HARCHIT GULATI

2K22/IT/62
Assignment 2

ROLE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN SHAPING

VIKSIT BHARAT 2047
Digital inclusion is a key component of development plans. The ultimate goal of
transforming the nation into a digitally empowered society and knowledge
economy has generated considerable results over the past decade, since the
Indian government started the ambitious "Digital India" program in 2015. One of
the most significant accomplishments has been the narrowing of the digital divide
between urban and rural areas. Infrastructure development projects such as the
BharatNet project, which aims to provide high-speed internet to every gramme
panchayat, have connected nearly 250,000 gramme panchayats.
Rephrase Millions of rural Indians now have access to the internet thanks to the
government's ongoing efforts and successful collaborations. The completion of
this large-scale initiative would bridge India's digital divide between cities and
rural areas. A revolution in the availability of phones and data plans has resulted
in increased internet penetration in India. India has seen the highest growth in
internet users since 2015, with 850 million broadband subscribers as of July. In
just one year, monthly mobile data usage jumped from 4.5 exabytes to 14
exabytes, with the average monthly data consumption per user reaching 19. 5
gigabytes. Projections show that data consumption will quadruple by the end of
the decade.
Furthermore, the government's emphasis on indigenous manufacturing through
initiatives such as "Make in India" has strengthened India's standing as a
manufacturing powerhouse (Press Information Bureau, 2014). By incentivising
local manufacturing of electronics, vehicles, and other important sectors, the
government has not only boosted economic growth but also facilitated
technological transfer and talent development. The success of initiatives like the
Production Linked Incentive (PLI) plan demonstrates India's rising ability to
manufacture, attract investments, and create jobs on a vast scale. A recent media
study predicts that India's electronic manufacturing industry will increase by more
than 40% each year till FY 26, with the market expected to reach Rs 5,980 billion.
A combination of factors have led to this, which include geopolitical shifts, the
government's progressive and concerted policy efforts to spur electronics
manufacturing in India, the presence of a skilled workforce, which includes highly
trained engineering talent, the availability of land and water, a stable responsive
government with enhanced ease of doing business, and a clear focus on job
creation, upping the value chain to make India the hub of a technology creation.
Meaning of Viksit Bharat
The term 'Viksit Bharat' refers to 'developed India'. Viksit Bharat 2047 depicts the
government's ambition of transforming the country into a developed entity by
2047, when it will celebrate its 100th independence. Viksit Bharat has four pillars:
Yuva (youth), Garib (poor), Mahilayen (women), and Annadata (farmers).
The Finance Minister announced the following in Budget 2024 to fulfil the goal of
Viksit Bharat 2047:

Purvodaya is the government's strategy for the overall development of India's

eastern region, which includes Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, and Andhra
Pradesh. This will include infrastructure, human resource development, and the
creation of economic possibilities to position the region as an engine for achieving
Viksit Bharat.
Nuclear energy is planned to form an important component of Viksit Bharat. To
that end, the government would collaborate with the private sector to establish
Bharat Small Reactors, conduct research and development on the Bharat Small
Modular Reactor, and develop future nuclear energy technologies.

