NEW DELHI, July 1: As ‘Digital India’ completes 10 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the next decade will be even more transformative, moving the country from digital governance to global digital leadership — shifting the focus from “India-first” to “India-for-the-world.”
According to PM Modi, ‘Digital India’ has evolved from being just a government programme into a people’s movement.
“It is central to building an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, and to making India a trusted innovation partner to the world. To all innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers: the world is looking at India for the next digital breakthrough,” said the Prime Minister in a post on LinkedIn.
Ten years ago, India embarked on a bold digital journey despite scepticism. “While decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, we changed this approach and trusted the ability of Indians to use technology,” Modi said.
“While decades were spent thinking that the use of technology would deepen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, we changed this mindset and used technology to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots. 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,” he added.
This belief laid the foundation for Digital India — a mission aimed at democratising access, building inclusive digital infrastructure, and creating opportunities for all.
In 2014, India had limited internet penetration, low digital literacy, and minimal online access to government services. Many doubted whether a vast and diverse nation like India could truly embrace digital transformation.
“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,” PM Modi affirmed.
From just 25 crore internet connections in 2014, India now boasts over 97 crore connections. Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable — 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon — now link even the most remote villages.
India’s 5G rollout is among the fastest globally, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years, enabling high-speed internet across urban areas and strategic regions including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh.
India Stack, the digital backbone of the country, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now facilitates over 100 billion transactions annually. Nearly half of all real-time digital transactions in the world take place in India.
Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), more than ₹44 lakh crore has been sent directly to citizens, removing intermediaries and saving ₹3.48 lakh crore in leakages. The SVAMITVA scheme has issued over 2.4 crore property cards and mapped 6.47 lakh villages, resolving long-standing land-related disputes.
India’s digital economy has also empowered MSMEs and small entrepreneurs. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is opening new market opportunities by directly connecting sellers and buyers without digital monopolies. ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million achieved in just six months.
The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) enables citizens to supply goods and services to government agencies. GeM has surpassed ₹1 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in 50 days, with 22 lakh registered sellers, including over 1.8 lakh women-led MSMEs that have fulfilled orders worth ₹46,000 crore.
India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, FASTag, PM-WANI, and One Nation One Subscription, is now being studied and adopted by other countries.
The CoWIN platform facilitated the world’s largest vaccination campaign, issuing over 220 crore QR-verified certificates. DigiLocker now hosts over 775 crore documents and serves 54 crore users.
During its G20 Presidency, India launched the Global DPI Repository and established a $25 million Social Impact Fund to support the adoption of inclusive digital ecosystems in Africa and South Asia.
India also ranks among the top three startup ecosystems worldwide, with more than 1.8 lakh startups. PM Modi described this not just as a startup movement, but a “tech renaissance.” He highlighted India’s achievements in AI, noting its growing AI skills and talent concentration.
Through the $1.2 billion India AI Mission, India provides access to 34,000 GPUs at globally unmatched costs — less than $1 per GPU hour — making India not only the most affordable internet economy but also the most cost-effective compute destination.
“India has championed humanity-first AI,” the Prime Minister concluded, signaling a strong future for India’s digital journey.
