Digital India democratised opportunity: PM Modi

Press Trust of India
New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Tuesday that the Digital India initiative launched a decade ago bridged the digital divide between haves and have-nots, and democratised opportunity, stressing that it has become a people's movement. In a post on LinkedIn, he said while decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, his government changed this approach and trusted the ability of citizens to use technology.

Modi asserted that his government used technology to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots, he added. "When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered. When the approach is inclusive, technology brings change in the lives of those on the margins.

This belief laid the foundation for Digital India: a mission to democratise access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and opportunities for all," he said. In 2014, Modi said, India had around 25 crore internet connections.

Today, that number has grown to over 97 crore, with over 42 lakh km of optical fibre cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between the earth and the moon now connecting even the most remote villages, he added. He said India's 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years.

High-speed internet now reaches urban hubs and forward military posts alike, including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh, he noted. He recalled that internet penetration was limited, digital literacy was low, and online access to government services was scarce in 2014, the year his government came to power. He said many doubted whether a country as vast and diverse as India could truly go digital.

"Today, that question has been answered not just in data and dashboards, but in the lives of 140 crore Indians. From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere," he said. Ten years ago, India embarked on a bold journey into uncharted territory with great conviction, he said. Modi said, "India has championed humanity-first AI.

The New Delhi Declaration on AI promotes innovation with responsibility. We are establishing AI Centres of Excellence across the country." The prime minister said the next decade will be even more transformative, as India is moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, from India-first to India-for-the-world.

He said digital India has not remained a mere government programme but has become a people's movement. It is central to building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and to making India a trusted innovation partner to the world, he said. Modi said, "To all innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers: the world is looking at India for the next digital breakthrough."

"Let us build what empowers. Let us solve what truly matters. Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts."

A decade later, the journey has touched countless lives and ushered in a new era of empowerment, he said, adding India has made many strides in digital payments, powered by the collective resolve of 140 crore Indians. India Stack, which is the digital backbone, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now handles 100 plus billion transactions a year, he said, adding that around half of all real time digital transactions happen in India.

Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), over Rs 44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving Rs 3.48 lakh crore.