DIGITAL INDIA
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Digital India is one of Govt's most successful missions. Undoubtedly it is an opportune time as digital mobile communication is becoming insanely cheap and widely accessible; and high-speed broadband, software apps, internet content, e-commerce, digital payments, online working, teleservices, IT business processes and smart solutions have ignited the passions of all sections of Indian people. Information technology is crucial to present and future prosperity and as such, Digital India sets out to fulfil a number of economic goals.
Digital India reviewed by Minister of Information Technology
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After coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the vision of Digital India as an important programme to transform India through the power of technology and bridge the digital divide. Other programmes like Start-up India, Stand-up India and Skill India were designed to become an important adjunct to this larger narrative.
Four years down the line, empirical evidence suggests that Digital India is not only creating empowerment but also generating employment opportunities and promoting entrepreneurship. Laying down of 2,74,246 km of optic fibre connecting 1.15 lakh gram panchayats under BharatNet, in comparison to a mere 358 km under the previous government, speaks volumes about the speed with which we have created digital infrastructure.
Aadhaar, now backed by a robust law unlike in the UPA proposal, is playing a significant role in linking the physical with the digital to facilitate seamless delivery of services in a transparent manner. The JAM trinity (31 crore Jandhan bank accounts, 120 crore Aadhaar and 121 crore mobile phones) and the delivery of welfare measures and benefits directly to the bank accounts of the poor under DBT have led to a saving of Rs 90,000 crore because digital identity removes middlemen and fictitious claimants.
The unique platform of Common Services Centres (CSCs) – which were just 83,000 when the present government was formed – now numbering 2.91 lakh with presence in 1.83 lakh gram panchayats has become a robust movement for digital delivery of services ranging from banking to insurance to pension to land records to Bharat bill payments and a host of others. Many of these are moving into new areas like skilling, LED bulb manufacturing, spreading digital literacy and even establishing low-cost sanitary napkin outfits for improving menstrual health in rural areas. In FY 2017-18, the CSCs carried out transactions worth Rs 19,925 crore against merely Rs 182 crore in 2013-14.
Homegrown, low-cost technology-based initiatives like e-Hospital, e-Scholarship, soil health cards, Jeevan Pramaan for pensioners, e-NAM linking agricultural mandis to farmers and a host of other digital products are ensuring flawless delivery of services and creating entrepreneurship. Other digital products like the cloud-based digi-locker and extraordinary rise in digital payments including phenomenal success of the homegrown Bhim app (whose monthly transaction value increased from Rs 5,325 crore in October 2017 to Rs 24,172 crore in March 2018) are all extraordinary signs of transformation leading to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. The stellar success of the recently launched Umang app that integrates central and state government services on one platform and has seen more than 50 lakh downloads since its November 2017 launch, is noteworthy.
In making Digital India a mass movement our programme to open BPOs in small towns of India provides government support to bridge the viability gap. In just 3 years, 89 BPOs operate today in 27 states/UTs. BPOs are now operational in Imphal, Guwahati, Siliguri, Patna, Muzaffarpur, Madurai, Puducherry and even in areas like Badgam, Sopore and Srinagar. BPOs in places like Gaya, Deoria, Jhansi, Jehanabad, etc have now been finalised. Many girls and boys from rural areas work in them and some even service clients from abroad. This has created opportunities for thousands of jobs.
This extraordinary development of a digital ecosystem is taking place in sync with the larger and conventional IT profile of India. According to Nasscom, the formal IT-BPM sector today stands at $167 billion with exports reaching $126 billion. It has added 6,00,000 jobs in the last three years, employing 3.97 million people directly and almost 12 million people indirectly. Even in the face of the global slowdown, the sector continued to expand in India and added almost 1 lakh jobs in FY 2017-18. According to Randstad, the Indian IT sector is poised to grow at a cumulative growth rate of 9%.
As part of the larger Make in India vision, my ministry has actively promoted electronics manufacturing. Riding on government incentives such as MSIPS and others, electronics manufacturing has grown significantly in the last four years. Mobile phone manufacturing units in the country increasing from just 2 in 2014 to 120 in 2018. In the same period, annual production of mobile handsets increased from 6 crore units valued at Rs 18,900 crore to 22.5 crore units valued at Rs 1,32,000 crore. It has created 1 lakh direct and 3 lakh indirect jobs. Similarly, TV and LED products manufacturing have grown significantly, with more than 50 units set up in the last 4 years.
Another area of strong growth is the e-commerce sector, mainly driven by growing rural aspirations. Apart from generating employment indirect activities related to e-commerce platforms, this growth has a positive impact on the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and has a favourable cascading effect on other industries, creating increased employment opportunities.
The future is very promising because India’s digital economy, the large size of our market, demographic dividend and passion for technology is creating enormous demand. Our digital economy also includes emerging areas like AI and IoT, the growing start-up movement and low cost, effective cybersecurity solutions. While we work out the details, no one doubts the potential to make India’s digital economy worth $1 trillion, employing 50-70 lakh people in the next 5-7 years.
