New Delhi : On July 1, 2025, the Digital India Mission, a flagship program of the Government of India, marked its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of remarkable progress in transforming India into a digitally empowered society and a knowledge economy. Launched in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the initiative aimed to bridge the digital divide, enhance governance, and foster inclusive growth through technology. Over the past ten years, Digital India has evolved from a government scheme into a “people’s movement,” as described by PM Modi, touching countless lives and positioning India as a global leader in digital innovation
The Vision and Structure of Digital India
The Digital India Mission, launched on July 1, 2015, was designed to prepare India for a knowledge-based economy by synchronizing and coordinating efforts across multiple government ministries and departments, with overall coordination by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY). The mission is built upon three core vision areas:
- Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen: This includes high-speed internet, cradle-to-grave digital identity, mobile phone and bank account integration, access to Common Service Centres, shareable private cloud spaces, and a safe and secure cyberspace.
- Governance and Services on Demand: This focuses on seamlessly integrated services across departments, real-time service availability on online and mobile platforms, digitally transformed services for ease of doing business, and cashless financial transactions supported by GIS for decision-making.
- Digital Empowerment of Citizens: This emphasizes universal digital literacy, accessible digital resources, availability of services in Indian languages, collaborative digital platforms for participative governance, and portable entitlements through the cloud.
These vision areas are supported by nine key pillars: Broadband Highways, Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, Public Internet Access Programme, e-Governance, e-Kranti (Electronic Delivery of Services), Information for All, Electronics Manufacturing, IT for Jobs, and Early Harvest Programmes. Together, these pillars have driven India’s digital transformation, making technology accessible, affordable, and integral to daily life.
Major Achievements of Digital India
Digital Economy
The Digital India Mission has significantly boosted India’s digital economy, contributing 11.74% to the national income in 2022-23, with projections to reach 13.42% by 2024-25. According to the State of India’s Digital Economy Report 2024 by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), India ranks third globally in the digitalization of its economy, a testament to the mission’s success in fostering economic growth through technology.
Connectivity and Infrastructure
Since 2014, internet connections in India have surged from 25.15 crore to 96.96 crore by 2024. The BharatNet initiative has connected 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats with high-speed internet, ensuring connectivity even in remote areas. Additionally, over 42 lakh kilometers of Optical Fibre Cable have been laid, equivalent to eleven times the distance between Earth and the Moon. India’s 5G rollout, among the fastest globally, has seen 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years, extending high-speed internet to urban centers and forward military posts like Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh. India now offers the world’s cheapest internet, with data prices as low as Rs 10 per GB, making it accessible even in rural regions.
Digital Finance and Financial Inclusion
India leads the world in real-time digital payments, accounting for 49% of global transactions in 2023. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a cornerstone of this achievement, is now operational in over seven countries and handles over 100 billion transactions annually. The Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app, launched on December 30, 2016, by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has further streamlined digital payments. Aadhaar-enabled Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) have saved Rs 3.48 lakh crore by eliminating fake beneficiaries, transferring over Rs 44 lakh crore directly to citizens. The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN), launched on July 1, 2017, has doubled the number of registered taxpayers to 1.23 crore, with over 44 crore returns filed and Rs 23.84 lakh crore in taxes paid in its first 34 months.
Advancing Strategic Tech Capabilities
The $1.2 billion India AI Mission has made India a global leader in affordable computing, offering access to 34,000 GPUs at rates under $1 per GPU hour. This initiative, coupled with Centres of Excellence, promotes a “humanity-first” approach to AI, as highlighted by PM Modi. The New Delhi Declaration on AI further emphasizes responsible innovation, positioning India as a hub for inclusive technological growth.
Flagship Initiatives Under Digital India
Arogya Setu App
Launched in 2020, the Arogya Setu app, developed through a public-private partnership, played a pivotal role in India’s fight against COVID-19. It facilitated contact tracing and health monitoring, uniting citizens for collective well-being and showcasing Digital India’s impact on healthcare.
Digital India BHASHINI
Introduced in 2022, Digital India BHASHINI enables internet and digital service access in Indian languages, including voice-based interactions. This initiative promotes inclusivity by breaking language barriers and fostering content creation in regional languages.
Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)
The ONDC, a government-backed e-commerce network, has crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million achieved in just six months. It empowers small businesses, such as Banarasi weavers and Nagaland’s bamboo artisans, to reach nationwide markets without intermediaries, reducing digital monopolies.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
The GeM platform has surpassed Rs 1 lakh crore in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) in just 50 days, with 22 lakh sellers, including over 1.8 lakh women-led MSMEs, fulfilling orders worth Rs 46,000 crore. This initiative has boosted local entrepreneurship and economic inclusion.
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
India’s DPI, including Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, FASTag, PM-WANI, and One Nation One Subscription, has become a global model, with platforms studied and adopted worldwide. During India’s G20 Presidency, a Global DPI Repository was launched, showcasing India’s leadership in digital infrastructure.
