The Government on Tuesday said it has utilised digital channels for empowering masses in the last five years and sent ₹13 lakh crore through digital instruments directly to the bank account of the poor, and promised to create an enabling atmosphere and favourable ecosystem where mobile phones would be at the centre for bringing in more opportunities.
“We sent ₹13 lakh crore, close to $175 billion in the last five-and-a-half years through these digital instruments directly to the bank account of the poor and we have saved ₹1.78 lakh crore, approximately $24 billion,” Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Telecommunications and Electronics and IT, said at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2020.
He said new technologies, be it 5G technology, artificial intelligence or Internet of things (IoT), will all work together to create a further favourable ecosystem where mobile phones are at the centre.
Prasad said IT and communications sector has registered over seven per cent growth and received one of the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) even during the challenging Covid times.
While FDIs and innovations are welcome, the government is equally keen on the country's safety and security.
“We are not against FDI, we are not against foreign innovative minds. They are most welcome, FDI is 100 per cent automatic... foreign capital is welcome, foreign innovation is welcome, but we are equally keen that safety and security of the country is also important,” he said.
He emphasised that digital technologies have to be safe so that “vested interests, extremists may not abuse it” and added that they must also be sustainable.
Similarly, the government is focussed on ensuring that an enabling atmosphere is available for Indian minds to help create a robust 4G network as the “precursor” of the 5G network, he said.
Test beds
“We’re also very keen that India must be 5G ready and for that test beds have been created, those provisions will also be unfolded further. We want good innovation, Indians have all the talent. We must also help in innovation creation and empowerment of the 5G process with good application of Indian human resources and innovative minds,” Prasad added.