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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Digital decade: India's journey from inclusion to tech innovation
Ten years ago, we embarked on a bold journey into uncharted territory with great conviction. While decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, we changed this approach and trusted the ability of Indians to use technology. While decades were spent thinking that use of technology will deepen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, we changed this mindset and used technology to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots. When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered. When the approach is inclusive, technology brings change in the lives of those on the margins. This belief laid the foundation for Digital India — a mission to democratise access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and opportunities for all. In 2014, internet penetration was limited, digital literacy was low, and online access to government services was scarce. Many doubted whether a country as vast and diverse as India could truly go digital. Today, that question has been answered not just in data and dashboards, but in the lives of 1.4 billion Indians. From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere. Bridging the digital divide In 2014, India had around 250 million internet connections. Today, that number has grown to over 970 million. Over 4.2 million kilometres of optical fibre cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon now connects even the most remote villages. India's 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world, with 481,000 base stations installed in just two years. High-speed internet now reaches urban hubs and forward military posts alike, including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh. India Stack, which is our digital backbone, has enabled platforms like Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which now handles 100+ billion transactions a year. Around half of all real-time digital transactions happen in India. Through Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT), over ₹44 trillion has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving ₹3.48 trillion in leakages. Schemes like SVAMITVA have issued 24 million-plus property cards and mapped 647,000 villages, ending years of land-related uncertainty. Democratising opportunity for all India's digital economy is empowering micros, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small entrepreneurs like never before. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a revolutionary platform which opens a new window of opportunities by providing a seamless connection with huge market of buyers and sellers. The Government E-Marketplace (GeM) enables the common man to sell goods and services to all arms of the government. This not only empowers the common man with a huge market but also saves money for the government. Imagine this: You apply for a Mudra loan online. Your creditworthiness is assessed through an account aggregator framework. You get your loan and start your venture. You register on GeM, supply to schools and hospitals, and then scale up via ONDC. ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million in just six months. From Banarasi weavers to bamboo artisans in Nagaland, sellers are now reaching customers nationwide, without middlemen or digital monopolies. GeM has also crossed ₹1 trillion gross merchandise value in 50 days, with 2.2 million sellers, including over 180,000 women-led MSMEs, which have fulfilled orders worth ₹46,000 crore. Digital Public Infrastructure: India's global offering India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) from Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and Fastag to PM-WANI and One Nation One Subscription is now studied and adopted globally. CoWIN enabled the world's largest vaccination drive, issuing 2.2 billion QR-verifiable certificates. DigiLocker, with 540 million users, hosts over 7.75 billion documents, securely and seamlessly. Through our G20 presidency, India launched the Global DPI Repository and a $25 million Social Impact Fund, helping nations across Africa and South Asia adopt inclusive digital ecosystems. Startup power meets Aatmanirbhar Bharat India now ranks among the top-three startup ecosystems in the world, with over 180,000 startups. But this is more than a startup movement; it is a tech renaissance. India is doing extremely well when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) skill penetration and AI talent concentration among our youth. Through the $1.2 billion India AI Mission, India has enabled access to 34,000 graphics processing unit (GPUs) at globally unmatched prices at less than $1/GPU hour, making India not just the most affordable internet economy, but also the most affordable compute destination. India has championed humanity-first AI. The New Delhi Declaration on AI promotes innovation with responsibility. We are establishing AI centres of excellence across the country. The road ahead The next decade will be even more transformative. We are moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, from India-first to India-for-the-world. Digital India has not remained a mere government programme, 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. To all innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers: The world is looking at India for the next digital breakthrough. Let us build what empowers. Let us solve what truly matters. Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
From empowering the marginalized, Digital India to now make India a ‘trusted innovation partner' to the world: PM Modi
