BENGALURU: Security and consensus in digital economy were emphasised as Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged G20 nations to pave the way for an inclusive, prosperous, and secure digital future. In a virtual address to the G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ meeting here on August 19, PM Modi gave a call for “conviction, commitment, coordination, and collaboration” to address global challenges through technology.
Earlier, welcoming the dignitaries, the PM noted Bengaluru’s standing as a hub of science, technology, and entrepreneurship, making it the ideal venue for discussions on the digital economy.
PM Modi credited the Digital India initiative, launched in 2015, for India’s remarkable digital transformation, emphasising innovation, rapid implementation, and inclusion. He spotlighted India’s 850 million internet users enjoying cost-effective data, and his firm belief in technology for transparent governance.
Numerous benefits
He highlighted achievements like Aadhaar, the JAM trinity, and the UPI payment system, transforming financial inclusion and real-time transactions. The Prime Minister commended Direct Benefit Transfers for curbing leakages, CoWIN for vaccinating billions, and Gati-Shakti for efficient infrastructure planning.
The Prime Minister noted Government e-Marketplace’s transparency, Open Network for Digital Commerce’s e-commerce empowerment, and digital taxation’s transparency. He introduced Bhashini, an AI-powered translation platform for language diversity.
PM Modi stressed India’s readiness to share solutions, citing the Global Public Digital Goods Repository and the CoWIN platform’s global outreach. He praised efforts to create a G20 virtual Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository and welcomed initiatives for digital skills development.
