Viksit Bharat Ambassador meet-up: I&B Minister explains how Digital India is firming up nation’s clout in the world

New Delhi: Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Anurag Thakur on Wednesday impressed upon the students of IIM Jammu about several landmark achievements in the past ten years of the Modi government and highlighted how an array of developmental schemes are setting the stage for realizing $ 5 trillion economy goal.

Anurag Thakur, addressing the Viksit Bharat Ambassador meet-up event in Jammu, enumerated the multiple benefits of Digital India initiative and how it was taking the nation to new heights.

The I&B Minister informed that there are more than 1 lakh start-ups in country today and urged the students to embrace technology, as this will speed up the next phase of growth and development.

“We have opened up the space sector to FDI. Today, CEOs of many global firms are Indians. Sundar Pichai once told me that he doesn’t have digital certificate unlike other Indians,” he said while recalling how Modi government pushed Digital India drive despite stiff resistance from the Opposition.

The I&B Minister spoke about poor-centric government schemes and how they have brought transformational change in people’s lives.

“Government brought PMSVAnidhi Yojana for street vendors, under which they are financially equipped to start and rev up their businesses. Under PM Vishwakarma Yojana, carpenters, barbers, masons and more are being extended Rs 3 lakh loan at very low interest rate. E-Shram cards are being extended to those employed in informal sectors, a field that employs more than 90 per cent of the country’s workforce,” Anurag Thakur pointed out.

Accentuating government’s target on making India into a $ 5 trillion economy, he said that we have already crossed $ 3.6 trillion and very soon, will achieve this goal.

“Today, India accounts for 40 per cent digital payment of the total digital payment in the world. UPI BHIM has shown India’s dominance in digital payment not just in India but also abroad including Asia and European nations,” he emphasised.

Comparing the scale of development in NDA and previous eras, the minister pointed out that the Gati Shakti has turned to be a game-changer in shaping India’s infrastructure and potential for growth.

“Many projects were hanging fire for years but today, they are a reality. Mumbai Harbor link was conceptualized many decades ago but it came to life under Modi government. Kolkata underwater metro was conceived more than 50 years ago but it got completed in 2024. Earlier, just a couple of towns had metro rails, today more than 20 towns have running metro networks,” he said.

Anurag Thakur also told the IIM Jammu students that today there are much more IITs, IIMs, AIIMs than the previous regimes and medical and engineering seats have also seen an unprecedented rise.

“From India being the second largest importer of mobile phones to the second largest manufacturer of mobile phones, much has changed under the new government,” he said.

Reiterating Modi government’s resolve for women empowerment, he listed out several progressive schemes and informed, “paid maternity leave was extended to 26 weeks, 31 crore mudra loans have been extended to women beneficiaries, 300 ITIs have been opened exclusively for training women staff while Women’s reservation bill was passed under the current dispensation.”

At last, the I&B Minister urged the youth to become part of the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors campaign and contribute in realising the Viksit Bharat 2047 mission.