Last year during the Diwali season, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was filmed buying a Ganesh idol in a Mumbai shop and paying with UPI — a small moment that, officials say, captures a much larger story: India’s digital transformation as the Modi government completes 12 years in office and Prime Minister Narendra Modi surpasses Jawaharlal Nehru to become one of the country’s longest-serving leaders.
A decade ago, India was widely associated with paperwork, long queues, cash payments and complex procedures. Over the past 12 years, initiatives such as Digital India, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar, expanded mobile connectivity and UPI have reshaped that image. Together, these programmes have pushed financial services and government delivery into digital channels accessible to millions.
Launched soon after Modi took office in 2014, the Jan Dhan scheme opened bank accounts for vast numbers of previously unbanked people. Today nearly 550 million Jan Dhan accounts exist, many in women’s names, bringing millions of families into the formal banking system and enabling direct access to government transfers.
The so-called “JAM trinity” — Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile connectivity — underpins this change. Direct Benefit Transfers now send pensions, scholarships and welfare payments straight into recipients’ bank accounts, reducing middlemen and leakages that once undermined service delivery.
Digital payments have become commonplace across the country. Scanning a QR code is now visible in villages, towns, mountains and deserts; rickshaw drivers, shopkeepers and roadside vendors routinely accept payments on smartphones. For many Indians, a phone can substitute for cash or cards in everyday life.
Economically, India has also climbed the global rankings. When Modi took office in 2014 India was the world’s tenth-largest economy; today it is cited as the fourth-largest, and institutions including the IMF and World Bank have highlighted India among the fastest-growing major economies. The economy has remained resilient even amid global trade tensions and energy disruptions.
Infrastructure development has advanced alongside digital change. Over the last 12 years India has expanded motorways, railways, airports, waterways and metro networks, and projects completed in this period extended rail connectivity to parts of the Northeast, including Mizoram.
Social schemes have recorded large numbers: the Ujjwala Yojana delivered LPG connections to more than 100 million families; the Swachh Bharat Mission claims roughly 110 million toilets constructed; the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana reports about 38.5 million families housed; and the Saubhagya scheme provided over 28 million new electricity connections.
India’s global profile has risen with high‑profile events and achievements — from hosting the G20 summit to the Chandrayaan‑3 lunar landing and growing involvement in technologies such as artificial intelligence. Yet the country still faces significant challenges.
The image of a foreign leader paying by UPI in a Mumbai shop is more than symbolism: it reflects an India where tradition and technology coexist, where a village woman with a QR code can engage the world, and where the scale of 1.4 billion people draws attention. For many, the digital revolution is not just a technical success but a sign of a more confident, capable and aspirational nation — a reality that, supporters say, makes “Yes, We Can” more than a slogan.
Original Source: https://www.sentinelassam.com/more-news/editorial/the-modi-government-has-initiated-a-digital-revolution-in-india-over-the-past-12-years
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Publish Date: 2026-06-20 11:07:00
