Reflecting on a decade of the Digital India initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday described the programme as a transformative force that has evolved from a government mission into a nationwide people’s movement. Sharing a detailed blog post titled “A Decade of Digital India” on LinkedIn, the Prime Minister emphasised the initiative’s success in democratising access, bridging social divides, and empowering citizens.
PM Modi noted that earlier scepticism about Indians’ ability to adopt technology had given way to a new era where innovation serves as an equaliser. “We changed this approach and trusted the ability of Indians to use technology… not to deepen divides, but to bridge them,” he wrote.
Since its launch in 2014, Digital India has led to:
- Internet connections growing from 25 crore to over 97 crore
- Laying of over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable, reaching even the remotest villages and high-altitude areas like Galwan and Siachen
- Rapid 5G deployment, with nearly 5 lakh base stations installed in just two years
PM Modi praised India Stack, the digital backbone supporting platforms like UPI, which now handles over 100 billion annual transactions, accounting for half of all global real-time digital payments.
He also highlighted that ₹44 lakh crore had been transferred via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), with ₹3.48 lakh crore saved in leakages, and 2.4 crore property cards issued through the SVAMITVA scheme.
The Prime Minister spotlighted platforms like ONDC and GeM, which are providing market access to small entrepreneurs and MSMEs. ONDC has already crossed 200 million transactions, and GeM has exceeded ₹1 lakh crore in gross merchandise value, with 1.8 lakh+ women-led MSMEs contributing significantly.
“From Banarasi weavers to bamboo artisans in Nagaland, sellers are now reaching customers nationwide—without middlemen or digital monopolies,” Modi wrote.
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)—including Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, FASTag, and PM-WANI—is now being studied and adopted globally. Modi cited India’s leadership during its G20 presidency, including launching the Global DPI Repository and a $25 million Social Impact Fund for global digital inclusion.
On artificial intelligence, Modi said India is positioning itself as a global hub for “humanity-first AI”, with initiatives like the India AI Mission providing affordable compute power and expanding access to over 34,000 GPUs.
Calling for continued innovation, the Prime Minister declared that India is now transitioning “from digital governance to global digital leadership.”
“Digital India is no longer just a government programme; it is the heart of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the soul of India’s tech-driven global aspirations,” he asserted.
He ended with an appeal to innovators and entrepreneurs: “Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts.”