Digital India Unlocking the Trillion Dollar Opportunity November 2016
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Digital India Unlocking the Trillion Dollar Opportunity November 2016 Digital India: Unlocking the trillion dollar opportunity Contents Foreword 04 Messages from ASSOCHAM 05 Current Status of the Digital India Program 09 Enabling Services for Digital India Transformation 15 Capacity Building for a Digital India 24 Digital India: Making an Impact 30 Concluding Remarks 35 References 36 Acknowledgements 38 Contacts 38 About ASSOCHAM 39 03 Digital India: Unlocking the trillion dollar opportunity Foreword The Digital India program with its focus development of the fixed infrastructure million and 0.5 million users respectively. on three key vision areas – infrastructure needs to be enhanced. Under the DigiLocker, the cloud storage service as a utility to every citizen, governance BharatNet project, the government under Digital India, is now used by 4 and services on demand and digital plans to provide information highways in million users. empowerment of citizens – has the terms of high speed fiber networks. This potential to provide an incremental 20- project has witnessed delays over the Capacity building is critical for the 30% increase in India’s GDP by 2025. Since last few years and now aims to provide success of the Digital India program. its launch in July 2015, significant progress connectivity to 100,000 gram panchayats As of mid-2016, digital literacy in India has been made in several initiatives under by Mar 2017, which is much lower than the is less than 10%. The government has Digital India. However, a few challenges original target. undertaken several initiatives to increase that remain, need to be addressed in the rate of digital literacy in order to order to realize the full potential of the Wi-Fi hotpots are also required to effectively harness the upcoming digital program. provide last mile connectivity for digital wave. Further, to develop sufficient skills services. To match the global average to support the Digital India Vision, the The government is focusing on developing of a hotspot for every 150 people, 8 government has instated the Capacity the physical infrastructure as well as million hotspots need to be deployed in Building Scheme to provide training software and security infrastructure India. India currently has ~31,000 Wi-Fi for designing and delivering projects to ensure the success of its vision of hotspots. To further the development under Digital India. Additionally, several providing infrastructure as a utility to of digital infrastructure in India, the measures are being taken to increase the every citizen. Till now, the government government should focus on improving adoption of digital technologies so that has successfully achieved the digitization the participation from the private sector the benefits of Digital India can reach all of all department post offices and has set through a collaborative engagement sections of society. up Common Service Centers (CSCs) to model which allows for a viable business deliver e-governance services in villages. case for the private sector as well as meet This publication reviews the initiatives To increase the speed of development the objectives of the Digital India program. launched under the Digital India program, and adoption of digital services, the and attempts to address some of the government needs to increase availability Several digital services have been challenges in the implementation of the of digital infrastructure in rural areas, launched over the last few quarters program. In addition, the impact of these leverage existing infrastructure and that have seen significant adoption. The initiatives on citizens, business and the improve digital awareness. e-payment portal, RuPay promoted by environment have been discussed. The National Payments Corporation of India tripod of 1 billion digital identities, 1 There has been significant improvement represents 38% of all debit cards issued billion mobile and over 250 million bank in the wireless infrastructure over the last in India, ahead of Visa and MasterCard. accounts is waiting to unleash a very big 12 months with 4G deployments by major MyGov app and Swachh Bharat App digital revolution in India. service providers. However, the speed of have been launched and have over 1 Hemant Joshi 04 Digital India: Unlocking the trillion dollar opportunity Messages from ASSOCHAM The world is witnessing the unfolding of promote digital inclusion and to expand the the 4th Industrial Revolution, also known ambit of e-governance. as the Digital Revolution, which will re-write the way we live, work and interact with each The recent move towards demonetization other – not only between people but also will further accelerate the adoption of between people and machines. Businesses digital modes for financial transactions at around the world are trying their best to ‘go a much faster pace in comparison to other digital’ for the sake of survival. To remain countries in the world. competitive, investing in digital technology is a must now. I am very happy that ASSOCHAM has decided to organize this conference in India too has started experiencing this this backdrop. I am not sure if there is digital transformation. However, it may any blueprint for successful adoption of still take some time for India to feel the digital technologies, but certainly there full impact of this change. Although the are plenty of success stories to learn from. use of digital technology is on the rise in This conference aims to bring to the fore India, there still exists a wide ‘digital divide’ such examples which can offer valuable between urban and rural India which needs insights into the approaches and actions of to be bridged urgently. Keeping in mind a successful digital transformation. I wish the global reality, our Prime Minister has the conference a grand success. launched the Digital India programme to Sunil Kanoria President ASSOCHAM 05 Digital India: Unlocking the trillion dollar opportunity ASSOCHAM welcomes the Digital India ministries, and provide a single platform for programme being launched recently by interaction with its citizens, thus promoting the Hon’ble Prime Minister as flagship participatory governance and increased programme with a vision to transform India transparency and revolutionising public into a digitally empowered society and service delivery. knowledge economy. ASSOCHAM’s initiative in creating As citizens become more aware of their awareness about the concept and practice right, they have become more demanding of e-Governance is almost more than a in terms of better and quicker services decade, where efforts have been made from Government. Effective public service to invite participation not only from today, is more about transparency, Central Government but also from State efficiency and accountability. Governments on one side and ensuring participation from Industry leaders on a e-Governance initiative in India have common platform. traditionally being confronted with the dual challenges of automating Government The 12th e-Governance National Summit Departments and taking online services with the Theme “Unlocking Trillion Dollar to the common man. But now has moved Opportunity through Digital India” is beyond government departments just another step in that direction and we having a portal. It is no longer confined sincerely hope that all the Stakeholders to merely streamlining and automating will immensely gain from the deliberations processes. It is about transforming the at this National Summit in achieving the way governments work and reinventing objective of creating the ‘Digital India’. people’s participation in the democratic process. It is about empowering both the I convey my good wishes for the Government and Citizen. Technology will success of this 12th National Summit on be the enabler for the citizen to transcend e-Governance and Digital India. the boundaries of departments and D.S. RAWAT Secretary General ASSOCHAM 06 Digital India: Unlocking the trillion dollar opportunity For the past many years, through the dual challenges of automating government of citizen services, can be delivered to National Summit on e-Governance & Digital departments and taking online services rural citizens subject to conducive and India, ASSOCHAM has created a platform to the common man. It has lately moved progressive policy initiatives by the for the central Ministries, State and the well beyond government departments government and with the participation industry to come together and deliberate just having a portal, streamlining and of the entire ecosystem. However, the on the way for forward for Digital India. automating processes. It is now about need of the hour is to adopt a grassroots The main focus of National Summit is to empowering both the government and approach starting from the State-level with help in statewide inclusive growth through the citizen. Technology will be the enabler key enablers being awareness building effective implementation of the Digital and provide a platform for interaction and imbibing the benefits of e-services India Program so that its benefits reach the promoting increased transparency and especially for the underserved parts of the grassroots level in the remotest of areas. revolutionizing public service delivery. country. Creating a digital society will be the key in the competitiveness of nations in the This is also the decade of broadband – The 12th e-Governance National Summit upcoming years. Digital Society is broader and we all recognize the vital importance