In addition to promoting technology innovation, the Modi government has

stressed the creation of strong regulatory frameworks to help people manage the
complexity of the digital age. From establishing data protection laws to building
cybersecurity infrastructure, the government has taken a proactive approach to
protecting individuals' privacy and essential digital assets. India is not only in the
appropriate rooms; it is also at the table and dictating the discourse, actively
demanding accountability, more transparency, and equity. Furthermore, the past
decade has seen a determined attempt to use emerging technology to address
difficult societal concerns (Niti Aayog, 2018). Niti Aayog launched the National
Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in 2018, which offers a comprehensive plan for
exploiting AI's potential across multiple sectors including as healthcare,
agriculture, and education. With a persistent dedication to technical progress and
advancement, the government has set out on a journey that has resulted in the
nation's economic, technological, and entrepreneurial transformation. From
strengthening digital infrastructure to supporting innovation hubs, the
government's actions have catapulted India to the forefront of the global
innovation scene.
To narrow the scope of this discussion, we will primarily examine digital
transformation and its symbiotic relationship with economic growth. The success
of the current government at the centre over the last ten years can be summed
into five key themes: economic growth, digital infrastructure, digital India,
entrepreneurship and innovation, and emerging technologies.
Economic Growth
Since 2014, India has enjoyed extraordinary economic development, with notable
achievements along the way. The exponential increase in many economic
indicators has propelled India to unprecedented heights and solidified its place as
a global economic powerhouse. India's economic growth has been described as
"stable and resilient," with an 8% growth rate being a realistic prospect in the near
future (Gupta and Blum, 2018).
One of the most notable successes during this time period has been the country's
rise from 11th to 5th largest economy in the world (Armstrong, 2022). The
enormous rise of India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) demonstrates strong
economic performance and momentum. Since 2014, India's GDP has increased
dramatically, considerably above previous years' growth rates and beyond initial
predictions. This growth trajectory has moved India's economy forward,
establishing it as one of the world's fastest-growing major economies.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a revolutionary concept championed by India
on the world stage, and it has been significantly recognised as an accelerator of
global goals by G20 ministers (UNDP, 2023). For the first time, a global coalition of
twenty jurisdictions recognised the need of DPI, provided a functional definition,
and defined precise criteria and techniques to be considered during its
development and implementation (Chaudhuri, 2023).
DPI includes key projects such as digital identification (Aadhaar) and payment
infrastructure (UPI). It embodies a transformative strategy to generating large-
scale innovation, inclusivity, and competition through open, transparent, and
participatory government. It replicates fundamental systems like as the internet
and telecommunications, ensuring global information exchange and
interoperability. Simply said, DPI is a set of technical building blocks that promote
digital progression and societal improvement, and it will be a significant factor in
propelling India to a USD 1 trillion digital economy by 2030 (Economic Times,
2024).
India's public-sector technology adventure began in the 1980s and 1990s, with a
variety of applications. Infrastructure initiatives such as state-wide area networks,
Common Service Centres (CSCs), and State Data Centres (SDCs) were then
launched, along with Mission Mode initiatives (MMPs), to provide the framework
for comprehensive digital infrastructure.
The launch of Aadhaar, India's one-of-a-kind digital ID scheme, was a watershed
point in the country's digital path. Aadhaar, which provides authentication as a
service, transformed service delivery by allowing identity verification for a variety
of transactions. Aadhaar's success prompted the creation of additional products
such as Digital Locker, eKYC, and e-Sign, as well as the implementation of Direct
Benefit Transfers (DBT), which resulted in significant government savings and
efficiency improvements.

A comprehensive knowledge of DPI requires acknowledging its three essential

layers: market, governance, and technical standards. The market layer promotes
innovation through inclusive product design, whereas the governance layer
creates regulatory frameworks and public programs to encourage uptake.
Technology standards, such as those for identity, payments, and data sharing,
ensure interoperability and the adoption of common standards, thereby defining
DPI's structure and operation.
Viksit Bharat envisions a wealthy Bharat in harmony with contemporary
infrastructure and nature, with opportunity for all inhabitants from all regions to
fulfil their full potential.

In her Budget 2024 speech, the Finance Minister highlighted that various
development and growth-enabling changes are required in the states to achieve
Viksit Bharat's vision. Thus, a long-term interest-free loan of Rs.1.5 lakh crore is
suggested to state governments to help them allocate resources for infrastructure
development. Helping MSMEs expand and compete will also be part of the Viksit
Bharat strategy.
On December 11, 2023, the Prime Minister launched 'Viksit Bharat @2047: Voice
of Youth' by video conferencing. At the launch, he emphasised the importance of
educational institutions in an individual's personality development, stating that a
nation can only be created if its people develop. He also emphasised the
importance of channelling the energies of all university students and young
people towards the common objective of Viksit Bharat.
The Viksit Bharat @2047: Voice of Youth was launched to realise the vision of
Viksit Bharat, which demands a firm belief in India’s destiny, unwavering
dedication and a profound recognition of the people’s vast potential capabilities
and talent, particularly the youth.

