10 Years Of Digital India: PM Narendra Modi Shares Key Highlights - UPI, 5G, More

It’s been 10 years since the launch of the Digital India initiative. In a blog post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared how the journey started with a belief that Indians can adopt and use technology, not just the privileged few, but everyone. He shared how, in the past, there were doubts about whether technology would only widen the gap between rich and poor. But over the last decade, India has used technology to bridge that gap. Also Read: Meta AI Adds UPI Lite, Hindi Support, and Deepika Padukone’s Voice to Ray-Ban Glasses in India

PM Modi noted that in 2014, India had around 25 crore internet connections. Today, that number has jumped to over 97 crore. He highlighted that more than 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable—11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon—has been laid to bring connectivity to even the remotest areas of the country. Also Read: Sundar Pichai Announces Google To Build India’s First Mega AI Hub With Airtel; PM Modi Reacts

The Prime Minister also said that India’s 5G rollout is among the fastest globally, with high-speed internet reaching regions such as Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy M17 5G Sale Begins In India Today: Check The Price, Specifications, And More For This Budget Phone

Digital Platforms In The Last Decade

PM Modi shared that digital tools like UPI have transformed the way Indians make payments, with over 100 billion transactions processed annually. He added that nearly half of the world’s real-time digital payments are happening in India.

As we mark #10YearsOfDigitalIndia, shared a few thoughts on LinkedIn, on how this initiative has positively impacted India’s growth trajectory.https://t.co/5VPNJ2U9MS

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 1, 2025

He also mentioned that Rs 44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, saving Rs 3.48 lakh crore by reducing leakages and eliminating middlemen.

The Prime Minister highlighted the impact of initiatives like SVAMITVA, which has issued over 2.4 crore digital property cards, helping rural citizens gain ownership clarity and security.

Markets for Small Sellers

PM Modi said that platforms like ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) and GeM (Government e-Marketplace) are providing local entrepreneurs with new market access. ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, while GeM achieved Rs 1 lakh crore in gross merchandise value within just 50 days. He noted that many of the 22 lakh sellers on GeM include women-led MSMEs.

India’s digital tools like Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and FASTag are now being studied and adopted by countries across the world. As part of its G20 presidency, India launched a global repository to help other nations develop inclusive digital systems.