Digital India's Decade: From Local Innovation to Global Leadership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has commemorated a significant milestone for his 'Digital India' initiative by sharing a blog post on LinkedIn, marking the project's 10th anniversary. The post elaborates on India's digital journey, transitioning from having limited internet access in 2014 to achieving global leadership in technology by 2024.

Initially, there were widespread doubts regarding Indians' ability to effectively engage with digital technology. However, the government invested its faith in the populace, employing technology as a means to bridge socio-economic gaps. Today, digital tools seamlessly integrate into daily life for 140 crore Indians, influencing education, business, and governmental service accessibility.

From a modest 25 crore internet connections in 2014, India now boasts over 97 crore, reaching even its most remote corners, such as Galwan and Siachen. The rapid rollout of 5G technology, with around 5 lakh base stations established within a mere two years, underscores this advancement. Modi cited flagship platforms like UPI, facilitating over 100 billion transactions annually, and the DBT scheme, which has efficiently transferred ₹44 lakh crore directly to recipients, bypassing intermediaries.

Innovative platforms, ONDC and GeM, empower small businesses by linking them to expansive markets, with ONDC recently surpassing 200 million transactions and GeM achieving over ₹1 lakh crore in sales in just 50 days. The SVAMITVA scheme has effectively distributed more than 2.4 crore property cards and mapped over 6 lakh villages. Indian digital tools, such as Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and FASTag, serve as global models, with CoWIN notably managing the largest vaccination drive worldwide, producing 220 crore certificates.

India ranks among the top three startup ecosystems globally, hosting over 1.8 lakh startups, while rapidly advancing in artificial intelligence through the India AI Mission. This initiative offers affordable access to robust AI tools, positioning India as a global hub for digital innovation. Looking ahead, Modi envisions the coming decade as a period of even greater transformation, shifting India from a digital tool user to a global technology leader. He urges innovators and entrepreneurs to develop unifying technologies, solidifying India as a trusted digital partner worldwide.

(With inputs from agencies.)