India’s Digital Rise: A Global Model for Public Infrastructure

13/06/2025

In the past 11 years, the Modi government has redefined the relationship between governance and technology. No longer confined to the privileged few, digital tools and platforms have been democratised and deployed at scale to reach every corner of India-uplifting lives, improving transparency, and propelling the nation toward becoming one of the world's leading digital economies. The transformation has been nothing short of revolutionary. What began with the Digital India initiative in 2015 has blossomed into a comprehensive ecosystem where governance, entrepreneurship, and daily life seamlessly integrate with technology. Internet connectivity, once a luxury for urban India, is now a lifeline in rural areas. Over 6 lakh villages have been connected through BharatNet, laying the foundation for a digitally inclusive Bharat.
India's public digital infrastructure is today globally admired. The success of platforms like Aadhaar, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), DigiLocker, and CoWIN demonstrate how technology has been leveraged for scale and inclusivity. From farmers receiving subsidies directly into their bank accounts to micro-entrepreneurs accessing formal credit via digital verification, the state has harnessed technology not as a symbol of power, but as a tool of empowerment. Perhaps nowhere is the success more visible than in India's fintech revolution. UPI, once an experiment in digital payments, is now the backbone of a cashless economy. It has processed billions of transactions, driving financial inclusion and enabling small businesses to thrive in a digital-first marketplace. This leapfrogging into the future has inspired several nations to emulate India's digital public goods model.
The government has also encouraged innovation in sectors ranging from agriculture and education to health and logistics. Initiatives like the PM Gati Shakti portal, Government e-Marketplace (GeM), and the National Digital Health Mission reflect a data-driven, transparent approach to governance. Startups, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, have flourished under the supportive digital ecosystem and the Startup India mission, helping India become the third-largest startup hub globally. Crucially, the Modi government's approach has not been about technocratic centralisation but about digital decentralisation-putting the power of technology in the hands of the last citizen. Village-level entrepreneurs, ASHA workers, schoolteachers, and small traders now rely on digital tools in their daily work, transforming the social and economic fabric of the nation.
Yet, this transformation is not just about apps and platforms-it is about dignity, access, and opportunity. A tribal student attending an online class in a remote hamlet, a widow receiving her pension via a few taps on her phone, or a young artisan selling products globally on e-commerce-these are the real faces of India's digital revolution. As India steps into its digital future, the groundwork laid over the past 11 years stands as a testament to the Modi government's vision: that technology must not widen inequalities, but bridge them; that it must not be an elite instrument, but a democratic equaliser.
In a world struggling with digital divides, Bharat has offered a blueprint where technology serves people, not the other way around. And in doing so, it has shown that the true power of a digital economy lies not in its size, but in its inclusivity.

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