By News18 Prime Minister Narendra
On July 1, 2025, India celebrates the 10th anniversary of Digital India, a transformative initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 to propel the nation into a digitally empowered future. Under PM Modi’s personal conviction and relentless drive, Digital India has redefined governance, economic inclusion, and everyday life, positioning India as a global leader in digital innovation. From revolutionising financial transactions with UPI to enabling seamless access to services through DigiLocker and DigiYatra, and powering India’s fight against poverty and Covid-19, Digital India has been an absolute game-changer
PM Modi’s Vision
Prime Minister Modi’s unwavering belief in technology as a tool for empowerment has been the cornerstone of Digital India’s success. Envisioning a connected, inclusive, and transparent India, PM Modi championed the initiative as a means to bridge the urban-rural divide, reduce bureaucratic red tapism and ensure equitable access to opportunities.
His mantra of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” has driven the adoption of digital platforms to deliver services directly to citizens, eliminating intermediaries and curbing corruption. From spearheading the JAM (Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhar and Mobile) Trinity to promoting indigenous innovations like UPI, PM Modi’s hands-on leadership has transformed Digital India into a global model, earning accolades from world leaders and institutions for its scale and impact.
JAM Trinity and DBT
A cornerstone of Digital India’s impact is the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, built on the JAM Trinity—Jan Dhan (financial inclusion), Aadhaar (unique identity), and Mobile connectivity. This framework has set a new global benchmark for welfare delivery.
Since 2014, over 53 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened, bringing banking to the unbanked, particularly in rural areas. Aadhaar, with over 140 crore enrolments, provides a secure digital identity, while mobile penetration (1.2 billion connections) ensures last-mile connectivity. Together, they have enabled DBT to transfer over Rs 36 lakh crore directly to beneficiaries across 2,200+ schemes by 2024, saving Rs 3.1 lakh crore by eliminating leakages and ghost beneficiaries.
This system has been pivotal in India’s fight against poverty. By ensuring subsidies for food, fuel, education, and healthcare reach the intended recipients, DBT has empowered millions, particularly women and marginalised communities. For instance, schemes like PM Kisan Samman Nidhi have supported 11 crore farmers with direct income transfers, while Ujjwala Yojana has provided 10 crore LPG connections to rural women. The World Bank has lauded India’s DBT as a model for developing nations, crediting PM Modi’s vision for its efficiency and scale.
UPI: The World’s Best Payment Model
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), launched in 2016 under PM Modi’s guidance, has revolutionised digital payments, making India a global fintech leader. UPI’s simple, secure, and instant transaction system has processed over 1,600 crore transactions monthly in 2024, accounting for 80 per cent of global real-time payment volumes. With a transaction value exceeding Rs 200 lakh crore annually, UPI has outpaced systems like Visa and Mastercard in accessibility and adoption. Its interoperability allows users to pay via QR codes, mobile apps, or USSD, even in remote areas, fostering financial inclusion.
UPI’s global impact is profound. Countries like Singapore, UAE, and France have adopted UPI-based systems, while the G20 has recognized it as a blueprint for digital economies. PM Modi’s push for UPI has empowered small vendors, street hawkers, and rural entrepreneurs, integrating them into the formal economy. By reducing cash dependency, UPI has also enhanced transparency, curbing black money and tax evasion.
DigiLocker and DigiYatra
Digital India has transformed everyday convenience through platforms like DigiLocker and DigiYatra. DigiLocker, a cloud-based platform, has issued over 6.5 crore digital documents to 150 crore users by 2024, enabling paperless access to IDs, certificates, and licences. This has simplified processes like job applications, education admissions, and government verifications, saving time and costs. Under PM Modi’s oversight, DigiLocker’s integration with Aadhaar and UPI has made it a cornerstone of e-governance.
DigiYatra, introduced in 2022, has revolutionised air travel by enabling contactless, biometric-based check-ins at over 24 airports, serving 1.5 crore passengers by 2024. By linking facial recognition with boarding passes and Aadhaar, DigiYatra reduces airport processing time by 30 per cent, enhancing traveler convenience. These initiatives reflect PM Modi’s commitment to using technology to make life easier for every Indian.
Digital India and the Covid-19 Vaccination Triumph
Digital India played a pivotal role in India’s world-leading Covid-19 vaccination campaign. The CoWIN platform, developed under PM Modi’s guidance, became the backbone of India’s vaccine rollout, enabling registration, scheduling, and certification for over 220 crore doses administered by 2024. With 97 per cent first-dose and 90% second-dose coverage, CoWIN’s real-time tracking and integration with Aadhaar ensured transparency and efficiency. The platform’s open API allowed global replication, with countries like Nigeria adopting similar systems.
Beyond domestic success, PM Modi’s Vaccine Maitri initiative leveraged Digital India’s infrastructure to supply over 100 million vaccine doses to 100 countries, reinforcing India’s role as the “pharmacy of the world.” Digital tools like Aarogya Setu, with 50 crore downloads, further supported contact tracing and health awareness, showcasing Digital India’s crisis-response capabilities.
Success Across Sectors
Digital India’s impact extends beyond finance and healthcare, transforming multiple sectors and aligning with PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat vision. In education, platforms like SWAYAM and DIKSHA have delivered 2,200+ courses to 4 crore students, bridging learning gaps in rural areas. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has created 76 crore ABHA IDs and linked 52 crore health records, revolutionising healthcare delivery through telemedicine (e-Sanjeevani serves 36 crore patients). In agriculture, e-NAM connects 1.76 crore farmers to 1,000+ markets, boosting incomes.
Digital infrastructure, with 7.8 lakh km of optical fiber and 25 lakh Wi-Fi hotspots under BharatNet, has connected 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, empowering rural India. The National Broadband Mission aims for universal 50 Mbps connectivity by 2025, supporting India’s $5 trillion economy goal. Initiatives like Smart Cities and e-governance portals (e.g., UMANG, with 2,300+ services) have enhanced urban and administrative efficiency, contributing to economic growth projected at 7.5 per cent annually.
As Digital India marks a decade, its achievements under PM Modi’s leadership are unparalleled. From empowering the poor through DBT to setting global standards with UPI, and enhancing convenience with DigiLocker and DigiYatra, the initiative has touched every facet of Indian life. Its role in navigating the Covid-19 crisis and transforming sectors like education, healthcare, and agriculture underscores its versatility.
By fostering inclusion, transparency, and innovation, Digital India is the bedrock of PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat vision, propelling India toward a developed, digitally empowered future by 2047. As the world looks to India for digital inspiration, PM Modi’s legacy as the architect of this revolution shines brighter than ever.
The writer is a national spokesperson of BJP, besides being an author. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.