Lok Sabha Question No. 4422 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Incorporation of AI and ML in Next Phase of Digital India Programme
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## 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  15 th 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  eMarketplace (GeM) for government procurement, which actively collaborates with the private sector.

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