Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Digital India initiative has played a major role in democratising technology and bridging the digital divide, with the mobile phone emerging as a key instrument of India’s digital transformation.
Addressing the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said India had faced the challenge of ensuring that modern technology did not remain a privilege limited to people with access to resources.
“Through the Digital India initiative, we resolved to change this situation, with the mobile phone at the centre of this transformation. This has been a major effort towards the democratisation of technology,” PM Modi said.
He said over the past 10 to 12 years, mobile phones had evolved from being merely a means of communication into an important tool for good governance and had remained at the core of India’s Digital India vision.
The Prime Minister said the government had undertaken reforms in the telecom sector and expanded digital infrastructure to ensure wider access to technology.
He also emphasised efforts to promote domestic manufacturing of mobile phones and other telecom equipment.
“We also focused on ensuring that mobile phones and other telecom hardware were manufactured in India itself,” he said.
Highlighting India’s progress in 5G connectivity, PM Modi said the technology had reached every district in the country. He said more than 5.5 lakh 5G base stations were operational across India, while mobile internet speeds had increased tenfold compared to 2022.
Recalling the evolution of the India Mobile Congress, the Prime Minister said the platform had witnessed India’s transformation in the telecom and digital sectors.
He noted that India launched 5G from the India Mobile Congress platform in 2022. In 2023, the focus had shifted from the rollout of 5G to ensuring wider “5G reach-out”, he said.
PM Modi also expressed gratitude to citizens and people across the world for their greetings on the completion of 25 years of his service as the Head of Government.
Earlier, the Prime Minister inaugurated the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress at Yashobhoomi. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia felicitated PM Modi on his arrival.
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-ANI
