Narendra Modi Pitches India's Digital Model at Bloomberg Forum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the eighth Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, asserting that data, knowledge, and innovation define power in the 21st century. He advocated for a philosophy termed "Power to Empower," arguing that the global community must shift from using power for control and competition toward using it for enablement and collaboration.

Modi presented India's digital transformation as a model for inclusive growth, noting that the government's focus on affordable mobile data since 2014 has democratized access to information. He highlighted the expansion of the national startup ecosystem from a few hundred companies to over 250,000, stating that nearly half of these originate in small cities and towns and 45% include a woman director or partner.

To illustrate this accessibility, Modi cited the Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) trinity and Direct Benefit Transfer system as tools that reduced corruption and improved governance. He also noted the growth of renewable energy capacity, which rose from 75 gigawatts in 2014 to nearly 300 gigawatts. Modi emphasized India's commitment to the Global South by sharing open-source Digital Public Infrastructure, such as the CoWIN platform, and providing COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 countries.