11 years of Digital India: How PM Modi championed e-governance for two decades before national launch

Marking 11 years of Digital India, the Modi Archive shared historical footage from 2003 onwards illustrating PM Modi’s long-standing push for e-governance, showing how his early initiatives laid the groundwork for today’s digital public infrastructure

New Delhi: As the country marks 11 years of the ‘Digital India’ initiative, the Modi Archive highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-standing advocacy for technology and innovation, explaining how his vision for digital governance and espousal of the idea for two decades before its national launch in 2015, proved instrumental in grassroots empowerment across the country.

Sharing archival footage of Prime Minister’s speeches from as early as 2003, Modi Archive traces his emphasis on technology-driven governance, showcasing addresses delivered at a 2003 event at Nirma University and the 2011 e-India ICT Conference, where he described e-governance as “effective, easy and economical”.

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“Long before the launch of the Digital India mission on July 1, 2015, PM Narendra Modi viewed technology as a tool of absolute empowerment for the grassroots, rather than a luxury for the few,” Modi Archive wrote in a post.

The archival video also documents PM Modi’s consistent focus over two decades on using technology for grassroots empowerment and mobile governance. It features moments from the launch of the Digital India initiative on July 1, 2015, as well as his address in Silicon Valley later that year.

According to the Modi archive, the Prime Minister’s emphasis on information technology during his tenure in Gujarat laid the foundation for India’s subsequent expansion of digital infrastructure and large-scale digitisation of public services.

“The roots of India’s unmatched digital transformation go back over two decades. On 11 Years of Digital India, watch how a decades-long digital blueprint laid the foundation for the governance model of tomorrow,” it added.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi said the successful completion of 11 years of the Digital India initiative had given the country a new identity on the global stage and reflected the determination of Indians to embrace innovation and technology to take the nation to greater heights.

“Digital India is the strong foundation of a developed and self-reliant India. Over the past 11 years, it has played a crucial role in empowering the poor and deprived, while making the lives of citizens easier,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

“When over a billion people embrace technology, the impact is transformative,” PM Modi added.

From the expansion of optical fibre networks to digital transactions, the unprecedented success of this campaign has drawn the attention of the entire world towards India.

“Today, we mark 11 years since the Digital India initiative was launched. This initiative has redefined governance, empowered citizens, and accelerated all-round development. It has touched every aspect of life,” PM Modi emphasised.

From seamless digital payments and direct benefit transfers reaching beneficiaries with transparency to the expanding digital public infrastructure, technology has become a powerful instrument for furthering ‘Ease of Living,’ said the Prime Minister.

Digital India has taken the wave of innovation to all parts of India, especially villages and Tier 2 and 3 cities. Young entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators from every corner of the country are creating solutions to the pressing challenges that our planet faces.