Overview of Digital Public Infrastructure in India

India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has emerged as a transformative force in governance, economic participation, and service delivery. As India marks its 80th Independence Day, the government has highlighted DPI's role in advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Electronics Manufacturing: A Seven-Fold Growth Story

Production and Export Milestones

  • Electronics production increased nearly seven-fold from ₹1.9 lakh crore (2014-15) to ₹13.11 lakh crore (2025-26)
  • Electronics exports rose nearly eleven-fold from ₹38,000 crore to ₹4.24 lakh crore
  • Electronic goods became India's third-largest export category at USD 47.96 billion (FY 2025-26)
  • The ecosystem supports 25 lakh jobs, with women comprising ~30% of workforce

Policy Support Mechanisms

  • Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme
  • Electronics Components Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS)
  • India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)
  • Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC 2.0)
  • Semicon 2.0: Cabinet approved ₹1.27 lakh crore to deepen semiconductor ecosystem
  • 12 semiconductor units worth ₹1.64 lakh crore approved under ISM 1.0
  • 3 facilities commenced commercial production; another expected in 2026

Mobile Phones: From 153rd to Largest Export Item

  • India became world's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer
  • Mobile phones rose from 153rd-largest export item (FY 2014-15) to India's largest export product (FY 2025-26)
  • Production increased ~33-fold from ₹18,000 crore to ₹6.27 lakh crore
  • Exports surged ~165-fold from ₹1,500 crore to ₹2.59 lakh crore
  • Supports 12 lakh jobs with women constituting ~70% of workforce

Telecom Connectivity: Bridging the Digital Divide

Telephone and Tele-density Growth

  • Telephone connections: 93.3 crore (2014) → 134.8 crore (June 2026)
  • Tele-density: 75.23% (2014) → 94.31% (June 2026)
  • Active wireless subscribers: 120.11 crore (June 2026)

Internet and Broadband Expansion

  • Internet subscribers: 25.15 crore (2014) → 109.2 crore (March 2026)
  • Average wireless data cost: ₹308/GB (2014) → ₹7.51/GB (2026)
  • Mobile broadband speed: 13.67 Mbps (March 2022) → 132 Mbps (December 2025)

5G and Rural Connectivity

  • 5G services available in 99.9% districts across all States and UTs
  • ~5.63 lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations deployed (June 2026)
  • 6.31 lakh villages covered by 4G through BSNL and other operators
  • BharatNet: 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats service-ready with 8.5+ lakh route km of OFC
  • PM-WANI: 4+ lakh public Wi-Fi hotspots deployed (February 2026)
  • Bharat 6G Vision: Aims to position India among global 6G leaders by 2030

UPI: World's Largest Real-Time Payment System

Global Leadership

  • 50% of global real-time payment transaction volume
  • FY 2025-26: 24,161.69 crore transactions worth ₹314.23 lakh crore
  • Serves 55.49 crore individuals and 6.5 crore merchants
  • Connects 731 banks on single interoperable platform
  • 85% of India's digital payment transactions by volume

Rapid Adoption

  • Monthly transactions: 0.01 crore (2016) → 2,000+ crore (2025)
  • Accepted in 11 countries: Singapore, UAE, France, Mauritius, Cambodia, etc.

Digital Commerce Ecosystems

ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce)

  • Reached 20+ crore buyers, 5 lakh sellers across 1,000 cities
  • ~90 lakh transactions per month (June 2026)
  • Integrated with eSaras and Indiahandmade for SHGs, weavers, artisans
  • Sahayak WhatsApp Bot supports small enterprises in 5 languages

GeM (Government e-Marketplace)

  • Cumulative GMV: ₹18.4 lakh crore (June 2026)
  • FY 2025-26 GMV: ~₹5 lakh crore
  • Enabled 11+ lakh MSMEs to access government markets
  • SWAYATT initiative promotes inclusive procurement
  • Women-led businesses: ₹83,323 crore cumulative orders
  • Startups: ₹54,005.8 crore cumulative orders

E-Governance Initiatives

DigiLocker

  • 72+ crore registered users
  • 934+ crore issued documents
  • Reduces dependence on physical certificates

UMANG App

  • 166 services (2017) → 2,585 services (July 2026)
  • 798 crore cumulative transactions

Aadhaar

  • 145+ crore Aadhaars generated (July 2026)
  • Foundation of digital identity and authentication

Common Service Centres (CSCs)

  • 5.16+ lakh CSCs functional across India
  • Physical access points for G2C e-services

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)

  • 318 schemes across 56 Ministries
  • ₹52+ lakh crore transferred directly to beneficiaries
  • Reduces intermediary layers in welfare delivery

Constitutional and Legal Framework

  • Article 21A: Right to Education increasingly enabled through digital infrastructure
  • Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: Framework for data protection
  • Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016: Legal foundation for Aadhaar

Challenges and the Way Forward

  • Bridging digital divide between urban-rural populations
  • Ensuring affordability of digital services
  • Strengthening cybersecurity and data protection
  • Improving digital literacy across demographics
  • An inclusive, secure, citizen-centric ecosystem essential for Viksit Bharat

Drishti Mains Question

Q. Digital Public Infrastructure has transformed governance and economic participation in India. Discuss.

Answer Plan:

  1. Introduction: Define DPI and its significance
  2. Key components: UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, ONDC, GeM
  3. Impact on governance: Transparency, accountability, ease of doing business
  4. Economic participation: Digital payments, MSMEs, employment
  5. Challenges: Digital divide, cybersecurity, data protection
  6. Conclusion: Vision for Viksit Bharat 2047