Digital India Initiatives

Budget to boost Digital India vision

The Union Budget 2016-17 has given a big boost to the Digital India vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. Let’s understand it in brief.

Budget announcements will give a big boost to Digital India initiatives, Digital literacy, greater application of Cloud and above all big push to the Electronics Manufacturing
Focus on the larger involvement of post office platform for financial inclusion, including delivery of services

IT / ITeS exports have crossed USD 100 billion
India’s share in global IT services outsourcing presently 56%, is growing every year
Total employment in IT / ITeS sector is 37 lakhs in this financial year, out of which the net addition is 2 lakhs
Electronics Manufacturing has seen remarkable improvement, due to the initiatives of government in this sector

Electronic manufacturing in India has got boost by further rationalization of duty structure
Tax benefits for IT units in SEZs has been extended from 2017 till 2020.
This will enable technology units to set up and commence operations in SEZs and also significant move for skill development to services companies as well
This will permit 30 % of additional wages paid to new workmen, deductible for 3 years. This will give a big boost to the BPO operations and generate new jobs (essential for India to reap it’s demographic dividend)

Digital depository of school leaving certificates, college degrees and mark-sheets will be created
This would enhance the footprint of cloud technology in the Country
The IT department has already laid down the framework for cloud technology and will assist in the expansion <Cloud Technology is the delivery of on-demand computing resources— everything from applications to data centers over the Internet on a pay-for-use basis>
Extraordinary expansion to Digital Literacy in the country; imparting digital literacy to 6 crore households in next 3 years
As of now, against the target of 52.5 lakhs, more than40 lakhs have been trained

A legislation will be brought to give a statutory backing to Aadhaar, for delivery of services /subsidies / benefits, corning out of Consolidated Fund of India
This will prevent leakages by identifying the beneficiaries correctly and would encourage good governance
Greater stress on the use of digital platform across various departments
This will further encourage consolidation of seminal programmed of Digital India

Effort is being made to leverage the vast network of India Post for implementing the mandate of financial inclusion
Today, India Post has not only installed more than 576 ATMs but has overtaken the SBI to become India’s largest Core Banking Network having 18,231 branches
By March, 2016 all the 25,000 Departmental Post Offices would offer Anywhere Banking facilities using Core Banking Solutions
Further, India Post has achieved new heights in tapping the potential of e-commerce
Its parcel revenues have witnessed a growth of 110% and it has collected more than Rs.1200 Crores from Cash on Delivery mode of payment for e-Commerce services

Read more-

Published with inputs from Arun Source - Ministry of Communications & IT | Pic - 9 Pillars of Digital India