Session 4 :
Developments in Information and Communications TechnologyITA Symposium: 25th Anniversary of the 
Information Technology Agreement
(16-17 September 2021)
Presented by :
Saurabh Gaur 
Joint Secretary , MeitY
Government of IndiaRD/IT/47AGENDA
ICT : Context Setting 1
ICT in Indian Context 2
Government Initiatives towards Digital Experience 3
Initiatives towards Standardization 4
Conclusion 6Impact of initiatives in India 5
ICT Transformation in the past 20 years
NEWSPAPERS, RADIOS AND TELEVISIONS NETWORKED COMPUTERS, SATELLITE -
SOURCES COMMUNICATIONS, WIRELESS 
TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET
ICT: A Necessity
•Global internet use surpassed 50%
•75% of total world population had active mobile 
broadband subscription 
•Fixed broadband subscriptions grew to >15% 
•>57% of households had Internet access at home 
•Digital divide 
•Gender divide 
•Average of 20% of population in developing economies 
still does not use mobile phones 
•Internet affordability as a bottleneck in Africa and Asia 
Source: ITU Report, 2019WHERE 
ARE WE?
BOTTLENECKS•Global internet use surpassed 50%
•75% of total world population had active mobile 
broadband subscription 
•Fixed broadband subscriptions grew to >15% 
•>57% of households had Internet access at home 
ICT: As a Sector
•Employment or productivity growth (Capacity Building)
•Focused Market Export
•Technological change affecting other parts of the 
economy
Source: OECD ReportOUTCOME•ICTsector combines manufacturing andservices industries
•The products primarily fulfil orenable thefunction ofinformation processing and communication by
electronic means, including transmission anddisplay .
OUTPUT•Technological progress
•Output and productivity growth
Policy Business Technology SocietySocio Economic 
DevelopmentBusiness 
EnvironmentInfrastructureCapital Resources / Market International organizations Government Policy
Commercial 
ActivitiesCommercial 
Base
Supporting 
TechnologiesInformation Communication 
Technology
Education Human Capital Social ImpactICT –An enabler for Businesses and Social Development
*Narcyz Roztocki , Piotr Soja & Heinz Roland Weistroffer (2019) The role of information and communication technologies in socioeconomic development: towards a multi -dimensional framewo rk, Information Technology for 
Development, 25:2, 171 -183, DOI: 10.1080/02681102.2019.1596654ICT & Sustainable Development Goals
MOST ESSENTIAL GOAL IS SDG 9
“Build resilient infrastructure, promote 
sustainable industrialization & foster 
innovation”
•ICT is considered by the UN as “basic 
infrastructure”
OBJECTIVES:
•Increase access to ICT significantly 
•Provide universal and affordable access 
to the Internet in least -developed 
economiesOTHER SDGs IMPACTED BY ICT
•Poverty Reduction (Goal 1)
•Quality Education (Goal 4)
•Clean Energy (Goal 7)
•Decent Work and Economic 
Growth (Goal 8) 
•Reduced Inequalities (Goal 10)
ICT: Indian Context
•Thevaried socio-economic conditions causing Digital Divide
•Gender inequality
•Different Terrain indifferent parts ofthecountry .
