Today, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) summit in Hyderabad. The three day WCIT 2018 summit is being held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre. Modi addressed the delegates in Hyderabad via a video conference from New Delhi.
Modi said India with one of the most tech friendly population, was best placed to leverage power of technology and leapfrog into the future. Modi said, “With one lakh villages linked with optical fibre, over 100 crore mobile phones, 120 crore Aadhaar and 50 crore Internet users, India is best placed to leverage power of technology and leapfrog into future.”
Modi further added, “Leveraging technology in such a holistic manner was unthinkable some years ago. We have successfully completed this life cycle in the last three and a half years. This has been possible through a change in public behaviour and processes.” Modi said India has come a long way with the convergence of the two campaigns Make in India and Digital India. Digital India is a campaign launched by the Indian Government to ensure that Government services are made available to citizens electronically. The Make in India is a Swadeshi movement launched by the Indian Government in 2014, to encourage companies to manufacture their products in India.
Modi said, “From only two mobile factories in India in 2014, today there are 118 mobile manufacturing factories operational in India, including some of the best global brands.” Modi further added, “In the 21st century, technology is becoming an enabler for this concept. It helps us create a seamless, integrated world. A world where geographical distance no longer remains a barrier in collaborating for a better future.” Modi further pointed out the digital payments through the application BHIM. Last month, the BHIM app registered transactions amounting to a total of Rs. 15,000 crores.
