Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday celebrated India’s rapid technological transformation, declaring that the nation is swiftly becoming a global “tech powerhouse” driven by youth-led innovation and self-reliance.
Posting on X in response to a MyGovIndia overview of the last decade’s digital milestones, Modi wrote, “Powered by the youth of India, we are making remarkable progress in innovation and application of technology. It is also strengthening our efforts to become self-reliant and a global tech powerhouse.”
Digital Payments and Connectivity Surges:
- UPI adoption has exploded 2,500-fold—from 0.93 crore transactions in April 2017 to 1,867.7 crore in April 2025—fueling more than ₹260 lakh crore in annual digital payments.
- India now operates the world’s cheapest mobile data, supporting over 94 crore broadband connections and 120 crore telephone subscribers.
- UPI acceptance has expanded overseas, going live in seven countries, including the UAE, Singapore, and France.
Building the Digital Backbone:
- Under the BharatNet programme, 2.18 lakh gram panchayats are linked by 6.92 lakh km of optical fibre, extending high-speed connectivity deep into rural India.
- The government’s telecom and postal reforms—highlighted recently by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia—have taken digital services to “villages, forests and borders,” according to his article shared by the Prime Minister.
Advancing Artificial Intelligence:
- Three AI Centres of Excellence are slated for top institutions, while indigenous AI projects such as BharatGen, Sarvam-1, Chitralekha, and Hanooman’s Everest 1.0 advance home-grown capabilities.
Prime Minister Modi concluded that these initiatives demonstrate how technology “powers progress across every sector,” reinforcing India’s ambition to lead the global digital economy by leveraging innovation, inclusive infrastructure, and decisive policy reforms.