PM Lauds Digital India’s 10-Year-Long Journey, Hails 'India-for-the-World' Digital Leadership Road Ahead

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the decade long journey of ‘Digital India.' Since the launch of the Digital India initiative, it is a transformative mission that has not only bridged the digital divide but also empowered 140 crore citizens across the country. 

He shared Digital India's achievements so far and the vision ahead in a detailed LinkedIn post. “When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered,” the Prime Minister wrote expressing delight over how India has used technology to “eliminate the gap between the haves and have-nots," adding that this belief laid the foundation for “Digital India: a mission to democratize access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and opportunities for all.” 

Digitally Connected India

PM further wrote in his post that in 2014, India had around 25 crore internet users and that number has surged to over 97 crore today, backed by the expansion of 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable, equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. From Siachen to Galwan, even the most remote outposts are now digitally connected, thanks to one of the fastest 5G rollouts in the world, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years.

Key to this digital leap has been the India Stack, home to UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and other backbone platforms. The UPI alone now processes over 100 billion transactions annually, making India the undisputed leader in real-time digital payments noted PM Modi in his post.

The Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system has enabled over ₹44 lakh crore in direct cash transfers to citizens, eliminating middlemen and saving the exchequer ₹3.48 lakh crore in leakages, he added.

Democratizing Opportunities For MSMEs

PM Modi highlighted how platforms like ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and GeM (Government e-Marketplace) are democratizing opportunities for MSMEs, women-led businesses, and grassroots entrepreneurs. ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million taking just six months. Meanwhile, GeM has surpassed ₹1 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in just 50 days, involving over 22 lakh sellers, including 1.8 lakh+ women-led enterprises.

Schemes like SVAMITVA have digitally mapped over 6.47 lakh villages, issuing 2.4 crore property cards, providing land ownership clarity to millions.

Global Model of Digital Public Infrastructure

Calling India’s Digital Public Infrastructure a "global offering", the Prime Minister noted the worldwide adoption and study of platforms like CoWIN, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, FASTag, and PM-WANI. During India’s G20 Presidency, the Global DPI Repository and a $25 million Social Impact Fund were launched to support similar frameworks in Africa and South Asia.

CoWIN facilitated the world’s largest vaccination drive, issuing over 220 crore QR-coded certificates, while DigiLocker now hosts over 775 crore documents for 54 crore users.

Also read: Pakistan, China Planning To Replace SAARC: What It Means For India

India’s AI and Startup Surge

Touting India’s rise as a tech innovation hub, PM Modi said the country now ranks among the top three global startup ecosystems, with over 1.8 lakh startups. The India AI Mission, backed by a $1.2 billion investment, is democratizing access to high-end computing with 34,000 GPUs offered at globally lowest rates, less than $1 per GPU hour.

India has also taken a leadership role in ethical AI with the New Delhi Declaration on AI promoting “humanity-first” innovation. The country is setting up AI Centers of Excellence and focusing on AI skill development among the youth.

Road To 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'

Looking ahead, PM Modi positioned Digital India as not just a domestic initiative but a global model for inclusive growth and innovation. “We are moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, from India-first to India-for-the-world," he said, urging innovators and entrepreneurs to continue building solutions that “empower, include, and uplift.”

He concluded with a call to action: "Let us build what empowers. Let us solve what truly matters. Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts"