UNGA President Praises India’s Digital Transformation for Lifting 800 Million Out of Poverty » Capital News

Aug 4 – Emphasizing the role of digitization in rapid development, Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, commended India for its significant achievements in this area.

Francis highlighted that India has lifted 800 million people out of poverty in the last 5-6 years through extensive use of smartphones and digital payments.

During his lecture at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN on ‘Accelerating Progress Towards Zero Hunger for Current and Future Generations,’ Francis noted how rural residents in India can now make payments and pay bills with a simple touch on their smartphones. He emphasized the country’s high internet penetration as a crucial factor in these advancements.

“India has been able to lift 800 million people out of poverty over the last 5-6 years simply by the use of smartphones,” Francis stated. He pointed out that rural farmers, previously unconnected to the banking system, now conduct business transactions, pay bills, and receive payments via their smartphones due to widespread internet access.

However, Francis also highlighted that such digital transformation is not common in many parts of the Global South, calling for initiatives to address this digital divide. “There has to be equity demands, there has to be some effort, initiative to address this inequality as an initial step in negotiating the global framework for digitalisation,” he added.

Digitization has been a central focus of the Narendra Modi government over the past decade. The country has seen a rapid increase in digital payment transactions, significantly driven by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

PM Modi’s JAM initiative—Jan Dhan, Aadhar, and Mobile—has played a pivotal role in this transformation. This initiative has encouraged people to open bank accounts linked with Aadhar, enabling direct transfer of government benefits and social payments to individuals, even in rural areas. This comprehensive approach has significantly connected people across India with various government schemes and services.

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