The Asia head of a large tech company recently told me that in IIT campus interviews, the better students earlier used to line up for employment but now toppers state they would like to venture out as a start-up because they want to be job givers rather than job seekers. The moment of digital empowerment, entrepreneurship and employment have indeed arrived.
〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️
Digital India is one of Govt's most successful missions. Undoubtedly it is an opportune time as digital mobile communication is becoming insanely cheap and widely accessible; and high-speed broadband, software apps, internet content, e-commerce, digital payments, online working, teleservices, IT business processes and smart solutions have ignited the passions of all sections of Indian people. Information technology is crucial to present and future prosperity and as such, Digital India sets out to fulfil a number of economic goals.
Digital India reviewed by Minister of Information Technology
After coming to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the vision of Digital India as an important programme to transform India through the power of technology and bridge the digital divide. Other programmes like Start-up India, Stand-up India and Skill India were designed to become an important adjunct to this larger narrative.
Four years down the line, empirical evidence suggests that Digital India is not only creating empowerment but also generating employment opportunities and promoting entrepreneurship. Laying down of 2,74,246 km of optic fibre connecting 1.15 lakh gram panchayats under BharatNet, in comparison to a mere 358 km under the previous government, speaks volumes about the speed with which we have created digital infrastructure.
Aadhaar, now backed by a robust law unlike in the UPA proposal, is playing a significant role in linking the physical with the digital to facilitate seamless delivery of services in a transparent manner. The JAM trinity (31 crore Jandhan bank accounts, 120 crore Aadhaar and 121 crore mobile phones) and the delivery of welfare measures and benefits directly to the bank accounts of the poor under DBT have led to a saving of Rs 90,000 crore because digital identity removes middlemen and fictitious claimants.
The unique platform of Common Services Centres (CSCs) – which were just 83,000 when the present government was formed – now numbering 2.91 lakh with presence in 1.83 lakh gram panchayats has become a robust movement for digital delivery of services ranging from banking to insurance to pension to land records to Bharat bill payments and a host of others. Many of these are moving into new areas like skilling, LED bulb manufacturing, spreading digital literacy and even establishing low-cost sanitary napkin outfits for improving menstrual health in rural areas. In FY 2017-18, the CSCs carried out transactions worth Rs 19,925 crore against merely Rs 182 crore in 2013-14.
Homegrown, low-cost technology-based initiatives like e-Hospital, e-Scholarship, soil health cards, Jeevan Pramaan for pensioners, e-NAM linking agricultural mandis to farmers and a host of other digital products are ensuring flawless delivery of services and creating entrepreneurship. Other digital products like the cloud-based digi-locker and extraordinary rise in digital payments including phenomenal success of the homegrown Bhim app (whose monthly transaction value increased from Rs 5,325 crore in October 2017 to Rs 24,172 crore in March 2018) are all extraordinary signs of transformation leading to employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. The stellar success of the recently launched Umang app that integrates central and state government services on one platform and has seen more than 50 lakh downloads since its November 2017 launch, is noteworthy.
In making Digital India a mass movement our programme to open BPOs in small towns of India provides government support to bridge the viability gap. In just 3 years, 89 BPOs operate today in 27 states/UTs. BPOs are now operational in Imphal, Guwahati, Siliguri, Patna, Muzaffarpur, Madurai, Puducherry and even in areas like Badgam, Sopore and Srinagar. BPOs in places like Gaya, Deoria, Jhansi, Jehanabad, etc have now been finalised. Many girls and boys from rural areas work in them and some even service clients from abroad. This has created opportunities for thousands of jobs.
This extraordinary development of a digital ecosystem is taking place in sync with the larger and conventional IT profile of India. According to Nasscom, the formal IT-BPM sector today stands at $167 billion with exports reaching $126 billion. It has added 6,00,000 jobs in the last three years, employing 3.97 million people directly and almost 12 million people indirectly. Even in the face of the global slowdown, the sector continued to expand in India and added almost 1 lakh jobs in FY 2017-18. According to Randstad, the Indian IT sector is poised to grow at a cumulative growth rate of 9%.
As part of the larger Make in India vision, my ministry has actively promoted electronics manufacturing. Riding on government incentives such as MSIPS and others, electronics manufacturing has grown significantly in the last four years. Mobile phone manufacturing units in the country increasing from just 2 in 2014 to 120 in 2018. In the same period, annual production of mobile handsets increased from 6 crore units valued at Rs 18,900 crore to 22.5 crore units valued at Rs 1,32,000 crore. It has created 1 lakh direct and 3 lakh indirect jobs. Similarly, TV and LED products manufacturing have grown significantly, with more than 50 units set up in the last 4 years.
Another area of strong growth is the e-commerce sector, mainly driven by growing rural aspirations. Apart from generating employment indirect activities related to e-commerce platforms, this growth has a positive impact on the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and has a favourable cascading effect on other industries, creating increased employment opportunities.
The future is very promising because India’s digital economy, the large size of our market, demographic dividend and passion for technology is creating enormous demand. Our digital economy also includes emerging areas like AI and IoT, the growing start-up movement and low cost, effective cybersecurity solutions. While we work out the details, no one doubts the potential to make India’s digital economy worth $1 trillion, employing 50-70 lakh people in the next 5-7 years.
