Digital India

Dominican dignitary hails India's achievement in digital inclusion for all

He noted that apart from the government financing these projects, there is a need for other players to step in for bringing the digital revolution faster

Vi partners with WB's export body to boost MSME digital transformation

Telecom major Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Tuesday said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the West Bengal State Export Promotion Society (WBSEPS) to accelerate digital transformation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state. The move comes as the West Bengal government aims to strengthen its MSME ecosystem, which employs over one crore people. The collaboration will leverage the digital assessment and advisory initiative of the telecom company and it has already evaluated over 1.9 lakh MSMEs nationwide since its launch in 2022, the statement said. Under the partnership, the telecom major will provide localised digital tools and training modules in Bengali, and host webinars to enhance tech adoption among West Bengal's MSMEs. "MSMEs contribute 30 per cent to India's GDP. This partnership will empower them with digital capabilities to scale operations and access global markets," Vi Business EVP & Segment Head Rajeev Mehta said. The West Bengal ...

PM Modi calls 3-hr podcast with Fridman 'fascinating'; episode drops Mar 16

Fridman took to X (formerly Twitter) to share the news on Saturday, describing the three-hour podcast with PM Modi as 'epic'

RBI awarded digital transformation Award 2025 for digital initiatives

The awards committee noted how these digital initiatives have reduced the use of paper-based submissions, thus transforming RBI's internal and external processes

CCI backs Apple in antitrust case, denies Match, startups sensitive data

An investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) last year found Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores

Regulatory needs, digital infra driving demand for ID verification: OnGrid

More than 500 million verifications for over 3,000 clients! Fuelled by regulatory requirements and digital transformations, the demand for identity verification and digital credentialing will grow further for background verification platform OnGrid, says its co-founder and CEO Piyush Peshwani. Founded in 2016 by IIT Bombay graduates Piyush Peshwani and Vineet Bansal, OnGrid describes itself as the best background verification company in India that provides comprehensive and fastest employee background verification, contractors' and partners' screening. It has been clocking all-round consistent year-on-year growth in revenue, clients, and verifications processed. "In 2024-25, we estimate the growth rate to exceed 50 per cent as compared to 2023-24, completing over 60 million verification transactions - the highest ever," Peshwani told PTI. OnGrid, which serves industries such as retail, technology, e-commerce and shared economy platforms, helps organisations and service providers by

Over 20.5 mn farmer IDs created under Digital Agriculture Mission: Govt

More than 2.05 crore farmer IDs have been generated under the Digital Agriculture Mission, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Minister of State for Agriculture Ramnath Thakur, in his written reply to the Lok Sabha, said the State Farmer Registry under the Digital Agriculture Mission covers all landholder farmers, including women farmers. Farmers Registry application also has the provision to onboard the tenant and lessee farmers. A state can decide to include such farmers in the Farmers Registry as per the state's policy. "As of February 2, a total of 2,05,26,912 farmer IDs have been created...," Thakur said. This includes 1.02 crore farmer IDs in Uttar Pradesh, 41.87 lakh IDs in Madhya Pradesh, 36.36 lakh in Gujarat, 22.54 lakh in Maharashtra, 1.42 lakh in Assam, and 75,593 in Rajasthan. About 14,343 farmer IDs have been created in Chhatisgarh, 9,843 in Odisha, 3,054 in Tamil Nadu, 424 in Andhra Pradesh and 19 IDs in Bihar. The Digital Agriculture Mission, with an outlay of Rs

India's edtech market likely to reach $29 billion by 2030: Report

The report titled, 'Impact study of EdTech in India: Driving innovation & creating opportunities,' was released during the 19th edition of India Digital Summit in New Delhi

Over 50,000 QR codes to assist pilgrims at Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj

Over 50,000 QR codes are being installed on electricity poles across the Maha Kumbh Mela area, spanning 25 sectors, to assist pilgrims in identifying their location and registering complaints related to electricity issues, a minister of the Uttar Pradesh government said. Speaking during an inspection of the Mahakumbh arrangements in Prayagraj on Sunday, state Minister for Urban Development and Energy, A K Sharma, said, "Currently, over one crore pilgrims from across the country and abroad have gathered at the Mela and the ghats for the holy dip at the Sangam. Over 50,000 QR codes have been installed on electricity poles, which will make it easier for them to determine their location within specific sectors or roads." He added that by scanning the QR codes on their mobile devices, pilgrims can also send suggestions and complaints directly to the control room. According to an official release, Sharma inspected the newly constructed ghats, roads, lighting, drinking water facilities and

Unlocking India's economic potential: Key tech policy priorities for 2025

This year should be a watershed year, transforming India into a "Product Nation," with Rs l trillion allocated for Research & Development to the private sector

The India story: An ongoing digital journey of joining India with Bharat

It all began five years before the dawn of 2000, when mobile phone service entered India

Impact of digitalisation on inflation needs close monitoring: DG Patra

Patra highlighted that digitalisation can be regarded as a long-term technology shock impacting economic growth, productivity, labour markets, older technologies, and inflation

PM Modi to interact with Smart India Hackathon participants on Dec 11

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with young innovators at the grand finale of Smart India Hackathon - 2024 via videoconferencing on Wednesday, his office said. The seventh Smart India Hackathon will run concurrently at 51 centres nationwide, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said. Modi will interact with the young innovators at the grand finale via videoconferencing around 4:30 pm on Wednesday. More than 1,300 student teams will participate in the grand finale and the prime minister will also address the gathering. The Software Edition will run nonstop for 36 hours while the Hardware Edition will run from Wednesday to Sunday. Like past editions, the student teams will work on either the problem statements given by ministries, departments or industries or submit their own ideas in the Student Innovation Category against any of the 17 themes linked to sectors of national importance. These sectors are -- health care, supply chain and logistics, smart ...