The Prime Minister also invited the young to participate in the transformative
agenda through the youth movement 'Ideas from young for Viksit Bharat@2047'.
He challenged everyone to push their limits and contribute to the vision of Viksit
Bharat@2047.
The Prime Minister proposed holding specific campaigns in every university and
college in India to engage more youngsters in this campaign. The government
then launched the 'Ideas Portal' for Viksit Bharat to solicit suggestions on five
different subjects.
The government will organise a high-level group to thoroughly examine the issues
posed by rapid population growth and demographic changes. This committee will
provide recommendations to solve these difficulties in a comprehensive manner
in relation to Viksit Bharat's goals.

India’s Opportunity – Its Turning Point

This is India's Amrit Kaal. India has undergone significant transformations and is
now ready for takeoff. In recent years, there has been a tremendous growth of
social and economic infrastructure through policies and schemes such as Samagra
Shiksha, as well as the expansion of universities, IITs, IIMs, medical and nursing
colleges, skilling (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana), and many more. In the
recent decade, the number of universities and colleges has expanded dramatically,
and the Indian higher education system now includes 1,113
universities/university-level institutions, 43,796 colleges, and 11,296 stand-alone
institutions, serving 4.33 crore students. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in
higher education has continuously risen to 28.4.
Similarly, the healthcare sector has grown significantly on all fronts. In 2022, there
were 1,56,000 Ayushman Bharat centres, which provided primary health care
services to people closer to their homes. The huge network of almost 13.97 lakh
Anganwadi centres provides Early Childhood Care and Education to almost 10
crore children. Several health indicators, including the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR),
Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), and the percentage of children who are
underweight, have decreased considerably. The Poshan Mission, which was
established in 2018, covers more than 10 crore women and children. Mission
Indradhanush's improved vaccination campaigns have increased full immunisation
coverage from 62% to 81%.
Going future, we must enhance healthcare to global standards. Rural India, too, is
transforming. We are on the verge of obtaining or have already reached universal
coverage in a variety of areas, including electricity, drinking water, bank accounts,
roads, and mobile connectivity. Rural India is now beginning to enjoy the same
benefits as urban India. We have also strengthened and alleviated hardship for the
underprivileged through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and
MNREGA. The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana provides housing for all. Other areas
have also seen tremendous progress. Mobile phone and internet penetration is
extremely high. India has 120 crore mobile users and 80 crore internet users. India
has 30 crore Unified Payment Interface (UPI) users who do 1,000 crore
transactions per month.

India has Demonstrated Quantum Leap Capabilities

The past decade has seen a fantastic proof of our ability to reshape India. A
comprehensive governance model centred on leaving no one behind through
targeted policies has resulted in 13.5 crore people overcoming multidimensional
poverty, well ahead of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Some
transformational, significant projects that demonstrate 'we can accomplish' are:

 Khelo India's efforts have resulted in almost 100 medals at the recent Asian
Games, breaking previous records.
 Jan Dhan Accounts - We added 40 crore bank accounts in a short period,
achieving financial inclusion that many believed would take years.

 The COVID immunisation campaign, powered by the COWIN platform and

using indigenous COVID-19 vaccines, successfully reached 200 crore
recipients worldwide. This is an unprecedented public health success in
human history. We have helped save millions of lives throughout the world
with the Vaccine Maitri program, which provided 23.5 crore COVID vaccines
free of charge to 98 countries. This demonstrates India's commitment to
global health and welfare.

