Dear Friends,

12th January is no ordinary day. It is a day etched in the annals of history as a day when India was blessed with one of its most prolific thinkers, a guiding light and a man who took India’s message to the world. It was on this day, 150 years ago that Swami Vivekananda was born. Swami ji is no longer with us but his spirit, mission and his message live on- to date and continue to inspire generations of people.

I am glad to share that the Government of Gujarat has left no stone unturned to share Swami Vivekananda’s message to our people through the last year. We commemorated 2012 as “Yuva Shakti Varsh” and numerous initiatives and programmes were held to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. We are also continuing to commemorate 2013 as the ‘Yuva Shakti Varsh.’

Swami Vivekananda dreamt of an India that is at the pinnacle of world leadership, a Jagat Guru Bharat.  To create such an India, he saw a central role for the nation’s youth. In Gujarat, we took it on our shoulders to empower the youth of Swami Vivekananda’s dreams and strengthen them with every possible skill so that they get opportunities to shine and stretch themselves beyond their imagination to innovate and contribute towards the nation.

The Gujarat Government has taken the task of furthering skill development among our youth. We dedicated 20 Swami Vivekananda Superior Technology Industrial Training Institutes to encourage research and innovation through technology among our youth. Our efforts to improve the facilities in our ITIs too continued at a remarkable pace.

But, we did not stop at furthering skill development only! We went a step ahead and focused on soft skills. Why can’t a student who has trained as a plumber or a trainer in an ITI imbibe soft skills so that his or her confidence level receives a strong boost? Why can’t he or she imbibe soft skills so that employability increases? In July this year I launched eMPOWER to impart basic IT skills for our youth. The scale at which this initiative is underway must be seen to be believed! We also provide soft skills in our various ITIs.

A record of sorts was created in April 2012 when I handed over appointment letters to more than 65,000 youngsters across the length and breadth of the state during the Swami Vivekananda Youth Employment Week! Imagine the qualitative difference that would have been brought about in the lives of these youngsters.

“You will be nearer to God by playing football than through the study of the Gita!” Swami Vivekananda would say. Sadly, due to pressures of exams and education, I have noticed that the playing fields are always empty. How can the youth of Swami Vivekananda’s dream not enjoy the beauty of sports? It is a fact that there can be no sportsmanship without sport! It is even rightly said, “Jo Khele, Woh Khile” (The person who plays, shines).

During the course of the last year, nearly 16,000 Swami Vivekananda Mandals and Kendras were formed at the village, taluka and district levels where sports kits were distributed to youngsters. A world record was created when 4,000 women played chess under a single roof at the Swami Vivekananda Women Chess Meet in August 2012.

In order to spread Swami Vivekananda’s message to the youth and integrate them with the development journey, I embarked on the Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra in September 2012 and I got a wonderful response from Gujarat’s Yuva Shakti. I firmly believe that the world’s most youthful nation cannot dream small - we not only need youth development but also youth-led development. This is what Swami Vivekananda envisioned and this is what we are seeking to do in Gujarat.

Those who are active on social media would have seen that every day, for the last 366 days I have Tweeted an inspiring quote of Swami Vivekananda. Similarly, the Google+ Hangout that was held in August last year was themed around creating the youth of Swami Vivekananda’s dreams. I am happy to note that both these ideas were appreciated far and wide.

Friends, it is a matter of happiness that the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda coincides with the 6th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2013. This year’s summit has drawn delegates from over 120 nations and we are focusing on knowledge, skill development and technology. This summit seeks not only to think about the development of the present but also to safeguard and power the future of our youth!

Swami Vivekananda has been a figure of inspiration to me personally as well and that is why I consider myself truly blessed that I have been able to make my small contribution in spreading his message to the people of my state. Once again, I pay my tributes to Swami Vivekananda and share my determination to continue working towards realising Swami Vivekananda’s dreams and integrating as many youngsters as possible with the unique development journey of Gujarat.

Yours,

Narendra Modi

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A Decade of Digital India
July 01, 2025

Ten years ago, we embarked on a bold journey into uncharted territory with great conviction.

While decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, we changed this approach and trusted the ability of Indians to use technology.

While decades were spent thinking that use of technology will deepen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, we changed this mindset and used technology to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

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When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered. When the approach is inclusive, technology brings change in the lives of those on the margins.

This belief laid the foundation for Digital India: a mission to democratise access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and opportunities for all.

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In 2014, internet penetration was limited, digital literacy was low, and online access to government services was scarce. Many doubted whether a country as vast and diverse as India could truly go digital.

Today, that question has been answered not just in data and dashboards, but in the lives of 140 crore Indians. From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere.

Bridging the Digital Divide

In 2014, India had around 25 crore internet connections. Today, that number has grown to over 97 crores. Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon now connects even the most remote villages.

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India’s 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years. High-speed internet now reaches urban hubs and forward military posts alike including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh.

India Stack, which is our digital backbone, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now handles 100+ billion transactions a year. Around half of all real time digital transactions happen in India.

Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), over ₹44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving ₹3.48 lakh crore in leakages.

Schemes like SVAMITVA have issued 2.4 crore+ property cards and mapped 6.47 lakh villages, ending years of land-related uncertainty.

Democratising Opportunity for All

India’s digital economy is empowering MSMEs and small entrepreneurs like never before.

ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a revolutionary platform which opens a new window of opportunities by providing a seamless connection with huge market of buyers and sellers.

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GeM (Government E-Marketplace) enables the common man to sell goods and services to all arms of the government. This not only empowers the common man with a huge market but also saves money for the Government.

Imagine this: You apply for a Mudra loan online. Your creditworthiness is assessed through an account aggregator framework. You get your loan and start your venture. You register on GeM, supply to schools and hospitals, and then scale up via ONDC.

ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million in just six months. From Banarasi weavers to bamboo artisans in Nagaland, sellers are now reaching customers nationwide, without middlemen or digital monopolies.

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GeM has also crossed ₹1 lakh crore GMV in 50 days, with 22 lakh sellers including 1.8 lakh+ women-led MSMEs, who have fulfilled orders worth ₹46,000 crore.

Digital Public Infrastructure: India’s Global Offering

India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) from Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and FASTag to PM-WANI and One Nation One Subscription is now studied and adopted globally.

CoWIN enabled the world’s largest vaccination drive, issuing 220 crore QR-verifiable certificates. DigiLocker, with 54 crore users, hosts 775 crore+ documents, securely and seamlessly.

Through our G20 Presidency, India launched the Global DPI Repository and a $25 million Social Impact Fund, helping nations across Africa and South Asia adopt inclusive digital ecosystems.

Startup Power Meets AatmaNirbhar Bharat

India now ranks among the top 3 startup ecosystems in the world, with over 1.8 lakh startups. But this is more than a startup movement, it is a tech renaissance.

India is doing extremely well when it comes to AI skill penetration and AI talent concentration among our youth.

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Through the $1.2 billion India AI Mission, India has enabled access to 34,000 GPUs at globally unmatched prices at less than $1/GPU hour making India not just the most affordable internet economy, but also the most affordable compute destination.

India has championed humanity-first AI. The New Delhi Declaration on AI promotes innovation with responsibility. We are establishing AI Centres of Excellence across the country.

The Road Ahead

The next decade will be even more transformative. We are moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, from India-first to India-for-the-world.

Digital India has not remained a mere government program, it has become a people’s movement. It is central to building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and to making India a trusted innovation partner to the world.

To all innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers: the world is looking at India for the next digital breakthrough.

Let us build what empowers.

Let us solve what truly matters.

Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts.