New Delhi/New York, July 2: The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations marked the 11th anniversary of the Digital India programme, stating that the initiative has transformed public service delivery and expanded financial inclusion through Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
In a post on X, the Mission said the country’s digital transformation has been built on the JAM TrinityāJan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar and mobile connectivityāwhich has enabled large-scale financial inclusion and welfare delivery.
The Mission highlighted the growth of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), stating that annual transactions have increased from about 20 million in 2017 to 242 billion. It also noted that DigiLocker now serves more than 700 million users and stores over 8.5 billion digital documents, enabling paperless verification and digital access to official records.
The Indian Embassy in the United States also marked the occasion, stating that Digital India has reduced the cost of doing business, supported the formalisation of the economy and expanded market access beyond metropolitan cities. The Embassy said the programme has laid the foundation for the next phase of technological development, including artificial intelligence and semiconductor manufacturing.
The remarks followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message on the completion of 11 years of the Digital India initiative, launched on July 1, 2015.
The Prime Minister said the programme has changed governance by expanding digital payments, direct benefit transfers and digital public infrastructure. He said technology has improved access to public services and enhanced transparency in welfare delivery.
He added that Digital India has encouraged innovation across villages, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, enabling startups and entrepreneurs to develop technology-based solutions in different sectors. According to the Prime Minister, the initiative has also contributed to improvements in education, healthcare, agriculture, commerce and public administration.
The Prime Minister said India is also making progress in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum computing, with technology expected to play a larger role in economic growth and public service delivery.
According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Digital India has become the foundation of the country’s digital economy and Digital Public Infrastructure over the past decade. India now accounts for nearly 49 per cent of global real-time digital payment transactions through UPI. The digital economy currently contributes an estimated 12 to 14 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with its share expected to increase to around 20 per cent over the next decade.
The PIB said the programme has also supported the growth of startups, technology adoption, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The Digital India programme was launched with nine focus areas: Broadband Highways, Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance, Electronic Delivery of Services, Information for All, Electronics Manufacturing, IT for Jobs and Early Harvest Programmes. These pillars continue to guide the expansion of digital infrastructure and public services across the country.