~ Shrishti Sharma
“India lives in different generations. It’s not just the states you see; it’s the rich mosaic of generations shaping our nation,” says C J Venugopal, IAS, Addl. Chief Secretary & Chief Administrator, Government of Odisha, Our today’s guest for the debut episode of ETBFSI’s all-new series “Digital Bharat – Inclusivity for Growth ”.
Venugopal emphasises the diversity within India’s different generations, transcending state boundaries. The disparities in infrastructure and daily living standards are stark as one moves from urban to rural areas and between states.
ETBFSI will be delving into the facets of India’s digital economy with the series, Digital Bharat: Inclusivity for Growth which aims to explore aspects like the future of lending, MSMEs/SME business growth, holistic digital transformation, development through sustainability, and more
India stands tall as the fifth largest economy in the world, what is it that drove the growth? In totality, there are many factors but infusing technology in the system has been a game-changer. A data by the Reserve Bank of India’s December bulletin states how India’s digital economy grew 2.4 times faster between 2014 and 2019, and also created 62.4 million jobs. As a developing nation, the figures are clearly astounding. Formalisation of the economy has been long since pending, and digitalisation is the expeditor.
“Odisha government is industriously creating infrastructure that has been shrinking the digital divide. The network of digital highways, being able to connect virtually with the local government, ‘Odisha one’ are to name a few initiatives,” said CJ Venugopal.
“Odisha One” is a comprehensive platform that aims to provide government services to its customers with the ease of a click.
While digital inclusion has been a progressive idea, the concern of cybersecurity persists and needs to be checked. Cybersecurity operating centres are a crucial link in the process of keeping things accessible via phones digitally.
The mindset here is geared towards facilitating business operations through digitalisation. However, as highlighted by Venugopal, the emphasis remains on charting a guided path that prioritises the well-being of citizens.
“Land is the basis of any governance, and we have digitised all the lands available with unique plot numbers and they can be accessed for buying and selling. Records are available, e-stamping can be done, and also an online asset calculator,” remarked Venugopal. The initiative has proved to be efficient, hassle-free for the citizens, and also contributed to the increase in government revenue.
Odisha’s 5T initiative, focusing on Teamwork, Transparency, Technology, Time, and Transformation, aims to enhance governance and ensure efficient public service delivery.
Digital infrastructure has played a pivotal role in advancing government schemes, particularly through the effective utilization of Direct Bank Transfer for financial inclusion. Digitalising education and health have also emerged as focal points for these efforts. The overarching goal has been to streamline processes, rendering them cashless, paperless, and faceless, thereby enhancing efficiency and accessibility.
