Digital India - Power to empower

Narendra Modi attended Q&A at Facebook Townhall in support of Digital India and we have been hearing a lot about it. Since the social media timeline is filled with posts supporting #digitalIndia, without clear definition, what it means. I pondered a bit to find what it means.

With world changing dynamically and advent of globalization and internet era, there is a need for tech-drive, the future of India is tech-automation. Digital India Project is an umbrella project that covers the efforts of the Government of India through various departments to use technology to better the lives of Indians. "Digital India", much like "Make in India" is a branding that Government of India is giving so that each and every Internet related development can be clubbed into. It is an effort of Indian government to connect the diverse rural communities to the internet and provide them free access to basic online services. The goal of the project is to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

In the words of Narendra Modi, he read on:

1.  I  dream of a digital India where 1.2 billion connected Indians drive  innovation
2.  I  dream of a digital India where knowledge is strength and empowers  people
3. I  dream of a digital India where access to information knows no barriers
4.  I  dream of digital India where government proactively engages with  citizens on social media
5.   I  dream of a digital India where government is open and governance is  transparent
6.  I  dream of digital India where quality healthcare reaches right up to the  remotest areas through e-health care
7. I  dream of digital India where quality education reaches most  inaccessible areas and is driven by digital learning
8.  I  dream of digital India where technology ensures that government and  citizen interaction is incorruptible
9. I  dream of digital India where farmers are empowered with real time  information and connected to global markets
10. I  dream of digital India where we have mobile enabled emergency services  to personal security
11.  I dream of digital India where cyber security becomes an integral part of national security
12. I dream of digital India where there is mobile and e-banking for financial inclusion
13. I  dream of digital India where e-commerce drives entrepreneurship
14.  I  dream of digital India where the world looks to India for the next big  idea
15.  I  dream of digital India where netizens are empowered citizens

Our Prime Minister has taken the charge to promote it and it is one among the top priority projects of the Modi Administration. It is centered on three key vision areas:

• Digital Infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen.
• Governance and Services on demand.
• Digital empowerment of citizens.

If I may say so,

          India Today + Information Technology = India Tomorrow

The vision areas include -

1. Availability of high speed internet.
2. Seamlessly integrated services across departments of jurisdiction.
3. Availability of services in real time from online and mobile platforms.
4. Universal digital literacy.
5. Making financial transactions electronic and cashless.
6. Mobile phone and bank account enabling citizen participation in digital and financial space.

Global investors like Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Elon Musk have supported Modi's Digital India initiative. The Highlights are:

• Google will soon help India set up base for free Wi-Fi at 500 railway stations.
• Google will make it possible to type in 10 different Indic languages including Gujarati.
• Apple CEO, Tim Cook, responds "positively" to the Prime Minister's call for a manufacturing base in India.
• Microsoft will take low-cost broadband technology to some 500,000 villages across India.
• Next week (of the meeting), Microsoft will announce availability of its cloud services operating out of India's data Center's.
• Chipmaker Qualcomm will invest $150 million for Indian startups in the mobile and internet-of-everything (IoE) ecosystem.

The real question arises, why do we need India to be digital and how will it help?

First of all digital India would mean complete connectivity, I was watching Satya Nadella of Microsoft say that he plans to connect 5, 00,000 villages of India with low cost broadband. All I hope is that these 5, 00,000 villages get electricity.

Secondly, Governments in India prior to Modi were private limited companies who simply stuffed their banks and kept masses of India poor. Modi must have some plan to change the fortune of these people, so that they can come out of a lifestyle without electricity, regular clean water supply, before they can connect to the world.

Thirdly, I read in newspapers that Digital India campaign can add a trillion USD to India's economy, they give examples of farmers being connected to buyers and so on and also how health care and governance will change with digital India.

Fourthly, if properly implemented, Digital India can be a very powerful tool. To deliver government services seamlessly, without delays or harassment or corruption, to all sections of society. This would offer transparency of the process as well as reduce wastage of papers. There won't be any more certificates and documents on paper, instead on cloud. All the services will be interconnected via a singular platform that is supposed to be your Aadhar Card. The Government will have better data from us that will help them to provide services as such.

Fifthly, then comes, the online delivery of services or e-kranti which is evident from the name. From delivery of targeted subsidies to reach of farm extension services to health care to education.

Lastly, when this is properly rolled out for businesses to tackle the mostly crooked, mostly harassing, mostly time-wasting lower and middle level bureaucracy, it can make it far easier to do business in India, lower the huge costs we pay just to tackle these parasites.

To me, all this appears grandiose plans, and since we are all witness to how Modi has brought glory to Gujarat (while he was CM to the state), and what he has done in a year, gives me hope that he probably will again do something to benefit the masses. Were it coming from any other leader I would have laughed it off! Just a year back while travelling we would have to mark where are McDonald and some big hotels to find clean usable toilets, now there are plenty, so he is ushering a change. So if Modi succeeds in his digital India campaign I will not be surprised, because it will mean, infrastructure in villages, and that itself will be a bigger victory than digital India.

Hope our PM Narendra Modi get success in his plan and vision. The project is slated for completion by 2019. If we achieve the target in 2019, and we hopefully will, at the pace we are going.

After five years a complete new image of India will appear for sure! :)

This is not everything about digital media but this is pretty much most of it. 

Until next time, Comments and additions are welcome. Thanks.