New Delhi: The Digital India programme has expanded access to digital services and improved connectivity, the government said, citing major growth in broadband and digital platforms.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Electronics and IT Jitin Prasada said the Digital India programme bridged the digital divide through multiple initiatives. These included expanding internet access, reducing costs, building infrastructure and improving digital literacy.
According to official data, broadband subscribers increased from 25 crore in 2014-15 to 103 crore in 2024-25, marking a 400% rise. Similarly, mobile base transceiver stations grew from 7.9 lakh to 29.50 lakh.
The government said village connectivity also improved significantly, reaching 6.35 lakh villages with mobile services. Moreover, optical fibre network expanded sharply to 6,92,676 km.
Data consumption saw a major surge from 61.66 MB per month per user to about 25.25 GB. At the same time, the cost of data dropped from Rs 269 per GB to around Rs 7.9.
Digital India programme drives platforms and digital inclusion
Meanwhile, the Digital India programme enabled large-scale digital platforms and services. Over 143 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued, providing a digital identity to residents.
The government said Aadhaar supported the growth of the Unified Payments Interface, now the world’s largest digital payment system. UPI has over 46 crore users and supports 81% of India’s digital payments.
Using the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile framework, benefits worth Rs 49.82 lakh crore were transferred directly to citizens. As a result, leakages reduced and service delivery improved.
DigiLocker has also expanded access to official documents, with 67 crore users and over 967 crore documents issued. In addition, the UMANG platform offers more than 2,446 government services to over 10.51 crore users.
The PMGDISHA scheme trained more than 6.39 crore people in digital literacy before its conclusion in March 2024. Furthermore, it was one of the largest such initiatives globally.
The government said the Digital India programme has transformed access to services and created opportunities for inclusive digital growth across the country.
