. This not only gives a huge market to the common citizen, but also saves the government.
ONDC recently crossed 20 million transactions figure
Imagine: You apply online for Mudra Loan. Your credit qualification is judged through the account aggregator framework. You get a loan, you start your business. You are registered on GEM, supply schools and hospitals and then make it even bigger through ONDC. ONDC has recently crossed the 20 crore transaction mark-in which the last 10 million have been in just six months. From Banarasi weavers to bamboo craftsmen of Nagaland, now sellers are reaching the customer across the country without middlemen. GEM has crossed GMV of Rs 1 lakh crore in 50 days, including 22 lakh vendors, including more than 1.8 lakh women operated MSMEs, who have supplied Rs 46,000 crore.
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PM Modi called Digital India a mass movement – Photo: Amar Ujala Graphics
The world’s largest vaccination campaign in India …
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)-such as Aadhaar, Kovin, Digilocker, Fastag, PM-Vani, and One Nation One Subscription-is now being read and adopted globally. Kovin enabling the world’s largest vaccination campaign, issuing 220 crore QR-satyapit certificates. Digilocker, who has 54 crore users, is hosting more than 775 crore documents in a safe and uninterrupted manner. India launched Global DPI repository and 2.5 crore social impact fund during its G20 chairmanship, so that the countries of Africa and South Asia can adopt inclusive digital ecosystems.
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PM Modi called Digital India a mass movement – Photo: Amar Ujala Graphics
Cheapest internet in India … the most economical computing hub also became
India is now included in the world’s top three startup ecosystem, which has more than 1.8 lakh startups. But this is not just a startup movement, it is a technology renaissance. There is a big progress in the case of AI Skills and AI Talent among the youth in India. Under the $ 1.2 billion India AI Mission, India has ensured the access of 34,000 GPUs at a price that is the lowest globally-less than one dollar per GPU. With this, India has become not only the cheapest internet economy, but also the most economical computing hub. India has advocated humanity-first AI. New Delhi Declaration on AI promotes innovation with responsibility. AI Centers of Excellence are being set up across the country.
