Parliament Question: Incorporation of AI and ML in Next Phase of Digital India Programme

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4422 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 20 .08.2025 INCORPORATION OF AI AND ML IN NEXT PHASE OF DIGITAL INDIA PROGRAMME 4422. SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government plans to expand the scope of the Digital India Programme in the coming years and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether there are any new initiatives under the Digital India Programme aimed at improving internet connectivity in rural areas and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether the Digital India Programme will incorporate advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in its next phase and if so, the details thereof; (d) whether the Government has plans to increase digital literacy through the expansion of the Digital India Programme and if so, the details thereof; and (e) whether the Digital India Programme would include further collaboration with the private sector to accelerate the rollout of digital infrastructure and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a): In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision, the Government launched Digital India programme to democratise technology and empower citizens. The programme is centred on three key vision areas, namely digital infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen, governance and services on demand, and digital empowerment of citizens. In the last 11 years, it has transformed Indian economy and society. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): It has been instrumental in transforming the digital economy, much like traditional infrastructure for industrial growth. Key achievements include Aadhaar, Unified Payment Interface (UPI), DigiLocker, UMANG, etc. Aadhaar: More than 142 crore residents have been provided with digital identity. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY): More than 55 crore bank accounts were opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. Unified Payments Interface (UPI): More than 49 crore users and 675 banks have joined UPI making it the world’s largest digital payment system.Common Services Centres (CSC): CSCs have been set up to deliver digital services to rural citizens. More than 5.60 lakh CSCs are functional across the country (rural + urban), out of which 4.36 lakh CSCs are functional at the Gram Panchayat level. Connectivity: More than 2.14 Lakh Gram Panchayats have been made service ready under BharatNet project in the country. In August 2023, the Government approved the expansion/ extension of the Digital India programme with a total outlay of ₹14,903.25 crore during the period of the 15th Finance Commission i.e., 2021-22 to 2025-26. The main features of the expansion/ extension of the Digital India programme are as follows: (i) Ensuring the availability of trained human resources for the manufacturing and service sectors of the electronics and IT industry. (ii) Empowering citizens digitally through digital public infrastructure/ platforms and digital inclusion. (iii) Providing high speed connectivity to academic and research institutes and Government institutions. (iv) Promoting the development of manufacturing capabilities and Atma Nirbharata in electronics and IT hardware. (v) Promoting the creation of a sustainable software industry leveraging India’s strength in the IT sector, disruptive innovations, and cutting-edge technology. (vi) Promoting research in core and applied areas including Supercomputing, Quantum Technology, Blockchain and Artificial intelligence, etc. (vii) Creating near real-time cyber security situational awareness at the national level for enhancing cyber security in the country. (viii) Promoting digital payments and transparency in transactions. (b): Connectivity: For providing high bandwidth capacity internet/broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages in the country. Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is implementing BharatNet project in a phased manner. More than 2.14 lakh GPs have been made service ready under BharatNet project in the country. Further, 5G services have been rolled out in all States/ UTs across the country and it is available in 99.9% of the districts in the country. More than 4.86 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been installed by the Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) across the country. (c): India AI Mission: In line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision, the Government is pioneering innovations in technology and making it accessible to all. The focus is on democratizing the development and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for real-world problems, ultimately improving lives across various sectors.The IndiaAI Mission comprises of 7 key pillars namely, IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Foundation Models, AIKosh, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing and Safe & Trusted AI. IndiaAI mission includes targeted interventions that, inter alia, ensure accountability, safety, fairness, and the protection of human rights and privacy. (d): Under the “Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA)” 6.39 crore individuals were trained across the country. Further, under the FutureSkills PRIME programme, so far, more than 22.9 lakh candidates have registered on the portal, out of which there have been 13.8 lakh+ candidates enrolments in various courses. In addition 18,785 Government officials, 2,367 trainers and 19,929 students (under 208 Bootcamps) have been trained through CDAC and NIELIT centres. (e): India's digital infrastructure has undergone a transformative evolution in recent years, positioning the country as a global leader in digital adoption. With a rapidly expanding digital economy, driven by innovations in cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and digital governance, India's infrastructure is continuously evolving to meet the growing demands of the public and private sectors. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has been instrumental in transforming the digital economy, much like traditional infrastructure for industrial growth. Key achievements include Aadhaar, Unified Payment Interface (UPI), DigiLocker, UMANG, etc. UPI is being offered through both public and private sector banks and mobile wallet service providers. The Aadhaar (Authentication for Good Governance) Rules, 2020, has been specifically amended in 2025, to allow private sector companies to use Aadhaar authentication for specific purposes, primarily those related to public interest, innovation, and improving access to services. DigiLocker & Entity Locker is also having issuer as well as requestor organisations from both private and government sectors. Other significant platform includes Government e- Marketplace (GeM) for government procurement, which actively collaborates with the private sector. *******