India, world’s No 1 country in digital payments: Anurag Thakur’s reply to taunts by past govts

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Anurag Thakur on Friday explained in great detail about India’s giant strides on economic, infrastructure and technological fronts while making an elaborate presentation on the swift changes during ten years of Modi government.

The I&B Minister briefing the Viskit Bharat Ambassador event participants also took a moment to call out the incompetency of previous governments, especially on the digital front and told the audience that today India enjoys a numero uno position in the world in digital payments.

An undated video clip of P Chidambaram, the acclaimed finance minister of the UPA era, run during the event showed him taking taunts over the possible penetration of digital payments into villages and the rural ecosystem.

The minister said that the previous governments failed because they didn’t have the will but the Modi government’s vision and focus turned the country into a digital economy.

“Today, India is world’s no 1 digital payment country. It alone accounts for 46 per cent of digital payments in the world. Rupay Cards are facilitating Indian citizens to make payments in foreign nations in our own currency. All that looked far beyond possible is reality,” he said.

Anurag Thakur also listed out many ground-breaking initiatives of the Modi government and how they are reaping fruits within ten years.

Previously, the non-performing assets of banks were 15 per cent, today it is 3 per cent. State Bank of India’s profit margin has surged from Rs 11,000 crore to Rs 50,000 crore. Today, the m-cap of banks has soared from Rs 4 lakh crore to Rs 17 lakh crore,” he pointed out.

He further said that some Indian techie could have invented Google maps, had the government taken initiative in this direction.

He said that today India boasts more than 100 unicorns, and multi-national firms are setting up bases for semi-conductors and chips making. “All this has been possible because of government’s faith in our youth power and encouragement of their potential,” he added.

“India was the second largest mobile phone importer some years ago, today it is the second biggest mobile phone manufacturer. iPhone manufacturing company has accelerated its production in the country to unprecedented levels and very soon, India would be a hub for the same,” he pointed out.

Highlighting the improvement in the plight of marginalised workers, he said that schemes like PM SVANidhi and Vishwakarma Yojana have gone to great lengths in handholding the workers belonging to lower strata including street vendors, masons, craftsmen and supporting them in their business endeavours.

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