Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said the Digital India programme has significantly advanced digital inclusion in India by expanding internet access, reducing data costs and building strong digital public infrastructure.
The minister shared the details in the Lok Sabha, highlighting the government’s efforts over the past decade to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusive growth.
Rapid expansion of internet access
According to data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), internet connectivity in the country has grown sharply, rising from 25 crore users in 2014 to about 103 crore users in 2025.
The government attributed the growth to the rapid expansion of 4G and 5G networks, the rollout of extensive optical fibre infrastructure and increased investments in digital connectivity.
Among the lowest data tariffs globally
Vaishnaw noted that India now has one of the lowest data tariffs in the world, with the average cost of 1 GB of data between $0.08 and $0.10, far below the global average of about $2.59.
The minister said the affordability of internet services has played a key role in driving digital adoption and making online services accessible to millions of citizens.
Digital public infrastructure powering services
India has also developed a strong digital public infrastructure ecosystem built around platforms such as Aadhaar and Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
More than 1.43 billion Aadhaar numbers have been generated, providing citizens with a universal digital identity and enabling access to welfare schemes and financial services. Through Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) systems, benefits from 328 schemes across 56 ministries are directly transferred to beneficiaries’ bank accounts.
The system has carried out over 16,600 crore authentication transactions across different services.
Meanwhile, UPI has emerged as the world’s largest digital payment platform, connecting 685 banks, serving over 460 million users and 6.5 crore merchants. The platform accounts for about 81% of India’s digital payments and nearly 49% of global real-time digital transactions, according to the minister.
Digital India driving inclusive growth
Vaishnaw said the three-pronged strategy of expanding internet access, ensuring affordability and building digital public infrastructure has helped deliver inclusive digital growth across the country.
The minister also noted that both the central and state governments can order temporary suspension of internet services in cases of public emergency or public safety concerns under the Telecommunication (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, in line with guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India.