The Asia head of a large tech company recently told me that in IIT campus interviews, the better students earlier used to line up for employment but now toppers state they would like to venture out as a start-up because they want to be job givers rather than job seekers. The moment of digital empowerment, entrepreneurship and employment have indeed arrived.
Digital India comes of age: Under the Modi government it is giving rise to employment, entrepreneurship and empowerment
blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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- Bharatnet optical fibre cable news
1. More ambitious rural connectivity targets----------------------------------------------
✔️ 1 Gbps per GP by 2020 target was increased ten-fold to 10 Gbps by 2022.
✔️ Wifi density per GP target was revised upwards from 2 to 5. Tender for June 2018 will cost Rs 6000cr more and govt will subsidise 36% of the total.
✔️ WiFi in as yet unconnected GPs will function with alternative backhaul (ie spectrum). Expect complete OFC coverage between Jan to Mar 2019.
✔️ Govt will encourage the "proliferation" of PDO aggregators. These firms will buy bandwidth from providers and sell data packs to the public at very low rates.
https://www.livemint.com/Industry/a3J5EUbhOikWGcSybyVzVP/Govt-plans-Rs10000-crore-tender-to-set-up-more-rural-WiFi.html
2. Bharatnet will connect every village home!!----------------------------------------------
✔️ Idea is to increase internet penetration and "help every village home surf the web."
✔️Public institutions will get connected by fibre under Bharatnet programme. Ministry now wants to build an enabling optical fibre infra within habitations. This will help to connect homes to the fibre at a later date.
✔️ Fibre connections to homes will be done on PPP mode, along lines of Saubhagya scheme. In other words, actual connections can be done quickly on a big scale for an affordable amount.
https://inc42.com/buzz/saubhagya-to-compliment-bharatnet-to-avail-broadband-to-rural-masses/
3. Defence minister wants OFC in border areas----------------------------------------------
✔️ Defence ministry wants OFC for remote border villages on Indo-Tibet LAC rather than just satellite or radio. This is because radio connectivity from India side is poor v-v Chinese radio signals.
✔️ Military and civilians will be helped by reliable mobile telecommunications. High-speed internet will become dependable and have redundancy in the event of sabotage or conflict.
https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/centre-planning-to-lay-ofc-in-border-areas-nirmala-sitharaman/64369756
REPLY 38w - Wi-Fi news
Public Wi-Fi is worthwhile---------
✡ 40m new users will connect to the internet by public Wifi by 2019
According to a report, public wifi networks increase labour productivity and give fillip to GDP. They lead to direct expenditure on smart handsets and broadband services, and also improve quality & usage of mobile calls. This is because the new HotSpot 2.0 standard for public wifi allows them to exchange data with cellular towers. Public wifi networks are beneficial for Digital India and should be encouraged. Railtel enabled wifi at railway stations is desirable and its expansion is beneficial to the economy.
Very high data consumption on high-speed networks clearly points to significant latent demand for data, as seen below:
─ 1) IR's wifi at railways stations has generated high patronage, of about 300MB data in a 30min session. The network utilises high-speed Railtel fibre.
─ 2) Reliance Jio's 4G system is generating high usage of 550MB per day.
Reliance Jio and Wifi for phone calls--------------------------
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/jio-ready-for-next-battle-over-wifi-calling/articleshow/64862965.cms
Telcos object to easy regulations for wifi aggregators----
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/telecom/telecom-news/telcos-oppose-government-wooing-unlicensed-entities-for-wifi/articleshow/64891992.cms
REPLY 37w - Charting India’s leap from the Internet Dark Age to countrywide wireless connectivity
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Information and communication technologies have huge potential to promote development, ensure economic prosperity, and improve quality of life. Unfortunately for a long time, our country was in the Dark Age, with no means to connect to the outer world. However, with the advent and advancement of the telecommunication industry, novel ways of communicating have been constantly discovered by people and used as per their needs. Once India got its hands on the Internet, there was no looking back. The Internet has revolutionized the way we live and introduced us to the significance of being connected.
With the advancement of technology, Wi-Fi came into existence to improve internet experience by making it more accessible for people – be it at their homes, in offices, in colleges, or at railway stations, bus stops, cafes, or airports. In today’s age and time, the Internet has become the most integral part of everyone’s life and Public Wi-Fi hotspots are the new mantra for people to stay connected.
Millions worldwide latch on daily to paid and free Wi-Fi hotspots to surf the Net on their mobile devices. Globally it is estimated that public Wi-Fi hotspots will soon grow to 340 million, amounting to one hotspot for every 20 people, as against the current ratio of one hotspot for every 150 people. But a huge gap exists between India and the global average as additional 800,000 hotspots need to be deployed to match the current global average of one public Wi-Fi hotspot per 150 people. From urban to semi-urban to rural or the remotest parts of the country, there is always an issue of low or no internet connectivity.
Growth opportunities have always existed for people residing in these areas but lack of information and connectivity denied them opportunities to access and explore. A big digital divide between urban and rural India still exists and needs the utmost attention of industry, policymakers, and the public at large.
