The Government of India’s flagship Digital India programme, launched in July 2015, has significantly transformed the country’s digital landscape by expanding internet access, improving affordability, and strengthening digital infrastructure, according to information presented in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Internet Access Expands Rapidly Across India
The programme, aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of democratizing technology, has focused on four key pillars: increasing internet access, making internet affordable, building digital public infrastructure, and enhancing digital literacy. These efforts have collectively enabled wider access to digital services and opportunities, thereby fostering inclusive and equitable digital growth across the country, according to a statement by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology dated March 18, 2026.
Official data indicates a sharp rise in broadband subscribers from 25 crore in 2014–15 to 103 crore in 2024–25, marking a 400 per cent increase. The number of mobile base transceiver stations (BTS) has grown from 7.9 lakh to 29.5 lakh, while villages with mobile connectivity (2G/3G/4G) have risen to 6.35 lakh, nearing universal coverage. Optical fibre deployment has expanded exponentially from 358 km to over 6.92 lakh km.
Data Becomes Cheap, Usage Surges
India has also witnessed a dramatic surge in data consumption, with average monthly usage per subscriber increasing from 61.66 MB to about 25.25 GB. Simultaneously, the cost of data has fallen sharply by 97 per cent, from Rs 269 per GB to approximately Rs 7.9, making internet services widely affordable. The government noted the 97 percent reduction in data cost.
UPI Emerges as Global Leader in Payments
The programme has enabled key digital transformations in governance and service delivery. Over 143 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued, providing a robust digital identity to Indian residents. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has emerged as the world’s largest real-time payment system, with over 46 crore users and 685 banks, accounting for 81 per cent of India’s digital payments and and nearly 49 per cent of global real-time digital payments.
Digital Platforms Revolutionise Governance
The JAM trinity—Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile—has facilitated direct benefit transfers amounting to Rs 49.82 lakh crore, ensuring transparency and reducing leakages in welfare distribution to citizens.
Among major digital platforms, DigiLocker has registered 67 crore users and issued over 967 crore digital documents, enabling paperless governance. The UMANG application offers access to more than 2,446 government services and has recorded over 741 crore transactions from 10.51 crore registered users.
In the area of digital literacy, the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), launched in 2017, has trained more than 6.39 crore individuals, surpassing its target and emerging as one of the largest such initiatives globally. The scheme concluded on March 31, 2024.
Digital Literacy Push Reaches Millions
The government stated that the Digital India programme has brought about a fundamental change in citizens’ lives by enhancing access to services, promoting financial inclusion, and creating a digitally empowered society.
This information was submitted by Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada in Lok Sabha on March 18, 2026.
