Digital India is an umbrella programme that covers multiple Government Ministries and Departments. It weaves together a large number of ideas and thoughts into a single, comprehensive vision so that each of them can be implemented as part of a larger goal. Each individual element stands on its own, but is also part of the larger picture. Digital India is to be implemented by the entire Government with overall coordination being done by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY). Nine important pillars of digital India are as follows:
Broadband Highways
Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity
Public Internet Access Programme
Electronics Manufacturing
Early Harvest Programmes
e-Governance – Reforming Government through Technology
eKranti – Electronic delivery of services
Information for All
IT for Jobs
All the initiatives, including establishing and expanding core ICT infrastructure, delivery of services …etc under the Digital India programme have definitive completion time targets. Majority of the initiatives are planned to be realized within the next three years. The initiatives planned for early completion (“Early Harvest Programmes”) and citizen communication initiatives (“Information for All”) have already started going live and are being completed. The Digital India programme aims at pulling together many existing schemes.
These schemes will be restructured, revamped and re-focused and will be implemented in a synchronized manner. Many elements are only process improvements with minimal cost implications. The common branding of programmes as Digital India highlights their transformative impact. While implementing this programme, there would be wider consultations across government, industry, civil society, and citizens to discuss various issues to arrive at innovative solutions for achieving the desired outcomes of Digital India.