Lok Sabha Question No. 2564 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-11
Subject: Digital India Initiative
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Thiru Dr. S Jagathratchakan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2564

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 11.12.2024

## DIGITAL INDIA INITIATIVE

## 2564.    SHRI S  JAGATHRATCHAKAN:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the Digital India initiative has accelerated internet penetration and spurred significant private sector growth, creating a strong demand  for professionals  skilled  in  SEO,  content  creation,  social  media  strategy  and  data analytics; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) and (b):  The Digital India initiative has significantly accelerated internet penetration and spurred growth in India. Government of India had launched the Digital India programme in 2015 to ensure digital access, digital inclusion, and digital empowerment. The overall goal is to  ensure  that  digital  technologies  improve  the  life  of  every  citizen,  expand  India's  digital economy, and create investment and employment opportunities in India.

Digital  India  has  contributed  to  the  rapid  expansion  of  internet  access,  through  initiatives such as BharatNet, which aims to provide high-speed internet to rural and remote areas. As a result,  there  has  been  a  substantial  increase  in  internet  accessibility  and  usage  across  the country,  and  internet  penetration  in  India  has  grown  dramatically  in  the  last  decade. According to recent statistics, India is one of the largest internet markets in the world, with over 94 crore internet users (Source: Telecom Subscriptions Reports dated 21 st November, 2024).

The increase in internet penetration has created significant growth in the private sector. It has facilitated  the  rise  of  e-commerce,  education,  health,  social  media,  digital  media,  fintech, entertainment and other digital businesses. The digital transformation has created demand for professionals in various fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, SEO (Search Engine Optimization, Content Creation, Social Media Strategy, etc.

To  bridge  the  industry  skill  gap,  Ministry  of  Electronics  and  Information  Technology (MeitY)  has  initiated  a  programme  titled  'FutureSkills  PRIME'  jointly  with  National Association  of  Software  and  Service  Companies  (NASSCOM)  aimed  at  re-skilling/upskilling  of  candidate  in  new/emerging  technologies,  namely  Artificial  Intelligence,  Robotic Process  Authomation,  Augmented/Virtual  Reality,  Internet  of  Things,  Big  Data  Analytics, Additive  Manufacturing/3D  Printing,  Cloud  Computing,  Social  &  Mobile,  Cyber  Security and  Blockchain.  FutureSkills  PRIME  is  available  as  an  online  platform  for  digital  skills training,  which is hosted athttps://futureskillsprime.in/. On this platform, premium contents are made available to candidates, to facilitate anytime, anywhere learning, in line with their aptitude and aspirations. Under the FutureSkills Prime program, there are over 500+courses offered on the platform; and, more than 19.8 lakh learners have signed upon the platform and are  learning  about  these  emerging  technologies.  Out  of  these,  8.55  lakh  candidates  have enrolled/trained into various courses.

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