Although the government of India is taking a lot of initiatives to push the Digital India programme so as to bridge this divide, a robust public Wi-Fi ecosystem is required on a massive scale to provide last mile connectivity for the digital advancement of our society. Public Wi-Fi is one of the impactful tools for governments to create smart cities and smart villages so as to effectively empower their communities with better services. Public Wi-Fi hotspots can provide high speed and stable connectivity to people, enabling the common man to make informed decisions and be connected to the world.
The Ministry of Communications & IT says the Digital India programme is a $1-trillion business opportunity. Since launch, the Centre has been giving it support. Internet penetration in India stands at about 28.7 per cent now (rural penetration at 13.65 per cent). It has been broadly estimated that a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration in a country could potentially lead to an over 1 per cent increase in GDP. The National Digital Communications Policy, 2018 is going to set a milestone for Rural India connectivity as it seeks to unlock the transformative power of digital communications networks, to achieve the goal of digital empowerment and well-being of the people of India.
Current digital footprint in India
India is currently the second-largest telecommunications market in the world and is on a constant rise. A recent report revealed that there were 3.49 billion internet users around the world. It indicates that over 41 per cent of the world’s population is interconnected through the use of the Internet.
Witnessing a rapid growth in the connected world, India is on a steady rise in terms of internet user base, year after year. Further, the digital population of India is projected to reach 636 million by 2021. The internet penetration in India has risen from 7.5 per cent in 2010 to 29.55 per cent in 2016.
Installation of wifi hotspots and increasing smartphone penetration in rural and remote areas have greatly contributed in bridging the gap of connectivity. Digital programmes launched by corporate giants including ICICI Bank’s initiative to digitize 100 villages in 100 days and Google’s Digital Unlocked programme have also helped in creating digitalization in these areas.
Furthermore, Government policies and regulatory frameworks facilitate a competitive environment among service providers. The existing telecom players are thus offering enticing price points which in turn push the industry towards consolidation. Additionally, the regulatory authorities have ensured the ease of market access to telecom equipment in order to make the availability of telecom services to consumers at affordable prices.
Growing need for Wi-Fi hotspots
Driven by strong adoption of data consumption on handheld devices, the total mobile services market share in India is expected to touch US$37 billion in 2017, registering a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.2 per cent between 2014 and 2017, according to research firm IDC.
In India, most of the public Wi-Fi hotspots are venue-deployments, such as at airports and railway stations (0.5 per cent), hotels (41 per cent), and shopping malls, restaurants, coffee shops, and retail outlets (58 per cent). Currently, 31,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots are installed in India and are poised to grow beyond 202,000 by the end of 2018.
The data consumption pattern depicts that there is a strong need for internet users to stay connected to the digital world on the move. The wireless connection – or Wi-Fi, as it is commonly known – thus comes into play. With the advent of higher speeds over Wi-Fi networks, millions of digital populations throughout the world will latch on to the paid and free Wi-Fi hotspots for surfing the internet.
Globally, the statistics show that the number of public Wi-Fi hotspots is set to rise to 454 million by 2020. With digitalization, previously underserved rural areas can also have the benefit of remote access to a range of digital services, including healthcare, education, agriculture, banking, and a lot more.
Digitalization can also empower women in rural India, especially when concerted efforts are made to equip them to come online in larger numbers. Those who can’t afford internet services can benefit from free Wi-Fi hotspots to access information on public services, job hunt, skill development, entertainment, information exchange, new ideas, business growth, and so on. It can help us transform our world for the better.
Last-mile Wi-Fi connectivity – reality to be
The growth of connectivity largely depends on the increase in the number of Wi-Fi hotspots in the country. In the current scenario, a significant portion of the population does not have access to an internet connection. It is important to chart out a definite plan to work towards the government’s vision to have 7.5 lakh Wi-Fi public hotspots by the end of this year.
In a vast and diversified country like India, social barriers are often the determining factor for the advancement of people. It offers a wonderful opportunity for differently abled people, widows, and veterans from defence services to keep themselves occupied to an extent where they become self-sufficient and lead a respectworthy and dignified life.
With unprecedented access to the internet, the number of people getting online has increased dramatically. Over 200 million Indians regularly use social media, and in the last year alone, over 200 million Indians took to mobile banking and digital payments. As per a report by IAMAI, rural India, with an estimated population of 918 million as per 2011 census, has only 186 million internet users. Thus, there are potential 732 million users still in rural India, if only they can be reached out to properly. Hence, public Wi-Fi has a significant role to play in democratizing the Internet and creating a digitally empowered India.
REPLY 37w - Manoj Sinha, Telecoms minister: 4 years work
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While encouraging more deployment of mobile towers, Sinha revealed that base transceiver stations in the country had increased from 0.79m to 1.8m. Tele-density in the country has been enhanced to 93% from 75% in June 2014. Drop call situation had also improved and DoT's quarterly reviews demonstrated betterment of services.
