We will make this decade India's 'techade', says PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the combination of the nation’s demographic dividend and data, with proven tech prowess, presents immense opportunities as he exuded confidence the decade will be ‘India’s techade’.

Speaking at a virtual event to mark the completion of six years of Digital India, Modi said India is fully conscious of its responsibilities as a “data powerhouse” and noted that work was underway on all aspects of data protection.

“Data and demographic dividend present a massive opportunity for India... together, we will be successful in making this decade, ‘India’s techade’,” Modi said.

Estimates suggest that dozens of tech companies in India will enter the unicorn club (with $1 billion valuation) in coming years, he said and asserted that data and demographic dividend collectively offers huge potential.

Modi spoke via video conference to beneficiaries of various schemes of Digital India programme, including Diksha, eNAM, eSanjeevani solution for telemedicine, DigiBunai, and PM SVANidhi scheme.

Modi talked about the critical role that technology had played during the pandemic to ensure continuity of education, access to healthcare, and other citizen services, and noted that digital solutions created by India during this period are being acknowledged globally. “The digital solutions that India has prepared during this time are a topic of discussion and interest all over the world today. One of the world’s largest digital contact tracing app, Aarogya Setu has played a key role in containing the spread of Covid,” he said.

Many nations have shown interest in the CoWIN app, and tools like these are proof of India’s technical prowess.

Modi lauded the passion for innovation and the zeal to adopt those innovations rapidly, and said six years of Digital India programme marks the rapid strides that the country has taken in adoption of technology. Digital India programme underscores the nation’s resolve for self-reliance (AatmaNirbhar Bharat), he said. Affordable tablets and digital devices are being offered to students across the nation and production-linked subsidies are being given to electronic companies to realise this goal.

In the past 6-7 years, leveraging Digital India, around Rs 17 trillion has been transferred in the bank accounts of beneficiaries under various schemes, Modi said.