New Delhi: In a prelude to the forthcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10, the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) document, authored by the World Bank, has lauded the transformative influence of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) over the past decade, a strategic initiative spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
India is striving to elevate DPI as a pivotal outcome of the imminent G20 summit in the national capital. DPI represents a comprehensive suite of essential digital services and technologies designed to facilitate the secure and efficient delivery of economic opportunities and social services to all residents.
The World Bank document extols India’s approach to DPI, affirming that India has achieved in a mere six years what would traditionally have taken approximately five decades to realize.
“Over the last decade, India has constructed one of the world’s most extensive digital Government-To-Person (G2P) frameworks, harnessing the potential of DPI. This paradigm has facilitated direct transfers amounting to approximately $361 billion to beneficiaries across 53 central government ministries through 312 pivotal schemes. As of March 2022, this has translated into cumulative savings of $33 billion, equivalent to nearly 1.14 percent of the GDP,” as highlighted in the document.
In May 2023 alone, India witnessed a staggering 9.41 billion UPI transactions, with a cumulative value of approximately Rs 14.89 trillion. The total worth of UPI transactions for the fiscal year 2022-23 accounted for nearly 50 percent of India’s nominal GDP.
The impending G20 Leaders’ Summit will convene in New Delhi and will feature participation from over 30 heads of state and government, along with high-ranking officials from the European Union and invited guest nations. An impressive contingent of 14 heads of international organizations is also anticipated to attend.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, emphasized that since 2014, the government has been diligently incorporating technology into governance, with a continued commitment to connecting all public services to digital infrastructure.
With global leaders converging for the G20 summit, India is poised to assert the significance of DPI on the international stage.
“One remarkable facet of India’s stewardship of the G20 has been the central role that the DPI discourse has assumed. The case study of India and the adept utilization of technology under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reshape governance, democracy, and the lives of Indian citizens have undeniably captured the attention of several nations, including the influential G20 members,” stated the minister.
Furthermore, India has been a vocal advocate for amplifying the voice of the Global South within the G20 forum. The nation has ardently advocated for enhanced representation of developing countries in the G20 processes and has ardently lobbied for the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent member.
Prime Minister Modi has actively championed the African Union’s inclusion in the G20. In June, he corresponded with the leaders of G20 nations, urging them to grant full membership to the African Union at the upcoming summit in New Delhi.
This proposal to admit the African Union as a full-fledged G20 member was officially incorporated into the draft communique for the summit during the third G20 Sherpas meeting held in Hampi, Karnataka, in July.
