Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi marks 10 years of Digital India, eyes global digital leadership

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi marked 10 years of the Digital India initiative, highlighting its transformation of governance, empowerment of citizens, and contribution to a robust digital economy. In 2014, India had only 25 crore internet connections; by 2025, this has risen to over 97 crores, supported by 4.81 lakh 5G base stations and 42 lakh kilometres of optical fibre network reaching remote areas, including Galwan and Siachen. Platforms like India Stack and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) have revolutionised digital payments, now accounting for over 100 billion transactions annually. The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system has transferred over Rs. 44,00,000 crore (US$ 513 billion) to citizens while saving Rs. 3,48,000 crore (US$ 40.65 billion) in leakages. Other key initiatives include the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas. (SVAMITVA), issuing 2.4 crore property cards, and CoWIN, which facilitated 220 crore QR-code verified vaccination certificates.
India’s digital infrastructure is also empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through platforms like Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which has crossed Rs. 1,00,000 crore (US$ 11.68 billion) in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in 50 days, with 22 lakh sellers including over 1.8 lakh women-led enterprises. The government is scaling up its India Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mission with an investment of Rs. 10,282 crore (US$ 1.2 billion) to provide access to 34,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) at globally unmatched prices, promoting responsible AI through the New Delhi Declaration. Initiatives such as DigiLocker, PM-WANI, and One Nation One Subscription are now global reference models. With over 1.8 lakh startups, India is among the top three startup ecosystems worldwide. As India transitions from digital governance to global digital leadership, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi urged innovators to build inclusive technologies that uplift and unite, positioning India as a trusted innovation partner globally.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.