New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday declared that the Digital India initiative has evolved into a people’s movement, transforming governance, bridging the digital divide, and democratizing access to opportunities over the past decade.
In a detailed LinkedIn post, Modi said India moved from skepticism about citizens’ ability to use technology to becoming a global leader in digital transformation. From just 25 crore internet connections in 2014, India now has over 97 crore, backed by over 42 lakh km of optical fibre reaching even the remotest villages.
He emphasized the initiative’s inclusive vision: “When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered.”
5G Expansion: India has installed 4.81 lakh 5G base stations in just two years.
Digital Transactions: UPI now handles over 100 billion annual transactions, making up nearly half of all global real-time digital payments.
Direct Benefit Transfer: Over ₹44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens, saving ₹3.48 lakh crore in leakages.
ONDC & GeM: ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions; GeM surpassed ₹1 lakh crore GMV in just 50 days.
Platforms like ONDC and GeM are helping small businesses — from Banarasi weavers to bamboo artisans — access national markets, bypassing middlemen. Over 1.8 lakh women-led MSMEs are actively selling on GeM.
India’s digital infrastructure — Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and others — is now being studied globally. The Global DPI Repository and a $25 million social impact fund launched during India’s G20 presidency are helping other nations adopt similar systems.
Modi highlighted India’s strides in AI with the $1.2 billion India AI Mission, providing affordable access to 34,000 GPUs. India is now a global AI talent hub and aims to lead with humanity-first AI principles. Calling on innovators and entrepreneurs, Modi said the next decade will shift from digital governance to global digital leadership. “Let us build what empowers… and lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts,” he urged.
