India’s digital ecosystem has created new world-class benchmarks. Speaking at the CNN-News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025, technology expert Vivek Wadhwa claimed that India now outpaces Silicon Valley in digital presence. He complimented the country’s affordable and fast internet and encouraged people to grasp their technological advantage.

Amid these achievements, experts at the summit pointed to a crucial lacuna. They called for deeper reforms, increased rural connectivity, and continued investments. As global recognition increases, India needs to tackle policy lags and increase digital inclusion to sustain its leadership.

Milestones in India’s Digital Journey

India’s journey to digital greatness has some notable accomplishments. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) identified India’s digital public infrastructure as a benchmark for other countries. Projects such as Aadhaar have made direct benefit transfers easier, curbing fraud and encouraging economic formalization.

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has revolutionized real-time payments, facilitating around 49% of the world’s transactions in 2023. The BharatNet project has also enabled more than 214,000 gram panchayats to be connected to high-speed internet, boosting rural connectivity.

Investment Requirements for Sustainable Development

Despite these achievements, there are large investments required to address the growing need for digital services. A collaborative report by EY and the Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA) approximates India’s digital infrastructure industry requiring up to $23 billion by 2025. Such funding is essential to fund the expected boom in online traffic and services in industries such as e-commerce, education, and healthcare. The report estimates that 330 million people will be covered by 5G services by 2025, highlighting the imperative to upgrade infrastructure.

Bridging the Urban-Rural Digital Divide

As urban centers witness exponential digital growth, rural areas are still struggling with poor internet connectivity and low digital literacy. To close this gap, BharatNet is seeking to provide broadband connectivity to more than 600,000 villages. In addition, digital literacy campaigns at the national level covering marginalized sections are critical for growth to be inclusive. Adoption of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, is also critical to secure user data and ensure trust in digital ecosystems.

Emerging Technologies

In addition to infrastructure and literacy, India’s attention is now shifting towards emerging technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT) hold the potential to transform sectors across the board. These technologies, if deployed together, can make operations more efficient, generate employment opportunities, and establish India as a global technology leader. All this needs is sound policy frameworks, investment in research and development, and the availability of skilled manpower for adopting these innovations.

India’s digital emergence represents a revolutionary period of innovation and accessibility. With strategic investments, inclusive policies, and emerging technologies at the forefront, India can cement its status as a digital leader in the world, ensuring that the fruits of this revolution are shared by all.