New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted India’s significant digital progress and its potential to serve as a testing ground for innovative solutions with global applicability while virtually addressing the G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meet.
“With such diversity, India is an ideal lab for solutions. Solution which succeeds in India can be easily applied anywhere in the world,” said PM Modi as he welcomed the attendees to Bengaluru, a city known as the epicenter of technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
The prime minister credited the initiation of the Digital India initiative in 2015 for the rapid digital transformation India has experienced over the past nine years. He emphasized India’s unwavering commitment to innovation, speedy implementation, and inclusive development that ensures no one is left behind in the digital revolution.
Highlighting the scale and pace of this transformation, PM noted India’s 850 million internet users who benefit from some of the world’s most affordable data costs. He commended the use of technology to enhance governance, mentioning Aadhaar, a unique digital identity platform that covers over 1.3 billion people, and the transformative JAM trinity that has revolutionized financial inclusion.
India’s UPI payment system, facilitating nearly 10 billion monthly transactions and processing 45% of global real-time payments, also garnered praise from PM Modi.
The prime minister showcased various digital initiatives, including Direct Benefits Transfer, which has saved over $33 billion by plugging system leakages, and the CoWIN portal, a crucial tool during India’s extensive COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
PM Modi spotlighted the Gati-Shakti platform, utilizing technology for infrastructure and logistics mapping, reducing costs, and accelerating delivery. He also highlighted the government e-Marketplace and open network for digital commerce, platforms that have brought transparency and probity into public procurement and e-commerce.