PM Modi New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday pitched the Digital India campaign as a 'trusted innovation partner to the world', and said the programme – which now completes a decade – has been transformative for those on the margins by democratising access, and building digital opportunities for all. 'From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere,' PM Modi said in a special message on 'A Decade of Digital India'. He said that while many initially feared that the use of technology will deepen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, the success of the programme changed that mindset as technology helped eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots. 'When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered,' he said as he spoke about the positives from the 'India's Stack' of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs) such as UPI, Aadhaar, DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer), ONDC, CoWIN, and DigiLocker. 'We are moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, from India-first to India-for-the-world. 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,' the PM said. He said the programme not only helped bridge the digital divide, but also resulted in democratising opportunity for all. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký 'In 2014, India had around 25 crore internet connections. Today, that number has grown to over 97 crores. Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon now connects even the most remote villages.' The PM said that the 'India Stack' has now emerged as the 'digital backbone' of the country with platforms such as UPI now handling over 100 billion transactions in a year. 'Around half of all real time digital transactions happen in India. Through DBT, over Rs 44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving Rs 3.48 lakh crore in leakages.' Modi said India's digital economy is now empowering MSMEs and small entrepreneurs. 'ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a revolutionary platform which opens a new window of opportunities by providing a seamless connection with huge market of buyers and sellers. GeM (Government E-Marketplace) enables the common man to sell goods and services to all arms of the govt. This not only empowers the common man with a huge market but also saves money for the govt. ' He said the Digital India programme had also helped the burgeoning startup ecosystem.'India now ranks among the Top 3 startup ecosystems in the world, with over 1.8 lakh startups. But this is more than a startup movement, it is a tech renaissance.' He said the $1.2 billion India AI Mission is now enabling access to 34,000 GPUs at globally-unmatched prices at less than $1/GPU hour, making India not just the most affordable internet economy, but also the most affordable compute destination. 'India has championed humanity-first AI. The New Delhi Declaration on AI promotes innovation with responsibility. We are establishing AI Centres of Excellence across the country. ' Modi said with a large footprint of digital consumption and innovation in India, the world is looking at the country to lead the next wave of innovation. 'To all innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers: the world is looking at India for the next digital breakthrough… Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
10 years of Digital India: Made many strides in digital payments, says Narendra Modi
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the country has made several achievements in the digital payments system, led by collective efforts of all citizens. 'India has made many strides in digital payments, powered by the collective resolve of 140 crore Indians. Sectors like health and education have also benefited from this initiative,' Modi said on social media platform X. The comments come following the completion of a decade of ambitious Digital India initiative, originally launched on July 1, 2015. "Ten years ago, Digital India began as an initiative to transform our nation into a digitally empowered and technologically advanced society," Modi said on the microblogging site. Under the 'Digital India' umbrella program, transformation of payment systems including Unified Payments Interface or UPI , a real-time payment system allows users to instantly transfer money between bank accounts using a mobile device. The UPI platform recorded 1,867.7 crore transactions worth ₹24.77 lakh crore in April 2025. India handled 49 per cent of global real-time transactions in 2023. UPI is now live in over seven countries, boosting global digital payments and financial inclusion, as per the ACI Worldwide Report 2024. Several other countries are also looking to adopt this platform, to facilitate instant transactions. Following the showcase during the G-20 Summit in New Delhi, more than 12 countries wanted to implement India's digital public infrastructure (DPI). The foundation of India's Digital Public Infrastructure is based on the identity layer (Aadhaar), payments layer Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture (DEPA). India has also launched Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), as a part of ambition to democratize e-commerce. Under the pilot program across multiple cities, it aims to bring 30 million sellers and 10 million merchants online. Over a period of a decade, internet connections in India increased to nearly 98 crore. 4.74 lakh 5G towers installed, covering 99.6 per cent of districts, according to the government statistics. The number of total telephone subscribers in India increased to 1,192.03 million at the end of January 2025, the Telecom Regulator Authority of India, in its recent study said. The digital economy contributed 11.74 per cent to the country's GDP in 2022–23 and is expected to reach 13.42 per cent in 2024–25, according to the State of India's Digital Economy Report 2024, released by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER). The prestigious BharatNet program connected as many as 2.25 lakh gram panchayats (village blocks) with high-speed internet. It has a target to offer optic fibre-based digital connectivity to more than 6 lakh villages, providing government-to-citizen (G2C) and other utility services. Powered by innovations in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and strong digital infrastructure, Digital India has created new opportunities, the statement added. Ashwini Viashnaw-headed Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), launched two flagship initiatives -- India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and IndiaAI Mission -- to further strengthen India's leadership in Global South in line with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision The semiconductor mission aims to build a strong semiconductor and display ecosystem, offering the world a strong alternative to China and Taiwan. With a ₹76,000-crore outlay, the mission supports local chip and display manufacturing. It offers up to 50 per cent support for fabs and incentives for chip design and production. As many as six semiconductor projects worth ₹1.55 lakh crore have been approved under the initiative. Unveiled in March 2024, the IndiaAI Mission aims to build a strong and inclusive AI ecosystem with a budget of ₹10,371.92 crore over five years. It focuses on enabling access to computing, innovation, improving datasets, funding startups, and ensuring ethical AI use. In May this year, the national compute power crossed 34,000 GPUs, indicating a robust AI infrastructure growth.
