Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India’s Digital Public Infrastructure offers scalable, secure, and inclusive solutions for global challenges. Virtually addressing the G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meeting in Bengaluru today, the Prime Minister stressed the unique opportunity with the G20 forum to lay the foundation of an inclusive prosperous, and secured global digital future. He has called upon G20 delegates to work on a global technology-based ecosystem to address the challenges faced by humanity. He said this will advance financial inclusion and productivity through Digital Public Infrastructure. He laid emphasis on establishing the framework to build a global health ecosystem and also for the use of safe and responsible Artificial Intelligence. The Prime Minister welcomed the efforts of the G20 Working Group on Digital Economy to create a Virtual Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository that would help create a transparent and accountable digital ecosystem for all. He also welcomed the initiative to lay a road map to facilitate cross country repository of digital skills and to set up a virtual centre of excellence on digital skills for meeting the needs of a workforce that is future-ready. He noted that as the digital economy spreads globally, it will face security threats and challenges. In this context it is important to build consensus on G20 high-level principles of a secured, trusted, and resilient digital economy, he added.
Mr. Modi emphasised inclusive and sustainable development for all. He pointed out that India is ready to share its experience with the world and has created an online global public digital goods repository called India Stack to ensure that no one is left behind, especially the brothers and sisters from the global south. He informed that India has over 850 million internet users enjoying the cheapest data costs in the world.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the development of Bhashini, an AI-powered language translation platform to support digital inclusion in all the diverse languages of India. He stated that Aadhar coverage of 1.3 billion, GEM trinity application has revolutionised financial inclusion in India and delivers benefits through Direct Benefit transfer. This has plugged leakages of resources and saved 33 billion dollars, he added. The CoWIN portal supported India’s Covid vaccination drive and helped deliver over two billion vaccine doses along with producing digitally verified Certificates, remarked the Prime Minister.
Union Minister for Railways, Communication, Electronics, and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw represented the country during the G20 Digital Economy Ministers Meeting. Addressing the gathering, he stressed on democratisation of technology as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that every citizen must benefit from technology and Digital Public Infrastructure must bring everyone in its fold. He informed that India has made big strides in applying digital tools as it recorded 10 billion transactions using Unified Payments Interface during July this year. The Minister hoped that in the days to come the common man will have access to digital credit at competitive interest rates.
