Digital India: PM Modi hails 10 years of initiative; says it’s now a ‘people’s movement’ – Times of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday marked ten years of the Digital India initiative with a detailed reflection on its transformative journey, calling it a movement that has empowered 140 crore Indians and elevated India to global digital leadership. In an article shared on LinkedIn, the PM wrote, “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.”Launched in 2015, Digital India was aimed at democratising access to technology and governance. Reflecting on its scale and success, the PM wrote, “From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere.”PM Modi underlined that internet connections in India have jumped from 25 crore in 2014 to over 97 crore today. Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable, equivalent to 11 times the Earth-Moon distance, now links even the remotest villages. He highlighted that India’s 5G rollout is among the fastest globally, reaching forward military zones such as Galwan and Siachen.As per a recent PIB release, nearly 6.92 lakh km of optical fibre has been laid under BharatNet, covering over 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats. Internet users have risen by 285 per cent in the past decade, and data costs have plummeted to under Rs 10 per GB.The PM also cited key digital platforms that have become global models, from UPI, now handling over 100 billion transactions annually, to Direct Benefit Transfers worth Rs 44 lakh crore that have cut leakages and middlemen. As per official figures, DBT has saved the government over Rs 3.48 lakh crore by removing fake beneficiaries.“Schemes like SVAMITVA have issued 2.4 crore+ property cards and mapped 6.47 lakh villages, ending years of land-related uncertainty,” he noted.Calling India’s digital economy a force for inclusion, the PM spotlighted ONDC and GeM as tools that have empowered MSMEs, artisans, and women-led enterprises. “ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions… GeM has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore GMV in just 50 days,” he said.He added that platforms like CoWIN, DigiLocker and FASTag have made India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) a model for the world. Through India’s G20 Presidency, the country launched a global DPI repository and a $25 million fund to help other nations adopt inclusive tech systems.According to the PIB, India’s digital economy contributed 11.74 per cent to GDP in 2022–23 and is expected to rise to 13.42 per cent by 2024–25, with projections placing its share near 20per cent by 2030.On the startup front, the PM wrote that India now ranks among the world’s top three ecosystems, supported by initiatives like the $1.2 billion IndiaAI Mission. As of May 2025, India had over 34,000 GPUs, the largest affordable compute access in the world.“Digital India has not remained a mere government programme; it has become a people’s movement,” PM Modi concluded. “Let us build what empowers. Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts”, he wrote.