Mint
25-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Rapido sharpens focus on Delhi, partners ONDC for metro-ride integration
Ride-hailing platform Rapido is sharpening its focus on Delhi, which has become its largest market across India. The company is now partnering with open e-commerce network ONDC to deepen integration with public transport systems. 'Delhi is our largest market. Every day, over 8 lakh customers use Rapido in Delhi alone," said Aravind Sanka, chief executive and co-founder of Rapido. He added that a growing chunk—over 1 lakh daily riders—use the platform specifically to travel to and from metro stations. The integration with Open Network for Digital Commerce allows Rapido users to book Delhi Metro tickets directly within the app. It aims for first-and last-mile connectivity, letting commuters use a single platform for both bike rides and metro travel. Users can plan, book, and pay for multiple legs of a commute in one place, making it a bundled user experience. Metro ticketing is already live via ONDC in cities like Delhi, Kochi, and Chennai, with Bangalore and multiple Mumbai metro lines set to go live soon. 'We're excited about Rapido enabling those lines as well," said Vibhor Jain, chief executive of ONDC. 'Beyond metros, we're looking at mobility holistically, and bus ticketing is a big part of that journey. I'm sure Rapido will be live with that soon too." Rapido isn't the only company aligning with ONDC's vision of open mobility. Namma Yatri was the first to fully integrate with ONDC and introduced the SaaS model that dominant players like Uber, Ola have since adopted. In a previous interview with Mint, the company stated that it is now looking to expand into northern India while also piloting services in adjacent verticals such as ambulance and shuttle transport. Meanwhile, Rapido is also exploring adjacent categories, like food delivery to diversify its offerings and compete with Swiggy and Zomato. However, the company has faced major regulatory setbacks in Karnataka, where a blanket ban on bike taxis disrupted one of its largest markets. This has not only impacted its user base but also dealt a blow to one of its core revenue streams. Uber too partnered with ONDC to offer metro ticket booking, starting with Delhi Metro integration directly within its app, marking Uber's entry into public transport via the open network. The company also plans to expand metro ticketing to three more cities and explore B2B logistics services through ONDC.
The Print
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
Three yrs since launch, govt-backed e-commerce network ONDC is a tortoise running with the hares
While it has achieved some degree of popularity and penetration in select pockets like Bengaluru, from where it was launched, ONDC is still playing catch-up in a highly competitive space. In April 2022, the Indian e-commerce sector woke up to an unusual market disruptor—the government. The stated idea behind the government-backed Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) was to facilitate an 'inclusive ecosystem' that could dismantle private players' hegemony in various sectors, including retail, mobility and logistics. New Delhi: Would you open an app, pick a food item or restaurant, and place the order? Or instead choose first from a lineup of platforms, and then compare prices, delivery time and availability? This is due to a number of factors, from back-to-back leadership changes to limited market presence, and a fundamental question: would the customer prefer price over convenience. Complexity navigating the ONDC network, given that little is known about it in large parts of the country, is another obstacle standing in its way. On the idea behind a government-backed market disruptor, a former senior ONDC executive, who didn't wish to be named, told ThePrint, 'The US and Europe are trying to regulate the e-commerce market via a regulatory body, whereas in India we are doing it through technology and markets.' An initiative of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the commerce ministry, ONDC is an open network, whereby different participants can engage in exchange of goods and services digitally. It is backed by 30 financial institutions both public and private including SBI, NABARD, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finserv, and HDFC Bank, among others. No one company has a major shareholding in the network. For the buyer, the most important factor is price which is relatively lower on ONDC compared to most aggregators. But with lowered discounts and the possibility of a platform fee in the future, this advantage could fizzle out. As for the seller, the cost of doing business is lower since ONDC does not charge commissions for now. Other advantages for sellers include access to consumer patterns and equal prominence on the platform. A Section-8 (non-profit) company led by industry veterans, ONDC was touted as the government's next big digital infrastructure project after UPI—the mobile-based real-time payments system. But industry experts ThePrint spoke to said three years down the line, ONDC has fallen short of making any sizable impact on the Indian e-commerce industry. It's a good idea not marketed well, they said, though adding that it has potential in the long run and could do more to attract Gen-Z onto its