Another highlight was that data consumption in the country was now 1.3 billion GBs pm, and tariff per data GB has come down to just Rs 21 from Rs 300 in 2014.
Minister revealed that DoT had fetched an all-time high revenue of Rs. 65,000 crore in 2015 and 2016 spectrum auctions. Govt has invested a sizeable Rs 10,000 cr to ensure digital connectivity for NE India. FDI in the telecom sector was around $6.1 billion in 2017-18 as against $1.3 billion in 2015-16.
Consolidation in the telecom sector would result in job losses, but Sinha insisted that 4-5 players should be considered healthy. Minister applauded both BSNL and MTNL, saying that BSNL was posting an operating profit for the last 3 consecutive years; and MTNL would be making large investments in its Delhi and Mumbai networks to improve customer services.
Minister revealed that In-Flight connectivity services would be operational by next year. DoT is in the process of appointing an ombudsman. The cabinet could approve NDCP 2018 by the end of July 2018.
REPLY 35w - Positive write-up by Chuck Robbins, CEO, Cisco
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India’s recent growth has been impressive – its 7.2% GDP makes it one of the fastest growing economies globally, and government initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India, as well as increasing FDI limits, are also generating massive opportunity.
In my view, India’s momentum is building tremendously — and it is technology that’s making it happen, opening up even bigger opportunities for growth, inclusion, and further investment. Consider the example of Reliance Jio, which provides broadband services to customers across India. Thanks to Reliance Jio, India now consumes more data than any country in the world. This incredible leap happened within just one year of Jio’s launch and was made possible by low-priced data plans, at only 40 cents per GB.
Bandhan Bank has touched the lives of millions of women in rural India, growing from a micro-financing initiative to a true bank with nearly 900 branches and 2,700 doorstep servicing centres across India. The BHIM app, based on UPI, an ambitious effort to facilitate ePayments, is also a huge success, with over 16 million users embracing cashless transactions for bill payments, rent, groceries and more.
In addition, ride-hailing apps like Ola, are used by nearly a fourth of the population. The government’s 2016 demonetisation move served as a significant push in the direction for digital transformation and accelerated the use of apps for digital payments. This transformation and ease of doing business in India have the potential to touch lives through digital inclusion.
Yet there is much more that can be done with technology – for instance, twelve million youth join the Indian workforce every year. The government is laying the right foundation to address this by providing broadband access and aiming to train 400 million people in digital skills by 2022.
Cisco has also committed to helping. As part of our efforts to accelerate India’s digital transformation, we are expanding the Cisco Networking Academy programme to help India increase its pool of highly-skilled technology professionals and expand its accessibility to education, research and technology. Our goal is to create a pipeline of 2,50,000 skilled students in India by 2020 as well as a marketplace for high-value technology-based careers.
To further drive education, India can also efficiently solve the shortage of qualified teachers by embracing eLearning tools like video learning, Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality.
Healthcare is another area in which technology can make a difference. In the 2018-19 Union budget, the government announced a new healthcare arrangement that will impact 500 million Indians, making it the world’s biggest health protection programme.
According to McKinsey, 140 litres of water are needed per person per day, however, only 105 litres are supplied in India. Digitising water management could eliminate waste and help citizens get the water that they need. In Andhra Pradesh, technology is playing a part in water management: Using Cisco’s IoT enabled Water Management Solution, the state has automated its water grid management.
According to Nasscom’s Startup Report, India has the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, with 5,200 startups, and more than 1,000 new startups in 2017 alone. In just over 10 years, Cisco has allocated $280 million to invest in Indian startups and has already invested in over 25 startups in the country. In addition, the introduction of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) will help contribute to and accelerate India’s ranking as a business hub. The opportunity in India has never been greater, as the world’s youngest startup nation, from the creation of new jobs to continued innovation within a booming startup community.
India’s digital revolution has had such an impact on every sector of society. As both business and government initiatives leverage digitisation, I believe that we will see even faster-paced economic growth in India, which can improve lives across the country. I am excited to see the possibilities.
REPLY 37w - Has Digital India met its lofty aims?
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Digital India /MII
- have common service centres come up in 250,000 GPs?
183,000 GPs covered
- are Fab plants coming to India, will smart meters be MII?
No Fab. Huge 250m smart meter procurement is in offing. Honeywell is expanding its Pune factory. Most likely all smart meters will be MII.
- zero imports by 2020?
Very unlikely, but a big increase in MII for electronics products.
- 400k public Wifi (all cities with >1m, tourist centres & uni)?
31,000 currently. BSNL has 23,000 public Wifi. Railways has them in 370 stations. Around 200,000 Wifis are expected by end-2018. Big tender in offing will add many more.
https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/ipass-partners-with-bsnl-to-expand-wifi-footprint-in-india-20180613-00392
- fall in villages still without mobile telephone connectivity?
Stats not available. In next year, all villages will be covered by OFC. Telcos are also putting up towers in backward regions.
- secure govt email server?
Feb report stated it will be done in 4 months. The protocol has been prepared for wholesale switch-over of 5 lakh govt employees. Defence server already in place.
- 300k IT service agents, 500k rural IT workers, 10m IT trained?
