India to become the largest connected nation

India is set to become the largest connected nation in the globe with 1.2 billion internet users, as per the Union Minister of State for Electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Currently, India has 830 million internet users, and the number is expected to reach 1.2 billion by 2025. This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including the increasing availability of affordable smartphones and data plans, the growth of the e-commerce sector, and the government's efforts to promote digital literacy.

The growth of the internet in India has the potential to have a significant impact on the country's economy and society. It can help to improve education, healthcare, and financial inclusion. It can also create new jobs and opportunities for businesses.

However, there are also challenges associated with the growth of the internet in India. These include cyber security, online fraud, and the spread of misinformation. The government and the private sector need to work together to address these challenges and ensure that the internet is used for good in India.

The growth is attributed to several factors including:

# The internet can help to boost economic growth by increasing productivity, creating new jobs, and improving access to markets.

# It has helped to improve education by providing access to educational resources, enabling online learning, and connecting students with teachers and peers.

# The internet can help to improve healthcare by providing access to medical information, enabling telemedicine, and connecting patients with doctors.

At the same time, there are growing challenges that comes as invitation to the world of :

Cyber security: As India becomes more connected, it will become a more attractive target for cyber-attacks. The government and the private sector will need to work together to improve cyber security in India.

Online fraud: The internet has also made it easier for criminals to commit online fraud. The government and the private sector will need to work together to combat online frauds in India.

The spread of misinformation: The internet has also made it easier for people to spread misinformation. The government and the private sector will need to work together to combat the spread of misinformation in India. However, the country has created a tremendous amount of capacity in the government by identifying where the threats are coming from and who are the threat.

Hopefully, there will be a global protocol on how to deal these areas.

S Mohini Ratna, Editor, VARINDIA