network, for whom convenience is above all else. How wide is the gap? Filings show privately-owned food delivery platform Zomato's marketing and advertising spend in FY2025 was Rs 1,972 crore. In contrast, ONDC spent all of Rs 92 crore on incentives/marketing interventions during this period. One major obstacle to smoother processes in this sector is that neither buyer nor seller apps on the ONDC network have any control over how food is delivered. The logistics partner is picked based on availability in that particular area, and an in-house fleet is used in the case of some network participants. To top it off, with years of experience and deep pockets, Amazon, Zomato, Swiggy and other e-commerce giants have fine-tuned their user interface and user experience. In a May 2022 report, New York-headquartered capital markets firm Jefferies said customers satisfied with existing e-commerce players were unlikely to switch for incremental benefits to a new network like ONDC, unless there's something compelling on offer. Then there is the question of turbulence in ONDC's top tier. Between December 2024 and April 2025, three prominent executives including founding member and CEO T. Koshy, chief business officer Shireesh Joshi and non-executive chairman R.S. Sharma stepped down. Vibhor Jain was appointed the new CEO of ONDC in May 2025. Since he and the new team took over, a series of closed-door meetings have been taking place between ONDC executives and industry bodies to strategise next steps for growth, it is learnt. ThePrint reached ONDC CEO Vibhor Jain and DPIIT secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia via email for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. Also Read: 'No engaging in dark patterns' — Govt body notifies guidelines to curb deception by e-commerce platforms Retail on downward spiral According to ONDC's website, the e-commerce network is live across 600+ cities with 277 network participants including buyers, sellers, and technology service providers. It caters to 13 different domains including food, grocery, financial services, fashion, mobility, logistics and others. Though overall orders on ONDC grew month-on-month to reach 16.1 million in April 2025, cracks are emerging. Its retail segment (fashion, food and grocery) shows a downward trend from 6.5 million orders in October 2024, when it accounted for 47 percent of orders placed on the network, to 4.3 million in April 2025. The former senior ONDC executive quoted earlier said there were no specific reasons for the decline in retail orders. 'Different segments grow according to their own path … it depends on how strong certain players are in a particular market and what push is being received from sellers.' Refuting media reports about lowered incentives leading to decline in retail orders, the former executive said, 'Incentives were initially offered to network participants only to stimulate demand through discounts, it was never meant to be offered till perpetuity and was eventually planned to come down.' The incentives, the former executive clarified, were based on transactions and were never offered as a lump sum. But as retail orders slowed down, mobility (taxi, metro, auto) and logistics (parcel, courier, delivery) started gaining momentum. Compared to retail, orders on ONDC's mobility segment grew nearly threefold from 3.6 million in April 2024 to 9.4 million in April 2025. Overall share of the mobility segment also grew to 58 percent of total orders placed on the ONDC network during this period, largely on the back of direct-to-driver apps like Namma Yatri and Yatri Sathi (West Bengal). These apps work without commission or middlemen. User experience is king One of the biggest challenges staring down ONDC at this time is to create awareness about the network and its intended benefits for stakeholders. The former senior executive said ONDC does not have money to burn on promotion and marketing, and the onus lies with industry partners, and the government. 'The new management must target to drive orders from 16 million per month to 160 million in the next few years.' The CEO of a Delhi-based online restaurant booking platform, who did not wish to be named, said while ONDC is a great initiative, it is too early to compare it with big names of the e-commerce industry. 'However, with network participants like Tata Neu and Ola, it can challenge the market share of large e-commerce players. But it will take time.' In the food segment, for instance, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) was reportedly involved in a disagreement with ONDC over strategic alignment, but both have since re-affirmed their partnership. 'NRAI and ONDC are strategically aligned and are in the process of making some key decisions that would potentially bring some significant positive change to the sector over next two-three quarters,' said NRAI trustee Anurag Katriar. According to him, the primary job for ONDC is to make customer experience on the network a lot more seamless, given that one of the key issues vexing customers coming to the ONDC network is the complexity to navigate. With multiple applications bundled on the network, there is a lack of 'know how' among users and consistency in interface. There is also a lack of clarity as to which application best delivers what product or service. For instance, a customer who wants to order a hot chocolate fudge from Nirula's through ONDC first needs to explore multiple applications to get the best price, services and delivery time. 