India has shown how to democratise technology for the good of humanity, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating the 25th edition of Karnataka’s tech exposition, Bengaluru Tech Summit, in Bengaluru via a video link on November 16.
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“For a long time, technology was seen as an exclusive domain. It was said to be only for the high and mighty. India has shown how to democratise technology,” he said.
India has also shown how to give tech a human touch. Technology, in India, is a force of equality and empowerment. The world’s largest health insurance scheme Ayushman Bharat provides a safety net for nearly 200 million (20 crore) families and about 600 million (60 crore) people. This programme is based on a tech platform. India also organised the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccine drive, again on a tech-based platform called CoWIN, said the Prime Minister.
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India is using technology as a weapon in its war against poverty. “Under the Svamitva scheme, we are using drones to map land in rural areas. Then, property cards are given to the people. This reduces land disputes. It also helps the poor to access financial services and credit.”
Harnessing tech to empower people
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were struggling without the infrastructure to deliver healthcare to their people. But India showed how technology could be a force for the good.
“Our Jan Dhan - Aadhaar - Mobile trinity gave us the power to directly transfer benefits. Benefits went directly to authenticated and verified beneficiaries. Billions of rupees reached bank accounts of the poor,” he elaborated.
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“Have you heard of a government running a successful e-commerce platform? It has happened in India. We have the government e-marketplace, called GeM. It is a platform where small traders and businesses fulfill the government’s needs.”
Technology has helped small businesses find big customers. At the same time, it has reduced the scope for corruption. Similarly, technology has helped with online tendering. This has accelerated projects and boosted transparency. Online tendering hit a procurement value of ₹1 trillion ($12 billion) in 2021, according to Mr. Modi.
Invest in India
Inviting the global business community to invest in India, the Prime Minister said, “India has many excellent factors coming together. Your investment and our innovation can do wonders here. Your trust and our tech talent can make things happen. I invite you all to work with us as we lead the world in solving its problems.”
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Mr. Modi informed the audience that India has one of the largest online repositories of open courses with over 10 million successful certification courses available online for free access. “Also, our data tariffs are among the lowest in the world,” he highlighted.
In the beginning of his speech, he said, “Bengaluru is the home of technology and thought leadership. It is an inclusive city. It is also an innovative city. For many years, Bengaluru has been number one on India’s Innovation Index.
“India’s technology and innovation have already impressed the world, but the future will be much bigger than our present. Because India has innovative youth and increasing access to tech,” he added.