IT Training has been given to around 5.5m. Around 300,000 newly established CSC will be manned by private sector entrepreneurs. Govt has enhanced DISHA-rural to 60m.
- completed Bharatnet by 2018?
Basic fibre laying to be completed by March 2019. BN has been expanded so work will continue for many years.
- reports on take-off growth in telemedicine and e-education?
States are making efforts, eg UP is developing it. Has not taken off in a dramatic way.
- report of a successful launch of GeM?
GeM has become operational but will continue to evolve and improve. It has received good feedback but also constructive suggestions.
- reports of fewer personal enrichment stories about politicians and babus
True. Talk is that it continues to a large extent in most non-BJP state governments (for party funds).
Digital plus Aadhaar/ JAM
- no. of duplicated ID detected, leakages stopped?
Sharp fall in both as per opening post. Aadhaar use is set for expansion. Supreme court has delayed it due to privacy issues, so govt has to create safeguards for personal information.
- reports on change in social-economic condition?
Improvement is reflected in visible rural consumption. Govt is confident that masses are getting their dues.
- lower cash needed to be in circulation?
Yes, digital payments continue to rise and less cash is in circulation. But cash demand has picked up recently probably due to LS 2019 elections.
- large govt revenue (Rs >1.5lakh cr.) from demonetisation?
Money came back to banks, so awaiting tax investigations to conclude. Large amounts returned with intent to evade taxation.
- 25 billion digital transactions for 2017-18?
12+ billion is more reasonable. 1+ billion per month figure was breached in Dec 2017.
- percent of wages paid by digital?
Not sure, but 5 lakh added to EPFO payroll every month.
- Increase in new tax filings from business classes?
GST registrations 2/3rd higher at 70% filling. Income tax filings up from 5.4cr to 6.8cr. Data sharing and analytics are responsible for a sharp increase in filings. GST impact on income tax will be seen next year.
- higher tax to GDP (not due to GST), higher corporate taxes?
Income tax collections have shot up, but corporate taxes not so much because of corporate rate cuts. Govt didn't increase personal allowances.
"Advance tax in Q1 of CY saw a gross increase of 44% in personal taxes and 17% in corporate taxes.”
https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/full-text-arun-jaitleys-blog-on-impact-of-govt-policies-on-direct-tax-collections-money-in-swiss-banks/1225596/
- higher detection of income tax evasion?
Yes. But not as much as one would expect. To a great extent, people have responded by increasing filings.
- reports of large nos of case & seizures under the Benami act?
No. of Benami cases is relatively few. There should be a lot more.
- reports on a large flux of money in funds, banks, businesses?
Absolutely
- reports that voter cash bribes is less prevalent?
Yes. Voters are being bribed more creatively.
REPLY 37w - Digital Healthcare
India’s leadership role in ushering a global digital health revolution received a boost on May 29 this year when its resolution was passed unanimously by the Global Health Assembly, the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organisation (WHO). This resolution will also help nations to transform their health systems. In February, India forged the Global Digital Health Partnership in Canberra, Australia, with 12 other countries to create digital solutions for prevailing healthcare problems. It is also planning to host a Global Digital Health Summit. No country needs digital advancements more than India, where the healthcare system still faces grave inadequacies. For every 1,000 people, India has 0.65 doctors, 1.3 nurses and 1.3 hospital beds, compared to WHO recommendations of one doctor, 2.5 nurses and 3.5 hospital beds. Inadequacies in infrastructure and healthcare human resources are starker in rural areas.
A fast-growing digitally literate population, 20-30% annual growth of smartphone and internet penetration, 58% annual growth in rural internet users, all provide enough fuel for the digital movement to spread across India. The completion of BharatNet, which will connect 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, will provide a solid backbone for access to the remotest of areas. Telemedicine is a key component that will help bring down the disparity in health offerings between rural and urban India. Urban India can also benefit hugely through extended diagnosis and treatment to patient’s homes.
Electronic health records (EHRs) — which tremendously improve the quality, availability and transferability of patient’s health records, and prevent duplication of tests — reduce treatment cost and enable predictive analytics. Other disruptive technologies making inroads into healthcare include blockchain and big-data analytics, the use of deep machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and genomics. Provision of e-health services on a mobile platform via apps enable teleconsultations, point-of-care diagnostics and e-prescriptions. They improve access to health services, enhance awareness and enable better management of ailments. Smart devices — heart rate monitors built into watches, glucose monitors integrated into contact lenses, etc — aid in remote patient monitoring, tracking and generate alerts. Another interesting concept cropping up worldwide is the e-pharmacy.
However, there are plenty of challenges. Poor IT literacy, low internet penetration, a lack of regionally relevant content, low availability of appropriate access devices, poor last-mile connectivity and unaffordability are major hindrances.
India is also on the low end of EHR adoption, with doctors and medical staff still reluctant to accept digital health initiatives because of lack of awareness and knowledge of benefits. Privacy of the patient’s information and its security is another big challenge. Although GoI has drafted the Digital Information Security in Healthcare Act, it’s still at a consultation stage. EHR standards notified in 2016 are also devoid of legal force. Digital technologies work without boundaries. But cross-state and cross-border operations are restricted by various legal instruments. The issue of the validity of e-prescriptions is also yet to be resolved.
