PM Modi Shares Achievements On 10th Anniversary Of 'Digital India': DBT Saved Rs 3.5 Lakh Crore, 42 Lakh Km Of Optical Fibre Laid

On the 10th anniversary of the Digital India initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reflected on its decade-long journey through a blog post titled ‘A Decade of Digital India’ on LinkedIn, calling it a transformative force that has evolved from a government programme into a people’s movement.

“Digital India has not remained a mere government program; it has become a people’s movement. It is central to building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and to making India a trusted innovation partner to the world,” he wrote.

Launched in 2015, the initiative aimed to bridge the digital divide, improve infrastructure, and bring government services online.

PM Modi highlighted that internet access has expanded from 25 crore users in 2014 to 97 crore today.

India has laid over 42 lakh kilometres of optical fibre and deployed 4.8 lakh 5G base stations, becoming one of the fastest nations to roll out 5G.

He credited Digital India with enhancing transparency and curbing corruption through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), which has enabled the transfer of Rs 34 lakh crore directly to beneficiaries, saving Rs 3.48 lakh crore by eliminating middlemen.

Modi noted that UPI now facilitates over 100 billion real-time transactions annually, while platforms like DigiLocker, CoWIN, and PM-WANI have made services more accessible.

DigiLocker alone has 54 crore users and stores 775 crore documents.

He also highlighted the SVAMITVA scheme, which uses drones to map rural lands and issue property cards, empowering villagers with better access to loans and reducing disputes.

Calling startups the “backbone” of a self-reliant India, Modi noted the country now has over 1.25 lakh startups and more than 110 unicorns, with the India AI Mission set to boost affordable AI computing access.

PM Modi concluded by urging citizens and innovators to continue developing solutions that promote inclusion, equality, and India’s digital leadership.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu: Five Cops Arrested In Sivaganga Custodial Death Case; HC, Political Leaders Demand Action