Digital India initiative could raise GDP to $1 trillion by 2025: Neh Srivastava, GoI

Neh Srivastava, Under Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and President, Central Secretariat Services Officers Society (CSSOS), has held many important portfolios like Commerce and Textile, Prasar Bharti and as DG of Foreign Trade, under the Government of India.

For over 20 years, he has given valuable contribution to policy making in the field of public demand, policy formulation and implementation. Here, he talks about the Digital India journey over the last five years. Excerpts from an interview:

DQ: How has been the path, so far, for Digital India?

Neh Srivastava: In July 2015, the Government of India launched 'Digital India.' This is done with the intention of achieving three intertwined objectives. These are as follows:

* Availability of high-speed internet to each and every citizen.

* To make all government services accessible to the common man through E-governance.

* Digital empowerment of citizens.

To turn the country into a digitally empowered society and information economy, the Digital India initiative was introduced. Digital India ensured the online delivery of government services to people. It also introduced public transparency through mandated electronic delivery of government services; a specific ID and e-Pramaan focused on real, standard-based interoperable and integrated government apps and databases.

DQ: What have been the accomplishments? Kindly list them.

Neh Srivastava: There have been many accomplishments.

* Mobile internet played an outstanding role in achieving digital India dream. India became world's second-largest smartphone market. As of May 2017, the number of internet users increased to 50 crores. In June 2014, there were 24.3 crore Internet users.

* Indian government is promoting content in local languages in internet.

* In the United Nations eGovernance Index, India increased its rank by 11 positions compared to 2014. India ranks 107 in 2016. This was 118 in 2014.

* Number of e-governance transactions per day was increased.

* Launched in 2015, 'DigiLocker' allows people to store and exchange documents safely and electronically as of 2017, with 72,66 lakh registered users.

* All central ministers are present in social media and are utilizing social media to receive complaints and feedback from citizens.

* In December 2016, the 'Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM)' app, a simple mobile UPI-based digital payment system, was introduced. Since then transactions based on UPI have risen more than 20 times. This growth may however be attributed to the push toward democratization.

* 'BHIM Aadhar' was launched at merchant outlets to make digital payments. This means payers do not need to have a cell phone to make digital payments.

* ‘UMANG’ app was launched to drive mobile governance in India.

* 'Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan' (PMGDISHA) started with the intention of digitally literating 6 crore people. As of 2016 82.7 lakh citizens will be educated under this program.

* ‘National Knowledge Network‘, a revolution towards creating a knowledge society, without boundaries, connected 1,635 institutions as of 2017.

* National Cyber Coordination Center is operating from June 2017. It ensures cyber security and is a backbone to the vision of Digital India.

* The new Aarogya Setu App is also an Indian open-source software service Covid-19 'Contact tracking, syndromic mapping and self-assessment,' primarily a mobile app built by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology's National Informatics Center. In 40 days, the app has reached over 100 million downloads.

DQ: What is the road ahead for Digital India?

Neh Srivastava: The Digital India initiative could raise GDP to $1 trillion by 2025 according to analysts. It can play a key role in macroeconomic factors such as GDP growth, job creation, labor productivity, business growth, and government revenue leakage.

Due to obstructions and obstacles such as middleman, analphabetism, ignorance, insecurity, lack of funds, knowledge, and investment, social sectors such as education, health care, and banking are unable to reach out to people.

The major changes in the technology space not only will bring changes to the economic system but will also contribute to the changes in the environment.

The innovations of the next decade would help to reduce the carbon footprint by reducing fuel consumption, waste management, greener workplaces and thereby contributing to a greener environment.

The ICT industry assists in the effective management and usage of finite and non-renewable resources. By increasing accessibility and efficiency, cloud computing technology minimizes carbon emissions. Energy usage can be reduced from 201.8 terawatt hour (TWh) in 2010 to 139.8 TWh in 2020 by higher cloud data center adoption resulting in a 28 percent reduction in carbon footprint from 2010 rates.