Sydney Dialogue: Modi lists India's 5 'digital transitions'

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (18) listed out “digital transitions shaping” the country while virtually addressing the inaugural edition of The Sydney Dialogue.

Noting that India’s digital revolution is rooted in its democracy, Modi said in his keynote address, “As a democracy and digital leader, India is ready to work with partners for our shared prosperity and security. India’s digital revolution is rooted in our democracy, our demography and the scale of our economy. It’s powered by the enterprise and innovation of our youth.”

Modi also said that India is “turning the challenges of the past into an opportunity to take a leap into the future”. While speaking on the theme of “India’s technology evolution and revolution,” the prime minister said that five important transitions are taking place in India.

The 5 transitions

“One, we are building the world’s most extensive public information infrastructure. Over 1.3 billion Indians have a unique digital identity. We are on our way to connecting 600,0000 villages with broadband. We have built the world’s most efficient payment infrastructure, the UPI. Over 800 million use the internet, 750 million are on smartphones.”

On the second transition, Modi said India is “transforming people’s lives by using digital technology for governance including empowerment, connectivity, delivery of benefits and welfare.”

“Three, India has the world’s third-largest and fastest-growing ecosystem. New unicorns are coming up every few weeks to provide solutions to everything from health to national security,” he said.

The fourth transition is India’s industry and the services sectors are undergoing massive digital transformation by using technology for conversion of resources and protection of biodiversity, he said.

On the fifth transition, Modi said that a big effort is underway to prepare India for the future. “We are investing in developing indigenous capability in telecom technology such as 5G and 6G; India is one of the leading nations in artificial intelligence,” he added.

Modi’s address at the dialogue was preceded by introductory remarks by his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, the Indian prime minister’s office said in a statement.

The three-day Sydney Dialogue, which kicked off on Wednesday (17), is an initiative of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Canberra.