Mr. President,

The 20th century saw science improving our understanding of the building blocks such as the atom, the gene, and the byte. It soon led to technologies that could manipulate these to generate immense power in energy, medicine and Information and Communication Technologies. 

The digitization of data and the exponential computing power, utilizing algorithms based on ones and zeros, are transforming our world in more ways than ever imagined - from manufacturing to services deploying innovative mobile phone applications; print & electronic media, transport, healthcare, education and academica, entertainment to social media.

Powerful search engines are collapsing whole libraries of information into a smartphone. Our phones use geospatial information to track flights or taxi cabs and even hurricanes on a real-time basis. 

Today, the power of Social Media, Big Data analytics and Internet of Things are once again completely altering businesses and the ways in which people interact with one another and with governments. 

At the same time there are emerging associated concerns over cyber security, possible cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, to privacy of personal data, not to mention the resulting social and economic problems.  

Mr. President, 

Although technology is neutral, its deployment and access to its benefits are not. While ICT has tremendous power to change lives, a digital divide can exacerbate the existing inequalities and create new schisms. 

ICT is a tool that can be and is being effectively deployed to empower people, the poor and the marginalised. We in India are proud of our achievements in this field and our total and unflinching commitment to ICT for development.

Mr. President, 

Recognising the power of ICT to improve governance and to make development more inclusive and participatory, the Government of India is implementing a range of programmes deploying digital technologies.

The Digital India programme is aimed at bridging the digital divide and empowering vulnerable sections of population and those living in remote areas.  This programme focuses on enhancing internet and mobile connectivity and access, e-governance and e-services, information for all, electronic manufacturing and IT for jobs.

The e-services being offered include a very broad spectrum ranging from tele-education and tele-medicine to support education and health care in remote rural areas; agriculture information services to provide crop prices, weather forecasts, water management and new farming techniques that can lead to improved incomes for rural people.  ICT is also being used for disaster preparedness and early warning, and improving transport and logistics efficiency.

Mr. President,

India's deployment of ICT to push financial inclusion has registered remarkable successes.  More than one billion Indians have been issued biometric-based unique identity cards known as Aadhar.  This has helped the government save USD 9 billion by eliminating the leakages and duplications. More than 300 million new bank accounts have been opened for the vulnerable sections.  

The linking of these cards with bank accounts and mobile phones is leading to efficient and transparent access to a host of e-services, including financial services such as credit, insurance, loans, pensions and remittances while plugging leakages. Tax compliance has increased exponentially, providing increased government revenues to pay for infrastructure development and welfare.

Another significant success has been achieved in the use of a special application known as e-VIN, for real time access to information about the availability of specialized vaccines around the country.  

ICT is linking markets for agriculture produce through a National Agriculture Market dashboard called e-NAM.  There is a special online marketing platform for women entrepreneurs called Mahila Haat.  

In July this year, when India presented its Voluntary National Review on the achievement of SDGs, our delegation included a representative from one of the Indian states, Andhra Pradesh.  Some of you may have witnessed a demonstration of an online dashboard that the authorities in that state use to monitor real time status of street lamps among others.

ICT is also being deployed for land registry management, open Government Data about public and financial institutions, tax returns, welfare schemes and online access to forms and birth certificates.  It is promoting innovation through development of new services and increasing access of SMEs to business opportunities.

Mr. President,

India continues to work with fellow developing countries in facilitating capacity building in the use of ICT for development purposes.

I would like to conclude by reiterating India's continued active engagement to build upon the synergies between the outcomes of the World Summit on Information Society, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to strengthen global partnerships in utilizing the transformative impact of ICT tools in accelerating the achievement of the SDGs that we have set for ourselves.

Thank you.