India’s Digital Dream takes off, India Inc bets billions

It’s a digital revolution in the making. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of Digital India comes to fruition, the country of 1.2 billion people will be transformed radically into a formidable knowledge powerhouse connected by info highways and powered by transparent governance.

M-governance: Mobile, not Modi

Digital India initiative bears the stamp of the Indian leader, a former tea-seller who has flagged off new dreams for India and is fond of taking slefies with world leaders, but Mr Modi was keen to emphasise at the launch of the campaign in the Indian capital that it should not be equated with him. “We have to move from E-governance to M-governance. M-governance does not mean Modi governance. It means Mobile governance,” Mr Modi said in a messianic tone as he kicked off the Digital India Week in New Delhi on July 1.

Indian corporate honchos, such as Reliance Industries chairman MukeshAmbani and Bharti Enterprises head Sunil Bharti Mittal promised to invest over 4.5 trillion rupees ($71 billion) in Mr Modi-led “Digital India” initiative.

Other organisations, including Metals and resources company Sterlite Technologies will manufacturing LCD panels in India, while a maker of energy-saving motors Japan’s Nidec Corp, will establish 5 factories; all in India’s flagship initiative – “Digital India”.

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Rely on Modi’s India, Ambani unveils $16.5 billion investment

Upping the stakes in the India growth story, India’s billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani unveiled plans for mammoth $16.5 billion (Rs 1,00,000 crore) investments across diverse sectors, and projected that India was on the path to become the world’s fastest growing economy.
The investments will be focused on expanding the RIL petrochemical production capacity and launching the 4G broadband services, which will provide a big boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet projects, including Make in India and Digital India initiatives.
Speaking at the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit here, the biggest investor conclave being held in India since the Modi government took charge in May 2014, Mr Ambani, the world’s richest energy billionaire and India’s richest man, underlined that “India is marching forward with a clear vision to emerge as global power even when as most of the world is struggling with low growth.”

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