 • India's Chandrarayaan Mission to the Moon, the first to arrive on the

moon's South Pole, showed the country's scientific prowess and economic
innovation. This has startled the world's major nations and serves as an
example for what can be accomplished on a low budget, as well as an
encouragement for the huge scientific and technological challenges that lie
ahead of us. India's distinct form of frugal innovation is known as
'affordable excellence' and serves as a model for other countries.
• India has met 40% of its electricity capacity with non-fossil fuels,
 surpassing its Paris 2015 climate targets 9 years ahead of schedule. This has
improved our global status.

 • Our Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has rapidly expanded, propelling

India to the forefront of global digitisation.
• Rapid infrastructure growth demonstrates enhanced capabilities. In the
last nine years, the rate of railway track development has increased more
than thrice, from 1,452 km/year to 5,243 km/year. The National Highways
Network has risen by 60% to 1,45,240 kilometres. There has been a 100%
increase in airports from 74 to 148.

 India’s Global Standing – As a world leader, our Presidency of the G20 saw
the world respecting India’s diplomatic and organisational capabilities. We
took G20 sessions to every corner of India and the New Delhi Leaders’
Declaration is a milestone in India’s history. With India’s global standing
rising, international institutions like the International Solar Alliance are now
being set up in India and international investors are coming to India in large
numbers. In many ways, India is leading the world.
 These substantial changes are the result of a comprehensive governance
approach that prioritised leaving no one behind through faster service
delivery, greater openness in operations, and a focus on effect at the
grassroots and outcomes. This is partly due to a strong commitment to a
long-term vision for India.

Digital India
1. The Digital India plan, which began in 2015, includes a wide range of efforts
across several sectors, such as infrastructure development, e-governance,
digital literacy, and digital empowerment. With the goal of transforming
the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy,
the initiative aims to offer residents with access to digital services, improve
efficiency and transparency in government operations, and promote digital
inclusion throughout society.

2. The Digital India programme is built around several key pillars, each of
which addresses a different aspect of India's digital transformation:
 broadband highways, universal access to mobile connectivity, a public
internet access program, e-governance and service delivery, digital literacy,
digital infrastructure, and citizen digital empowerment. Since its
beginnings, the Digital India programme has achieved great progress
towards India's digital transformation agenda.

2. 3. Digital India's increased internet connectivity has helped reduce the

digital divide between urban and rural areas. According to the most recent
data sets available, infrastructural development, most notably the
BharatNet project, has enabled broadband connections for over 1,72,000
village panchayats, allowing millions of rural Indians to access the internet
for communication, education, and livelihood. When completed, this large-
scale project would connect every 250,000 local gramme panchayats, or
630,000 inhabited villages in India, to the internet, allowing access to ICTs
via Community Development Blocks.
3. 3. The Data Revolution: Over the past decade, India has experienced a
significant increase in affordable smartphone and data plans. With 850
million broadband subscribers as of July 2023, the country has seen the
highest growth in the world, increasing about 250% since 2015. The
average monthly data consumption per user in 2022 was 19.5 GB, while
monthly mobile data usage in India jumped from 4.5 exabytes in 2018 to
14.4 exabytes in 2022. This is expected to treble by 2024 as a result of the
rollout of 5G.
4. 3. The Digital India project has significantly impacted the digital payments
business. The adoption of systems like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
has changed financial transactions and service delivery, with over 82 billion
digital transactions expected in 2023 alone. UPI transactions hit INR 14.3
trillion in a single month, surpassing the total amount of all digital
transactions in the fiscal year 2015.
5. 4. Digital Governance and Service Delivery: Technology has transformed
government by increasing transparency, efficacy, and public participation in
service delivery. Technology-infused government procedures have
enhanced service delivery and allowed for citizen-centric governance.
Platforms such as DigiLocker, e-Hospital, and e-Government Procurement
(GeM) have expedited processes, reduced red tape, and made vital services
available to everyone. The programme's influence was shown by the fact
 that e-transactions for government services exceeded $3 billion in FY 2021
alone.

