In the last nine years, the Digital India programme has made significant strides in enhancing digital infrastructure, providing accessible government services, and empowering citizens by leveraging technology
In the last nine years, the Digital India programme has made significant strides in enhancing digital infrastructure, providing accessible government services, and empowering citizens by leveraging technology.
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Advancements in technology and telecommunication continue to be a primary catalyst for change in the digital ecosystem and the way we do business today. Digitisation has helped companies, governments, and social sector institutions increase their productivity, reinvent their offerings, and contribute to society's well-being.Â
The Government of India launched the Digital India programme in 2015 to focus on establishing a better connection between citizens and governance and primarily focuses on different elements like e-governance, e-Kranti, electronics and manufacturing, public internet access, healthcare, universal access to mobile connectivity, IT for jobs, information for all. For India, digitalisation is essential given the large population, with over 60 percent living in rural areas. Connecting the country allows a larger number of citizens greater access to the benefits and opportunities of a modern economy, thereby bridging the economic divide while improving the lives of the poor.
In the last nine years, the Digital India programme has made significant strides in enhancing digital infrastructure, providing accessible government services, and empowering citizens by leveraging technology. This initiative has played a crucial role in driving India towards becoming a digitally inclusive society and boosting its economy through innovation and connectivity. As of September 2023, Aadhaar provides online-based digital identity to around 1.3 billion.Â
Another layer of the Digital Indian Stack is the Unified Payment Infrastructure (UPI). With 598 institutions on the network, the UPI has processed 14,035.84 million payments as of May 2024. With over 330 million unique users as of September 2023, the UPI network has become India's largest digital payment network and the world's fifth-largest digital payment network by volume in less than a decade. The UPI set a record by processing 14.04 billion transactions in May 2024, from one million transactions in 2016, and its growth demonstrates how the UPI has revolutionised the digital payment environment by offering a simple and convenient option. The UPI transactions have grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 147 percent in terms of volume and grown at a CAGR of 168 percent from 2017-2018 (92 crores) to 2022-2023 (8375 crores) and have been the major driving force in the overall growth of digital payment transactions in the country accounting for 62 percent of digital payment transactions in FY 2022-23.Â
The creation of the Aarogya Setu mobile application was an economical and innovative approach during the COVID-19 pandemic. It could reach large populations in both urban and rural India at a fast pace and in a short duration. The application notified users about the people in close proximity suffering from COVID-19. It provided information on COVID-19 updates, self-assessment tools, helpline numbers, and other resources to help individuals stay informed and take necessary precautions during the pandemic. To monitor the vaccination drive in a country with 1.5 billion people. Technology again came to the aid, and the Government of India launched the Co-Win Mobile App to monitor the vaccination drive. As of November 2023, over 220.67 crore vaccinations and over 110.93 crore registrations have been administered.
[This article has been reproduced with permission from the Indian School of Business, India]