India must urgently develop a solid framework for security and privacy of healthcare information. An industry-friendly law to encourage entrepreneurship and the delivery of digital health services is also needed. Jurisdictional issues in e-pharmacies and telemedicine need to be legally resolved. Also, e-prescriptions warrant legal status. Standards for EHRs need statutory backing.
Getting experienced health professionals, with proper communication skills and training, on board is another critical area. GoI must effectively form partnerships with private healthcare providers, academia, health IT practitioners, industry, patient groups and regulatory bodies. Because digital healthcare can revolutionise preventive, promotive and curative health, reach remotest areas, and redefine the deliverance of health services.
REPLY 37w - Industry players on Thursday welcomed the government's move to double the allocation for the Digital India programme to Rs 3,073 crore -- a decision that will help research and skilling in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), among others.
Presenting the Union Budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that NITI Aayog will initiate a national programme to direct efforts in AI and the Department of Science and Technology will launch a Mission on Cyber-Physical Systems.
"The National Programme on Artificial Intelligence to be set up by Niti Aayog, the 5G test-bed in IIT Chennai and the mission to encourage Big Data, cybersecurity and Robotics are some of the initiatives that will help promote Industry 4.0," said Dr Subho Ray, President, the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
The government will establish Centres of Excellence (CoEs) for research, training and skilling in Robotics, AI, digital manufacturing, Big Data Analytics, quantum communication and IoT.
"The continued focus on building smart cities and enabling widescale Wi-Fi access will go a long way in driving development. Specifically, the announcement in the field of Artificial Intelligence is a welcome move that will give India the opportunity to innovate and succeed in today's technology-driven world," noted Kulmeet Bawa, Managing Director, South Asia, Adobe.
Sumeer Chandra, Managing Director, HP Inc. India, said the company is thrilled with the emphasis on promoting research and use cases for digital manufacturing and 3D printing.
"We believe this technology will enable speedy growth of the manufacturing industry and help India in becoming a major manufacturing hub," Chandra emphasised.
Welcoming the focus on disruptive technologies, Priya Mahajan, Head of ASPAC Public Policy & Regulatory Counsel, Verizon Enterprise Solutions, said that "we hope that the government will also consider additional reforms in the telecom sector to create a predictable, flexible, lightly regulated policy framework that incentivises the businesses to invest, reinvest and to compete on a level playing field basis".
The aim of the government is to support the establishment of centres of excellence for research, training and skilling in Robotics, AI, digital manufacturing, Big Data Analytics, quantum communication and IoT.
"It is great to see the government's continued efforts towards 'Digital India' by increasing investment for digital initiatives and enabling the NITI Aayog to direct efforts towards Artificial Intelligence. We look forward to partnering with the public and private sector to create a technology-driven ecosystem which fosters local innovation and research," said Mahesh Nayak, Chief Operating Officer, SAP Labs India.
According to Arun Gupta, CEO and Founder of MoMagic Technologies, the budget has recognised the importance of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics as tools to further growth at the national level.
"Niti Aayog's plan is a welcome move which will push investments and research in this space and will put India on the right path for innovation," Gupta added.
This is in regard to the Union Budget 2018-19. Enclosed is the quote on the budget reaction on Cybersecurity from PwC, for your reference.
Sivarama Krishnan, Partner and Leader Cyber Security, PwC India, said: "The CoEs (Center of Excellences) will be a key step in building solutions which embed security by design and privacy by design".
"It's great to see that government is recognising future technology for building the future. Not only this helps in job creation but also advances the nation in competitive global space," added Prabhakar Chaudhary, MD-HAL Robotics.
For Prakash Mallya, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing Group, Intel India, the NITI Aayog's effort to institutionalise research and development in AI reinforces the value that ML can bring to issues of national importance.
According to Arvind Chandrasekhar, Worldwide Government Affairs Lead at chip-maker AMD, with the active use of AI and ML, the "Operation Green" to address price fluctuations in potato, tomato and onion will be aided to provide better predictability to the farmers and consumers alike.
REPLY 37w - Blockchain in Power sector
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Man has always pondered on nature and made endeavours to learn from its principles. Aeroplanes were inspired by birds, bullet trains by the kingfisher, sonar by dolphins, and robots were designed to mimic humans themselves. We often tend to look up to nature to find solutions for simple yet complex problems. One such example that has been inspired by microbes and is proving to be a solution for numerous problems is the distributed ledger technology (DLT), popularly known as blockchain.
Blockchain has the potential to disrupt nearly every industry, starting from financial institutions to manufacturing, education and power. Its relevance can be understood by a recent Gartner study that estimates blockchain will add $3.1 trillion in business value by 2030.
Blockchain, which is a decentralized ledger, records transactions between two parties in a perpetual manner without the need for third-party authentication, thus creating an extremely efficient process for situations where stable data is involved. The technology provides data management without the risk of manipulation or unauthorized access, allowing critical information to be exchanged between various authorized users. For example, the adoption of blockchain in the diamond mining industry would guarantee that your anniversary gift to your wife is 100% authentic, which she may verify easily with just a click.
