Pune, 12 June 2023
Introduction:
- Welcome everyone to the technology heartland of Maharashtra, my colleagues in the Government of India, Secretary of MeitY, Mr. Alkesh Sharma, G20 delegates and our honoured guests.
- I would like to extend a special welcome to the delegations here for the Global DPI Summit. I understand that ministers and senior officials from over 15 countries have joined us for this event. It is a proud moment for India to host so many delegates, international experts, international organisations working on Digital Government. I urge you to pay a visit to the Global DPI Exhibition where G20 members and invited countries have displayed and demonstrated their populations-scale DPIs. It is an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and best practices of DPI implementation and further the advance of the global digital economy.
Brief on Global and Indian Digital Economy:
- The global digital economy has seen significant growth and transformation in recent years, driven by advancements in technology, increased internet penetration, and the proliferation of smartphones and other connected devices. It has fundamentally changed the way businesses operate, how consumers use products and services, and the overall global economic landscape. According to a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 2020, the value of global e-commerce alone exceeded $26 trillion in 2019. The numbers today will undoubtedly be much higher.
- The Indian market has evolved simultaneously with an increasing number of people adopting digital technologies like smart phones, supported by affordable data plans and widespread internet penetration. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that India has created a large market for digital services such as e-commerce, digital payments, and online entertainment. The Make in India and Digital programs have been significant contributors to this evolution. Make in India has supported the production of digital devices while Digital India has promoted the adoption of digital services in a secured manner.
- India is also actively working on multiple policies to further India’s vision for a Global Standard Cyber Law Framework, alongside its efforts to enable programs. This framework includes key legislations like the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, which focuses on respecting individuals’ rights while processing digital personal data. Other key legislations like the National Data Governance Framework Policy aims to safely share non-personal and anonymized data for research and innovation, ensuring privacy and security. The Draft Digital India Act will harmonize laws, regulate emerging technologies like AI, and incorporate industry input on blockchain and Web 3.0 regulations to protect digital citizens from harm.
Context setting for DEWG:
- These programs and progress have been made possible by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi’s enterprising vision. We are now ushering India’s Techade with the digital nagrik at the centre. The three priority areas selected by the Indian Presidency for the Digital Economy Working Group will contribute to the growth of the global digital economy.
- Digital Public Infrastructure like Aadhaar, CoWIN, and UPI have been the key to unlocking innovation and solving the accessibility challenge for many Indian citizens and private players. Second, developing policies that promote security in the digital economy have ensured trust and safety in the digital economy, we recently amended our IT Rules to combat misinformation. Finally, we have driven several initiatives such as FutureSkills Prime that has over 1.3 million sign ups and 540,000 candidates have enrolled. Similarly, under PMG DISHA that aims to train over 60 million people in digital skills.
Digital Public Infrastructure:
- The DPI approach, proposed under India’s presidency, has gained significant recognition and endorsement at various international platforms, including the SCO digital ministers’ level, QUAD leaders’ meeting, and India-EU Trade and Technology Council. These endorsements underscore the relevance and potential of the DPI approach and emphasize the importance of collaboration with esteemed countries and international partners. It is my hope that we will align our efforts to achieve consensus on DPIs in the DEWG.
Security in the Digital Environment Globally and in India:
- With the rise of healthtech, fintech, ecommerce, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things companies, businesses now hold large data sets that hold sensitive and personal data of consumers. Sectorally, most cybercrimes are reported in the financial services sector followed by the healthcare sector and crimes on social media. These are key sectors where data breaches not only incur economic costs but also hurt consumer trust and business credibility. Meanwhile, security threats like ransomware, data breaches, phishing attacks, denial-of-service attacks threaten ordinary people, businesses and governments. Such crimes and the consequent loss of trust in consumers could eventually slow down digital transformation and economic growth.
- While big players in the system have the resources to continuously update their security mechanisms to ensure resilience, the same cannot be expected from small businesses i.e., startups and MSMEs who are at the forefront of innovation.
- Because security in the digital economy is a global challenge, a partnership approach is needed—one that includes governments, businesses, and development institutions—to build trust, improve awareness, and deliver the digital solutions.
Security Agenda:
- Our approach to the G20 cooperation for security in the digital environment agenda is driven by three key points:
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- First, we think it is important for governments to formally recognize what industry already has- that security threats hamper innovation, trust in essential services and consumer confidence that negatively impacts the digital economy.
- Second, security in the digital economy is not a domestic issue nor a domain in which selective cooperation is enough. We must devise common understanding to improve domestic legal, technical, and economic aspects of security in the digital economy so that specific avenues for cooperation, exchange and goals can be devised by each country. These benchmarks are significant because of the increasing players entering the digital economy that need to be made cyber resilient.
- Finally, our approach is driven by the need to bring in multistakeholder cooperation amongst governments, businesses, and international organizations. But there are also other important stakeholders to consider i.e., citizens and consumers who play a key role in implementing best practices at the day-to-day level.
Digital Skilling:
- Finally, I would like to highlight the importance of digital skilling, which is crucial for reducing the digital divide among G20 members. In the present era of digitalisation, it is important that countries invest in reassessing and revamping their strategies for digital skilling, upskilling, and reskilling in accordance with the industry’s changing demands. I firmly believe that the G20 should actively discuss these issues and work towards achieving outcomes that benefit the global workforce.
Concluding Remarks:
- The digital economy is a powerful force that unites us globally, aligning with the Indian Presidency’s vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, where we work together as one family for the betterment of our collective future.
- I firmly believe that both developing and developed nations have the potential to harness the opportunities presented by the digital economy, contributing to both global and domestic GDP growth. I express my gratitude and eagerly anticipate future discussions, agreements, and collaborations with like-minded countries and trusted partners to foster digital inclusion and social empowerment.
- I am confident that, over the course of these three days, the Digital Economy Working Group will collaborate closely to achieve outcomes that benefit every member involved.
Thank you.
MI/PM
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