4. Workforce Reforms and Digital Skills: Digital India prioritises developing

digital literacy and skills. Millions of individuals, particularly in rural areas, have
been empowered with critical digital skills through programs such as the
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), allowing them
to actively participate in the digital economy. The National Digital Literacy
Mission (NDLM) and Skill India, which provide cutting-edge technological
training and encourage entrepreneurship, have helped to strengthen the
country's workforce.
6Financial Inclusion: The Digital India Programme has contributed significantly to
India's financial inclusion through the JAM trinity. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan
Yojana, among other efforts, ensures that the poorest residents have access to
financial services.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

India's innovation ecosystem has grown significantly in recent years, owing to
government initiatives and private sector participation. India is the world's third-
largest startup ecosystem, with over 1.26 lakh startups in diverse sectors (Inc. 42,
2024). The government's Startup India initiative has been instrumental in
cultivating this ecosystem, providing businesses with money, mentorship, and
regulatory support.
Startup India: Since its inception in 2016, the Startup India initiative has produced
promising results, with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT) recognising over 1.26 lakh startups and raising over $110 billion in
investments (Startup India, 2020; Inc42, 2024). The project provides a variety of
incentives, including tax breaks, self-certification compliance, and speedier patent
inspection, with the goal of creating an environment conducive to startup growth
and innovation.
The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) has played an important role in encouraging
students and instructors to innovate and become entrepreneurs. As of 2021, AIM
had developed over 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in schools throughout 35
Indian states and union territories, giving over 4 million students hands-on
exposure with tinkering and invention (Jogi, 2023). In addition, AIM's Atal
Incubation Centres (AICs) have helped over 2,000 entrepreneurs grow and scale.
R&D initiatives: Investments in R&D are critical for accelerating innovation and
technological improvement. India's R&D spending has been continuously
increasing, with an estimated $70 billion in 2020 (World Bank, 2021). Government
initiatives such as the Department of Science and Technology's Technology
Development Board (TDB) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) have helped fund and assist R&D projects in a variety of industries.
Digital Innovation Hubs: These collaborative places allow startups, corporations,
and investors to brainstorm, innovate, and co-create solutions. The Indian
government's Digital India initiative has helped to develop over 200 incubators
and accelerators, giving companies access to infrastructure, coaching, and finance
(Digital India, 2020). These hubs have played an important role in promoting
entrepreneurship and spurring innovation across industries.
Impact on Economic Growth: The rapid rise of India's startup ecosystem
demonstrates the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship in economic
development. According to the Economic Survey (2021), startups' contribution to
India's GDP is predicted to grow from 0.5% in 2020 to 3.5% in 2025. According to
Aggarwal, by 2030, Indian entrepreneurs will contribute USD 1 trillion to the
Indian economy.

Viksit Bharat with STRIDE

 To achieve the Viksit Bharat dream, we will have to implement a STRIDE
model of transformation. As senior stakeholders hold planning meetings for
the next 100 day vision plan for the new government, the proposed model
will be a good addition to take into ‘stride’. Figure 3 depicts the STRIDE
model as it would be applicable to India’s vision of becoming a developed
country. The model focuses on six priority pillars:
 • entrepreneurs: Supporting the growth of about 5 lakh innovative
entrepreneurs can help them innovate and reach their full potential.
 • Utilise emerging technology and innovation to improve productivity,
efficiency, and competitiveness in various industries.
• Invest in R&D to drive innovation and advance scientific and technology
capabilities. A fund of funds could be a much-needed shot in the arm.
• World-class infrastructure is essential for enhancing quality of life and
delivering cutting-edge technology.
• D: Deployment and Adoption: Advanced solutions must be widely
adopted to revolutionise businesses and societies.
 • Enhancing worker skills and ability is necessary to fulfil future job
requirements.