Rising Rajasthan Summit: PM Modi highlights India's growth, opportunities

World upbeat about India as investment destination, says PM Modi

After 'e-Daakhil' govt to roll out 'e-Jagriti' to streamline case filing

The government on Wednesday said the 'e-Daakhil portal' -- an inexpensive, speedy and hassle-free mechanism for filing consumer complaints -- has been rolled out successfully in all states and union territories. The government is also working for launch of e-Jagriti, which will further streamline case filing, tracking, and management, ensuring a hassle-free experience for consumers and other stakeholders, it said. In a statement, the consumer affairs ministry said with the recent launch of e-Daakhil portal in Ladakh, the online platform is now accessible to consumers pan-India. The e-Daakhil, launched on September 7, 2020, is an innovative online platform designed to streamline the consumer grievance redressal process, providing an efficient and convenient way for consumers to approach the relevant consumer forum, dispensing the need to travel and be physically present to file their grievances. Currently, 2,81,024 users have registered on the e-Daakhil portal, and 1,98,725 cases ha

10 mn digital life certificates generated by pensioners: Jitendra Singh

One crore digital life certificates have been generated by pensioners across the country during the month-long ongoing special campaign, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. The minister had earlier this month launched the nation-wide digital life certificate campaign 3.0 for digital empowerment of pensioners. The campaign is being held in 800 cities/ towns of India from November 1-30. "Digital life certificate (DLC) introduced for convenience of pensioners and elder citizens has crossed the record one crore mark in the ongoing campaign," he said. Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, said this landmark will go a long way in bringing ease of living for elder citizens and live up to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as expressed by him in the recent episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'. Now, by enabling the digital life certificate, things have become very simple; the elderly do not have to go to the bank. Elderly do not face any problem on account of technology. Makin

Digital growth to create 100k new fiber tech jobs in India in five years

Rapid digital expansion, including broadband and 5G network is expected to create around 1 lakh new job opportunities in fiber installation, maintenance, and repair segments in the next five years, according to TeamLease Services Chief Strategy Officer Subburathinam P. The India Telecom Market is estimated at USD 48.61 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 76.16 billion by 2029, growing at an annual rate of 9.40 per cent and as of 2023, about 7,00,000 kilometers of optical fiber cable has been laid across the country, significantly contributing to the expansion of digital infrastructure, he told PTI. "The annual growth rate of employment in the fiber optic technician segment is largely driven by the rapid expansion of broadband and 5G networks in India. As the government and telecom operators focus on expanding fiber infrastructure, the demand for fiber technicians is expected to grow significantly," Subburathinam said. The increasing fiberisation of telecom towers is expect

Half of Goa uses online portal, saves trips to government offices: Official

More than half of Goa's population no longer needs to visit government offices for various works as the state continues to expand the user base of its e-governance portal Goa Online', officials have said. Of the 16 lakh residents in the coastal state, about 8.6 lakh people are currently using the portal, offering 241 services, which ensures doorstep governance and improves transparency, they said. An initiative by state IT Minister Rohan Khaunte, the portal was launched in 2017 when the late Manohar Parrikar was the chief minister. His successor Pramod Sawant is taking it forward, said the officials. Goa Online is a single-window system and single-window platform, where all the services of the G2B (government to business) and G2C (government to citizen) are catered, said Sangita Shirodkar, manager (IT) of Goa Electronics Limited (GEL). A subsidiary of the state government, GEL has developed the Goa Online portal, which began with 11 online services, and maintains it, she said. The

Govt digitisation drive removes 58 million fake ration cards from PDS

The government's massive digitisation push has transformed India's Public Distribution System (PDS), setting new benchmarks for food security programs globally, the Union Food Ministry said on Wednesday. The overhaul of the system, which serves 80.6 crore beneficiaries, has led to the removal of 5.8 crore fake ration cards through Aadhaar-based authentication and electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification, it said in a statement. "These efforts have resulted in substantial reductions in leakages and enhanced targeting," the ministry added. According to the ministry, nearly all 20.4 crore ration cards have been digitised, with 99.8 per cent linked to Aadhaar and 98.7 per cent beneficiaries' credentials verified through biometric authentication. The ministry has deployed 5.33 lakh e-PoS devices across fair price shops nationwide, enabling Aadhaar-based authentication during distribution and ensuring the rightful targeting of beneficiaries. "Today Aadhaar authentication is use

Digital epidemic: State can't abdicate its duty to deal with cybercrime

For many authorities - whether financial regulators or those in charge of civil aviation, and even in some cases the local police - digital crime is a new frontier