Lists 5 ‘digital transitions’ shaping India
Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon all democratic nations to work together on crypto-currency and ensure it does not end up in wrong hands, which can spoil youth. Mr Modi said that as a democracy and digital leader, India is ready to work with partners for its shared prosperity and security.
Delivering his the keynote address at the Sydney Dialogue today, Mr Modi gave a roadmap for democracies to work together that recognizes national rights and at the same time, promote trade, investment and larger public good. He said that India’s digital revolution is rooted in country’s democracy, demography and the scale of our economy. He added that it is powered by enterprise and innovation of country’s youth. The Prime Minister said that the Digital Age is changing everything around us and it has redefined politics, economy and society. He said, it is raising new questions of sovereignty, governance, ethics, laws, rights, and security. He mentioned that it is reshaping international competition, power and leadership and has ushered in a new era of opportunities for progress and prosperity.
The Prime Minister also said that technology has already become a major instrument of global competition and key to shaping the future international order. Mr Modi added that technology and data are becoming new weapons and the biggest strength of democracy is openness. He emphasised that at the same time, we should not allow a few vested interests to misuse this openness.
Mr Modi said that India is turning the challenges of the past into an opportunity to take a leap into the future. The Prime Minister listed five important transitions taking place in India. They are development of extensive public information infrastructure, use of digital technology for governance and delivery of benefits and welfare, fastest growing Start-up Eco-system, massive digital transformation in industry and services sectors, and investment in developing indigenous capabilities in telecom technology. He highlighted that the government is building the world’s most extensive public information infrastructure. He said, over 1.3 billion Indians have a unique digital identity and we are on our way to connect six lakh villages with broadband. He said, the government is also building a National Digital Health Mission for affordable and universal healthcare for the people and ‘One Nation, One Card’ will deliver benefits to billions of workers anywhere in the country. India has the world’s 3rd largest and fastest-growing start-up eco-system as new unicorns are coming up every few weeks, providing solutions in health and education to national security. Mr Narendra Modi said that the greatest product of technology today is data and in India, the government has created a robust framework of data protection, privacy and security and at the same time, the government uses data as a source of empowerment of people. He mentioned that India has offered CoWIN platform to the entire world free and made it open-source software. He said, India’s extensive experience with use of technology and policy for public good, inclusive development and social empowerment can be of great help to the developing world.
Mr Modi also said that India is already a major centre for providing cyber security solutions and services to corporates around the world and the government has set up a task force with our industry to make India a global hub for cyber security.
The Sydney Dialogue is being held from 17th to 19th of this month. It is an initiative of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.