India Energy Stack: A New Frontier
On June 27, 2025, the Ministry of Power constituted a 17-member task force, led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani, to design the India Energy Stack (IES). Modeled after Aadhaar and UPI, the IES aims to digitally integrate India’s fragmented power sector, enabling peer-to-peer energy trading, aggregated demand-response programs, and smoother compliance with carbon offsetting. The power sector faces four key challenges:
- Lack of a unique identifier for consumers, assets, or stakeholders.
- Limited access to harmonized, real-time data for decision-making.
- Dependence on proprietary digital platforms, hindering scalability.
- Absence of interoperability between digital systems, preventing cross-regional data sharing.
As electricity is a concurrent subject, both Union and state governments share governance responsibilities, leading to a fragmented ecosystem. The IES seeks to create an integrated national platform, replicating UPI’s success in the power sector over the coming years.
Digital Agriculture Mission: Empowering Farmers
Approved in September 2024 with a budget of Rs 2,817 crore, the Digital Agriculture Mission aims to create digital public infrastructure for the farm sector. It comprises three primary components:
- AgriStack: A farmer-centric DPI with three registries—Farmers’ Registry, Geo-referenced Village Maps, and Crop Sown Registry—managed by state/UT governments. Farmers receive a digital ID (Farmer ID) linked to land, animal ownership, crops, and benefits. Digital Crop Surveys collect seasonal crop data, while geo-referenced maps connect land records to physical locations.
- Krishi Decision Support System (DSS): A geospatial system integrating data on crops, soil, weather, and water resources to generate crop maps, monitor droughts and floods, and support crop insurance claims.
- Soil Profile Maps: Comprehensive maps on a 1:10,000 scale, covering approximately 100,000 acres, to enhance agricultural planning.
The mission also includes the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) for accurate agricultural production estimates, fostering a technology-based ecosystem for farmers.
PM Modi’s Vision for the Future
In a LinkedIn blog post and X posts, PM Modi reflected on Digital India’s journey, emphasizing its role in democratizing access, building inclusive infrastructure, and creating opportunities for all. He noted that India’s tech ecosystem is undergoing a “renaissance,” with over 1.8 lakh startups ranking India among the top three global startup ecosystems. The SVAMITVA scheme has issued over 2.4 crore property cards and mapped 6.4 lakh villages, securing land ownership for millions.
Modi highlighted India’s transition from “digital governance to global digital leadership” and from “India-first to India-for-the-world.” He urged innovators to build technology that “unites, includes, and uplifts,” emphasizing a humanity-first approach. With initiatives like the India AI Mission and ONDC, India is poised to scale new heights in digital commerce, AI, and inclusive growth.
Conclusion
The Digital India Mission’s 10th anniversary marks a transformative decade that has redefined India’s technological landscape. From bridging the digital divide to fostering a robust digital economy, the mission has empowered 140 crore Indians across sectors like healthcare, education, and entrepreneurship. With initiatives like the India Energy Stack and Digital Agriculture Mission, India is set to continue its journey toward global digital leadership. As PM Modi aptly stated, “Digital India has not remained a mere government program; it has become a people’s movement,” paving the way for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1.What is the Digital India Mission, and when was it launched?
The Digital India Mission is a flagship program of the Government of India, launched on July 1, 2015, aimed at transforming India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy by enhancing digital infrastructure, governance, and citizen empowerment.
2.What are the three vision areas of Digital India?
The mission focuses on:
- Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen (e.g., high-speed internet, digital identity).
- Governance and Services on Demand (e.g., real-time online services, cashless transactions).
Digital Empowerment of Citizens (e.g., universal digital literacy, services in Indian languages).
3. What are some key achievements of Digital India in the past decade?
Key achievements include:
- Internet connections growing from 25.15 crore in 2014 to 96.96 crore in 2024.
- India leading globally in real-time digital payments, with UPI handling 49% of global transactions in 2023.
- BharatNet connecting 2.18 lakh Gram Panchayats with high-speed internet.
Aadhaar-enabled Direct Benefit Transfers saving Rs 3.48 lakh crore by eliminating fake beneficiaries.
4. What is the India Energy Stack, and how does it relate to Digital India?
The India Energy Stack (IES), proposed in June 2025, aims to digitally integrate India’s power sector, similar to Aadhaar and UPI’s impact on identity and finance. Led by Nandan Nilekani, it seeks to enable peer-to-peer energy trading and address challenges like the lack of unique identifiers and interoperable systems in the power sector.
5. What is the Digital Agriculture Mission, and what are its components?
Approved in September 2024 with a Rs 2,817 crore budget, the Digital Agriculture Mission creates digital public infrastructure for farmers. Its components include AgriStack (Farmer ID, Crop Sown Registry, Geo-referenced Village Maps), Krishi Decision Support System (geospatial data for crops and weather), and Soil Profile Maps for enhanced agricultural planning.