'No customer wants to go through multiple applications within a network for placing their order, especially when the current aggregators provide them with an easy, very user-friendly customer interface,' said Katriar, who is also the owner of Indigo Hospitality. NRAI joint secretary Thomas Fenn said since ONDC is a network where multiple participants are operating buyer and seller applications, user interface for each would be different. 'But there should be some level of consistency in servicing customer expectations and needs,' added Fenn, who is also co-founder of NCR-based restaurant chain Mahabelly. According to him, restaurant owners should also make it a point to market ONDC on their social media handles, and drive consumer attention through perhaps a 'lowest price guarantee on ONDC' line of communication. Also Read: People in Tier-II cities spend twice as much of income on online shopping as Tier-I, finds survey Bengaluru model & 'cold start' problem While ONDC is yet to pick up pace in other major cities like Delhi and Mumbai, Bengaluru has been a success, primarily because the network was launched from the city in 2022. The pilot phase of integration between ONDC and NRAI too started from Karnataka's capital. Together, they have managed to capture 18-20 percent market share in food delivery in Bengaluru. 'The NRAI team is actively working with restaurant partners in Bengaluru city to integrate on the ONDC network as a test case,' said Fenn. 'Early results have been positive as nearly 18-20 percent shift in the consumer base has taken place, vis-a-vis aggregators.' Data on the ONDC portal shows Karnataka accounts for 44 percent of total logistics volume and 17 percent of all retail orders placed on the network between April 2024 and March 2025. In the mobility segment too, Bengaluru-based Namma Yatri has been at the forefront of ONDC's gains. For it, Bengaluru accounts for 85 percent share in total ride volume. Since its launch in 2022, the app has processed over 9.98 crores rides on the ONDC network with 1.23 crores registered users. Apart from NRAI and Namma Yatri, another application that has done well on the ONDC network in Bengaluru and other cities is the hyperlocal retail platform magicpin. But for ONDC, traction in one city or state is not enough to declare victory. Bengaluru is a template that can be used as a model to scale across other cities, said Fenn, adding that entering a market early and unprepared may result in a setback and distort experience. 'ONDC may face a cold start problem in cities where there are insufficient buyers, sellers and delivery partners, thereby creating a cycle where low participation from one side may discourage engagement from the others,' he explained. 'Once that is solved through test cases (pilot phase) flywheel effects (business concept whereby small wins can accumulate and create momentum) will automatically kick in.' 'All necessary tools to become a success story' While acknowledging the challenges, stakeholders ThePrint spoke to are hopeful that there is space for ONDC in the current e-commerce landscape. 'Zomato and Swiggy charge commissions as high as 18-32 percent, a new restaurant or cloud kitchen cannot survive it,' said the CEO of a Delhi-based online restaurant booking platform quoted earlier. In a marketplace, where large e-commerce players are squeezing retailers, sellers and customers with their dominant position, the role of ONDC as an emerging player that protects the interest of stakeholders becomes important, he added. Fenn too said that he remains optimistic about ONDC's prospects and points out that consumers' habits take time to change. 'It took years for Zomato, Swiggy, Amazon and other large e-commerce players to acquire customers. There is solid intent from ONDC to make this work, and the measured bet is that with time, the shift will take place.' According to magicpin CEO and founder Anshoo Sharma, the time is now for ONDC to scale up. 'It has all the necessary tools to become a success story. We are fundamentally aligned with ONDCs vision to empower and provide visibility, business opportunities and prosperity to retail and restaurant partners on the ground rather than competing against them.' Katriar said ONDC must peddle a narrative beyond discounts and deals. 'The talk should be about the benefits of ONDC. From greater transparency, reduced charges on delivery and packaging, best price guarantee for consumers to data sharing, reduced costs and greater control for restaurant partners.' From the investor's perspective, a spokesperson for NABARD said in response to an email questionnaire by ThePrint, 'We are extending the Mystore engagement for another year, onboarding new sellers each quarter, refreshing catalogues and running fresh buyer-side promotions.' Adding, 'ONDC's expanding category coverage and logistics integrations, underpin strong growth prospects over the coming years including compounding impact as the network density rises.' Udit Bubna is an intern who graduated from ThePrint School of Journalism. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Tech in US created a narrow elite of billionaires. India's story is different