In the power sector, the technology can ensure digitization, deregulation, decentralization, distribution, and democratization—a 5D impact. It can open possibilities ranging from peer-to-peer exchange to create a global energy ecosystem. Decentralizing the electricity market would make energy a resource on a blockchain where people can trade power within a peer-to-peer market. Utilities and consumers can benefit from the numerous advantages of the blockchain, including lower transaction costs, network transparency and much more.
Blockchain can help meet various utility industry requirements. It can act as a foundation stone with the potential to disrupt the existing industry ecosystem. With transactional security and reliability as its core capability, it can help create immutable records, strengthening systems like bill payment, solar renewable energy certificates, e-charging infrastructure and more. It can also help if a customer opts to switch utilities.
Another key area is the smart grids. With the promotion for e-vehicles and people moving to electric cars, supply and demand need to keep pace. Blockchain can help in the scenario with its peer-to-peer sharing and interconnectivity, thereby balancing the demand from multiple sources and direct sharing, making the grid smarter and modular.
Blockchains can make smart meters more potent by providing accurate data to the supplier without the need for a direct link to specific users, lending more control to the end user. Over time, all electricity meters could be fitted with blockchain nodes, making them capable of plugging into a single power exchange to directly exchange electricity between themselves. It can be applied as a pilot, with reduced scope, to models such as microgrids, independent power producer settlements, grid settlements and wholesale market trading.
Besides this, blockchain can play a critical role in optimizing power flows through the integration and optimization of local grids controlled by the public, private or consortium modes. It can help in the maintenance of permanent records by contractors, giving a clear view of a specific object or piece of infrastructure, as well as allowing the update of the ownership data at any given time. This information can be accessed easily as the system is built on a shared platform while maintaining the authenticity of the record.
Over the long term, blockchain can play a key role in managing distributed energy resources or virtual power plants which are, mainly, strategically clustered and dispersed assets with large electricity generators and energy storage systems. It can help operators tremendously in controlling these plants to estimate energy outflow from conventional sources, so as to minimize fluctuations. In the case of renewable energy, it can also allow them to keep a close check on the complexity of production forecast as it varies for every generation facility, thereby allowing effective participation in the energy exchange for higher revenue.
While the technology is being explored and developed, it will overcome some of the key barriers, such as the requirement for higher computing power as the span of the ledger increases, reduction in the time taken to process the validation of the chain, integration with the current enterprise technology, which holds a huge database, and the need to have a conducive regulatory and reporting environment as the user community understands the use of blockchain.
I am of the view that blockchain has the potential to disrupt the existing value chain for power utilities and fulfil the future vision of a distributed energy-sharing economy. Therefore, at utilities, the blockchain adoption road map should begin with an evaluation process and systematic and logical adoption decisions, keeping in mind the incremental cost and benefits. While the technology might still be away from mainstream adoption, utilities can determine the best way to leverage it to their advantage by beginning now.
REPLY 37w - Blockchain in Telecoms
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Only those authorised can access subscriber details
For, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has proposed a blockchain solution to curb such unsolicited calls and to strengthen the Do Not Disturb (DND) services that it launched in 2010. Unwanted telephone calls that want you to buy a credit card or invest in a new home or offer personal loans could soon be a thing of the past.
Recorded consent first
The new regulation will require the recorded consent of the consumer before a third party can make such calls. This means that registered telemarketers will be able to call a consumer only after he/she has given explicit consent through either the DND 2.0 service app, an SMS or through a phone call. Also, the consumer can, at any point, revoke the consent.
No waiting
Further, since the new technology is more dynamic, the consumer does not have to wait seven days, as is the case now, to get the DND service activated.
Besides, all conversations between subscribers and business entities will be recorded to monitor if the regulatory norms are being complied with.
A first worldwide
Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, TRAI Chairman RS Sharma claimed that it is a first or the telecom sector anywhere in the world to use technology on such a scale to stop pesky calls.
“Blockchain ensures two things — non-repudiation and confidentiality,” Sharma said. The technology ensures that information is made available to people only on a need-to-know basis and only those authorised will be able to access subscriber details based on consent. Since all actions are documented using blockchain, they cannot be tampered with. Telecom service providers and other stakeholders will invest in the technology infrastructure to ensure regulatory compliance at the time of implementation.
The draft of the proposed Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation, 2018 will be open to public for comments till June 11.
Though TRAI has been trying to stop the menace of unsolicited commercial calls for the last several years, the efforts have remained futile as unregistered telemarketers call or message from a 10- digit number that often could not even be traced.
In fact, in recent times the incidence of pesky calls has been on the rise.
Co-regulation proposed
Sharma said that the new regulation is an answer to these issues. In addition to new technology, the regulation also proposes co-regulation, where telecom service providers and access providers establish a framework backed by the regulator.
Under the new regulation, violation of consumer consent will result in stringent restrictions, penalties and disincentives for the stakeholders.
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