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Digital infrastructure transforms governance and economy in India


India’s governance has been fundamentally transformed through the implementation of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), shifting public services from reliance on paperwork and physical offices to integrated digital platforms.

Over the past 12 years, DPI has connected citizens, governments, and institutions on an unprecedented scale, resulting in governance that is faster, more transparent, and better attuned to citizens’ needs.

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Digital infrastructure has become a cornerstone of India’s economic growth, with the Digital Economy contributing approximately 12-14 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This figure is projected to increase to 20 per cent over the next decade. According to the State of India’s Digital Economy Report 2026, India ranks as the world’s fifth-largest digitalised economy and the fourth highest-ranked G20 economy.

An official release highlighted that the expansion of digital governance is enhancing service delivery, fostering economic opportunities, and advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat as India approaches its 80th Independence Day.

Under the Make in India initiative, India has established itself as a global hub for electronics manufacturing. Key programmes such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS), India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), and Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0) have bolstered domestic manufacturing.

Electronics production surged from Rs 1.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 13.11 lakh crore in 2025-26, while electronics exports rose from Rs 38,000 crore to Rs 4.24 lakh crore over the same period. Electronic goods now constitute India’s third-largest export category, with exports reaching USD 47.96 billion in the fiscal year 2025-26. The electronics manufacturing sector supports approximately 25 lakh jobs, with women representing nearly 30 per cent of the workforce.

The Union Cabinet approved Semicon 2.0 with an outlay of Rs 1.27 lakh crore to further enhance India’s semiconductor ecosystem. Under ISM 1.0, 12 semiconductor units valued at Rs 1.64 lakh crore have been approved; three facilities have commenced commercial production, and another unit is expected to start operations this year.

The release noted, “India is now the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer, with mobile phones rising from the 153rd largest export item in FY 2014-15 to become India’s largest export product in FY 2025-26.” Mobile phone production increased from Rs 18,000 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 6.27 lakh crore in 2025-26, while exports grew from Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 2.59 lakh crore. Of the 12 lakh jobs in the mobile manufacturing segment, women constitute nearly 70 per cent.

Telephone connections rose from 93.3 crore in 2014 to over 134.8 crore by June 2026, with tele-density increasing from 75.23 per cent to 94.31 per cent. The number of active wireless mobile subscribers reached 1,201.06 million in June 2026.

Internet subscriptions expanded from 25.15 crore in 2014 to over 109.2 crore by March 2026, while wireless data costs fell from Rs 308 per GB in 2014 to Rs 7.51 per GB in 2026.

Fifth-generation (5G) services are now available in 99.9 per cent of districts across all states and Union Territories, with 5.63 lakh 5G base transceiver stations recorded in June 2026. Additionally, 6.31 lakh villages have 4G coverage through BSNL and other providers.

As part of the BharatNet initiative, 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats were service-ready as of June 2026, supported by more than 8.5 lakh route kilometres of optical fibre cable. The PM-WANI scheme has deployed over 4 lakh hotspots nationwide as of February 28, 2026.

The Bharat 6G Vision aims to position India among global leaders in 6G technology by 2030, emphasising indigenous research, intellectual property, standards development, and next-generation telecommunications innovation.

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) accounts for nearly 50 per cent of global real-time payment transaction volume, making it the largest real-time payment system worldwide by volume. In FY 2025-26, UPI processed 24,161.69 crore transactions worth Rs 314.23 lakh crore, serving over 55.49 crore individuals, 6.5 crore merchants, and connecting 731 banks through a single platform. UPI represented 85 per cent of India’s digital payment transactions by volume in the same fiscal year. Monthly transactions increased from 0.01 crore in 2016 to over 2,000 crore in 2025, and UPI is now accepted in 11 foreign countries, including Cambodia, Singapore, the UAE, France, and Mauritius.

The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) had over 20 crore buyers, 5 lakh sellers, presence in 1,000 cities, and nearly 90 lakh monthly transactions by June 2026.

The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) recorded a cumulative Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) exceeding Rs 18.4 lakh crore by June 2026, including Rs 5 lakh crore in FY 2025-26, enabling over 11 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to access government markets.

DigiLocker had over 72 crore registered users and issued more than 934 crore documents as of July 31, 2026. The Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance (UMANG) expanded from 166 services in 2017 to 2,585 services by July 23, 2026, with transaction volume rising from 4.6 crore to over 798 crore.

Aadhaar generation increased from 0.42 crore in 2010-11 to over 145 crore by July 2026. More than 5.16 lakh Common Service Centres were operational nationwide as of June 2026.

Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) facilitates direct welfare payments from 318 schemes across 56 ministries into beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Over Rs 52 lakh crore has been transferred via DBT throughout the country.

DIKSHA has 2.35 crore registered users and 3.58 lakh daily active users as of August 10, 2026. The Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) platform hosts more than 20,000 courses across various disciplines with over 6.5 crore total enrolments.

More than 33.74 crore Academic Performance and Assessment Report (APAAR) IDs had been generated by June 2026, providing students a unique digital academic identity for storing and verifying academic records.

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, introduced to the Lok Sabha on July 31, 2026, proposes stricter penalties and a time-bound justice mechanism. The Bill stipulates 5-10 years’ imprisonment and fines up to Rs 50 lakh for individual offenders; fines up to Rs 5 crore and an eight-year ban for service providers; and 7-10 years’ imprisonment with a minimum fine of Rs 10 crore for organised exam-fraud syndicates.

FutureSkills PRIME has more than 34 lakh registered users for digital skills as of August 10, 2026. The Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), as of August 2, 2026, recorded 20.10 million registrations, provided 3,643 self-paced courses, and created over 1 million opportunities.

The National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) delivers digital literacy and skill development programmes through 56 centres and more than 9,000 partner institutes nationwide, training over 31.92 lakh candidates over the past three financial years.

The IndiaAI Mission supports AI education, infrastructure, and responsible AI adoption, promoting skilling through initiatives such as IndiaAI Kosh across schools, higher education, and professional training.

The release concluded that India’s digital advancement is transforming interactions between citizens, businesses and the government, fostering faster services, transparency, and broader access. Digital Public Infrastructure forms a strong foundation for innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusive growth, while emerging technologies create new opportunities across sectors and reinforce India’s global digital presence. Digital capabilities are enhancing governance efficiency and citizen-centricity, positioning technology as a key enabler of economic opportunity and social development.



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