In the past eight years, as much as ₹23 lakh crore has been transferred to the beneficiaries of the government of India's different schemes using digital payment modes under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism, which has saved about ₹2.3 lakh crore of the country from going into the wrong hands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the inauguration of Digital India Week at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Monday.

Modi stated that the Digital India mission has helped reduce the divide between rural and urban India. "We started the Digital India mission eight years ago. It has expanded with changing times and added new dimensions and new technologies to it every year," he said.

Digital governance

Underlining the digital governance experiments conducted in Gujarat during his tenure as chief minister, Modi stated that Gujarat has played the role of torchbearer in India's leap into digital governance. "Today, from birth certificates to jeevan praman (life certificates) for senior citizens, most of the government services are digital. The triple power of Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile (JAM) is benefiting the poor and middle class of the country as it has brought transparency and convenience of access to government services, while it has also saved crores of money for these families."

In a new-age digital use example, Modi stated that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the enhanced focus on telemedicine has made primary medical consultation hassle-free and low in cost for the common man. "Since the launch of the e-Sanjeevani service, over three crore people have taken tele consultations using digital modes, while sitting in their homes," Modi said. Also, the Aadhar-based biometric recognition has helped over 500 missing children to reunite with their families.

Vaccination and Covid-relief programmes

Modi stated that the world has taken note of India's "largest and most efficient vaccination and covid relief programmes through the platforms of Arogya Setu and COWIN. We have a complete record of 200 crore vaccine doses. This can help in tracing and tracking every individual who has not taken a second dose or a booster," he said.

On India's advancement in the Fintech space, Modi stated that India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) usage has received an overwhelming response from the people. "During May this year, every minute India recorded 1.3 lakh UPI transactions. This means each second there were 2200 transactions happening. India today accounts for 40 per cent of the world's digital transactions. Our Fintech platform has three characteristics. scale, secure and democratic.

In order to achieve self-sufficiency in electronic chipsets and semi-conductors, Modi stated that India has set a target to achieve a size of USD 300 billion in electronics manufacturing over the next 3-4 years. "India wants to become a chip maker from a chip taker," he said, adding that already the country is witnessing a flow of investments coming for capacities in semi-conductor manufacturing.

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