ASSOCHAM has applauded the concerted efforts of the Government to digitally empower the economy and bridge the digital gap between India’s citizens.
The Chamber believes that Digitization, with support from digitally empowered citizens, will provide a compelling platform for enabling smart governance, significant job creation and streamlined provision of social services.
At a cost of INR 100,000 crore, the proposed ‘Digital India Week’ is intended to leverage the Government’s digital drive for implementation of smart citizen services and advancements in communication, thereby bolstering India’s demographic dividend through ‘digital strength’. Digital inclusion is the primary focus of the Government with priority on penetration in North East region and rural India. The envisioned Digitization drive will encompass multiple parallel objectives:
“Digital Products and Platforms to ease delivery of Government services like Digital Locker, Mygov.in, e-sign framework, e-hospitals and National Scholarship Portal. Efficient Infrastructure to inter-connect the entire country, including 250,000 gram panchayats through 1,50,000 Post Offices (with high-speed optical fibre-based Internet access) under the National Rural Internet Mission. Policy reforms dependent on extension of digital access (such as open source software), facilitation of BPOs at village level and e-development fund to promote creation of intellectual property,” said, Rana Kapoor, President, ASSOCHAM.
ASSOCHAM strongly believes sustained communication and dissemination of digital services and their benefits a key step in the Government’s move from ‘e-Governance to m-Governance’. India’s emergence as a mass knowledge economy with enhanced global integration can be reenergized by the Digitization drive undertaken by the Government.
