PM Modi remarks at G20 meet, 'No Better Place Than Bengaluru To Discuss Digital Economy'

While speaking at the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meet at Bengaluru in Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned India's digital transformation and its commitment to inclusive digital development. The event witnessed dignitaries from across the globe and provided a platform for discussing the future of the digital economy.

He extended a warm welcome to the attendees and highlighted Bengaluru’s role as a hub for science, technology, and entrepreneurship. He said, "There is no better place than Bengaluru to discuss the digital economy." The journey of digitalization in India started with the launch of the Digital India initiative in 2015 and he praised the journey.   

He attributed this transformation to innovation, speedy implementation, and a spirit of inclusion, stating that "the scale, speed, and scope of this transformation is beyond imagination."  Over 850 million internet users. Innovative programs like Aadhaar, which covers more than 1.3 billion citizens, Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar, and Mobile (JAM) trinity revolutionizing financial inclusion, nearly 10 billion monthly transactions on the UPI instant payment system, over 45 per cent of global real-time payments happening in India.

“India's Digital Public Infrastructure offers scalable, secure and inclusive solutions for global challenges”, the Prime Minister remarked. Noting the incredible diversity of the country, the Prime Minister emphasized that India has dozens of languages and hundreds of dialects. He further added that it is home to every religion and innumerable cultural practices from around the world. “From ancient traditions to the latest technologies, India has something for everyone”, the Prime Minister asserted. With such diversity, he continued, India is an ideal testing lab for solutions.

The Prime Minister made evident that India is ready to share its experiences with the world and gave the example of the CoWIN platform being offered for global good during the Covid pandemic. He underlined that India has created an online Global Public Digital Goods Repository - the India Stack to ensure that no one is left behind, especially those from the Global South.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that the working group is creating a G20 virtual Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository and underlined that progress on Common Framework for Digital Public Infrastructure will help create a transparent, accountable, and fair digital ecosystem for all. He also welcomed the efforts to develop a roadmap to facilitate Cross Country Comparison of Digital Skills and setting up a Virtual Centre of Excellence on Digital Skilling. He said that these are important efforts to meet the needs of a future-ready workforce. Noting that the digital economy will face security threats and challenges as it spreads globally, the Prime Minister pointed out that it is important to build consensus on the G20 High-Level Principles for a Secure, Trusted, and Resilient Digital Economy.

Concluding his address, he highlighted the potential for technology to connect the world and foster inclusive and sustainable development. He called for "Conviction, Commitment, Coordination, and Collaboration" to build a global ecosystem of technology-based solutions to address humanity's challenges.

Prime Minister Modi's address at the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meet underscored India's commitment to shaping a prosperous and inclusive global digital future through innovation and collaboration.