•Lack ofawarenessBOTTLENECKS
HOW TO 
OVERCOME?•Better Policies and regulations
•Govt creating more awareness on the digital initiatives
•Encourage multiple players to increase accessibility
•Strict financial capping to make ICT affordable 
•Encourage more Digital Startups
India emerging as World's Economic Powerhouse
2011
2030 E
Note: Forecasts by International Monetary Fund, Oxford Economics, The Economist Intelligence Unit, OECD, The World Bank & Res erve Bank of IndiaRanking basis GDP, nominal, US$ BAdvantage India
Fastest Growing 
G20 EconomyGlobal Fintech 
Adopter
Internet UsersStart -up 
Ecosystem
0200400600800
FY2000 - FY14 FY14 - FY18 FY18 - FY20Cumulative FDI
4 years to 
$500 Bn
14 years to 
$300 Bn2 years to 
$750 Bn
Years   10$5 Trillion Opportunity by 2025
Auto$300 B
Auto Comp$200 B
Aviation$25 B
Biotech$100 B
Mining$150 B
Oil & Gas$110 BPharma$65 B
Chemicals$304 B
Construction$640 B
Defence$130 B
Capital Goods$112 B
Railways$192 BRenewables$180 B
Roads$285 B
Electronics$400 B
Food Processing$535 BIT/BPM$350 B
Leather$30 B
Textiles$223 B
Thermal Power$125 B
Tourism$424 B
Media$100 B
Wellness$9 BPorts$123 BFastest Growing
Ecosystem1 Billion
3              Bank Accounts1.25 Billion
Enrolments
17+ Indirect 
Taxes Subsumed776 Million
Internet Users 
1.2 Billion
Mobile Subscribers
11
Transforming India through ICTSource: The Hindu, TOI12.45
0.09
02468101214
FY13 FY20Price per GB, $
8913,824
02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,00016,000
FY14 FY20Average monthly mobile data 
consumption per user, MB
155x
121 GB of data costs 
about 0.05% of 
monthly GN I per 
capita, compared 
with 98% in 2013155x Growth in Data Consumption; >99% Decline in Mobile Data PriceSource:  Reserve Bank of India2.384.065.4410.7313.1522.42
0510152025
FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19Digital Transactions Per Capita Per 
Annum
542%561%579%644%726%769%
0%200%400%600%800%1000%
FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19Digital Payments as % of GDP
13Digital Transactions increased ~10x in 5 yearsIT Sector in India has grown 3X in 12 Years
677488101108118146143154167181191
020406080100120140160180200
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20USD (Billion)Initiatives by Indian Government in ICT
E-GovernanceBroadband 
HighwayUniversal 
Mobile AccessPublic internet 
accessInformation for AllElectronics 
Manufacturing
Early Harvest
IT for Jobs
e-KrantiNational Policy on Electronics 2019  
(NPE 2019) 
NPE2019 hasbeen Notified on25-02-2019
Promoting domestic manufacturing and 
export in the entire value chain of ESDM to 
achieve a turnover of USD 400 billion  by 2025
Digital India Program
Marquee initiatives to boost the economy through ICT  
•Bringing Global value chain  
•Large Investments 
•Ecosystem of electronics 
manufacturing
•Export promotion
•Domestic Champions 
•Employment Generation 
•Domestic Value Addition Production
USD 141 Bn
Investment
USD 1.43 Bn
Mobile 
Domestic Value Addition 
15% -20% →35% -40% 
Additional Employment
2,00,000
Direct Jobs
Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing IT Hardware
Production
USD 21.3 Bn
Investment
USD 0.33 Bn
Domestic Value Addition 
10% -15% →25% -30%
Additional Employment 
36,000 direct jobs
Scheme FeaturesProduction Linked Incentive  Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing and IT Hardware
17Roadmap to 2025 
Source: FICCI, NPE 2019118.4400
64250
12150
76400
2019-20 2025-263180
3080
4110
34190
2019-20 2025-26All ElectronicsMobile Phones
7 7 2 6 033
240
2021-22 2025-26PC, TabletsDomestic Market (USD Bn)
Production for Domestic 
Market (USD Bn)Exports (USD Bn)
Total Production 
(USD Bn)50,000+
Startups in India
$95 B
Valuation
330+
Incubators/ 
Accelerator*
$29 B
Funding  since 
Jan’16Startup HubsDelhi
PuneMumbai
BengaluruChennaiHyderabad40%
Incubator 
Annual Growth28 Yrs.
Avg. age of 
founders#61
Unicorns
25 added 
since Jan’ 
21
55%
Startups in 
Metros
9%
Women 
Entrepreneurs
(100% growth 
in last 12 
months)***700+
Startups 
arising from 
unicorns
18Indian Startup EcosystemConclusion
ICT development has penetrated many areas of business, government and 
society, to the extent that they appear to be all pervasive.
Present unprecedented opportunities for social and economic development, 
entrepreneurship, market development, and governance reform.
ICT for development is not just about computers, cell phones, and the internet, 
but about help, support, and train people in linking them and communities for 
communication, learning, support for innovation, and impetus for inclusive 
growth
Thank You