New Delhi:
India’s digital public infrastructure has expanded at an unprecedented scale over the past decade, with internet connectivity crossing 107 crore connections and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) processing nearly 75 crore transactions every day, Electronics and Information Technology Secretary S Krishnan said.
Mr Krishnan highlighted the rapid growth of India’s digital ecosystem, pointing to the rise in broadband subscribers to nearly 100 crore and the widespread adoption of government-backed digital platforms.
DigiLocker, the government’s digital document storage platform, now has more than 70 crore users. UPI, which has transformed digital payments in the country, has also received international recognition, with the International Monetary Fund describing it as the world’s largest real time payments system.
According to the government, UPI-linked systems have already been adopted in nine countries, with more expected to join in the coming years.
Mr Krishnan also underlined the scale of welfare delivery through the Direct Benefit Transfer framework. The government currently runs 323 DBT schemes and has transferred over Rs 51.5 lakh crore directly to beneficiaries, reducing leakages and improving efficiency in welfare distribution.
India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem has undergone a major shift since 2014. At that time, the country imported a large majority of its smartphones. Today, smartphones have emerged as one of India’s leading export categories, Mr Krishnan said.
He said domestic value addition in electronics manufacturing has increased significantly, while the government’s semiconductor push is beginning to gather pace. Twelve semiconductor projects have been approved so far, and the semiconductor facility being set up by CG Semi is expected to be inaugurated this week.
The remarks come as the government sharpens its focus on technology self reliance and seeks to position India as a major global manufacturing and innovation hub.
Government sources also indicated that India is closely watching global developments in artificial intelligence. Sources said several countries, including the United States, are introducing safeguards and approval frameworks for advanced AI technologies because of their far reaching implications, including in cyber security.
The government is backing efforts to develop indigenous AI models and capabilities, sources said, adding that India must retain strategic autonomy in critical technologies given the country’s scale, talent pool and expanding digital infrastructure.
