Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed building a robust framework to promote the safe and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence on Saturday while addressing the G20 Digital Economy Ministers’ Meet held in Bengaluru through a video message.

PM Modi also recommended promoting advanced digital technology by farmers and small businesses and establishing the framework to develop a global digital health ecosystem. He also stressed the need for an entire ecosystem of technology-based solutions that should be built to address the challenges humanity encounters. “All it needs from us are four C’s- conviction, commitment, coordination and collaboration”, said PM Modi.

Modi further said that the G20 nations have a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for an inclusive, prosperous and secure global digital future. He added, “Technology has connected us like never before. It holds the promise of inclusive and sustainable development for all.” He opined that digital public infrastructure can enhance financial inclusion and productivity.

PM Modi mentioned a working group is building a G20 virtual Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository. He underlined the growth of the Common Framework for Digital Public Infrastructure, which will enhance a transparent, accountable and fair digital ecosystem for the public.

Furthermore, PM welcomed the plans to develop a roadmap that simplifies a cross-country comparison of digital skills and setting up a virtual centre of excellence on digital skilling. He mentioned them as significant efforts to satisfy the needs of a future-ready workforce.

PM Modi pointed out the need for building consensus on the G20 high-level principles for a secure, trusted and resilient digital economy, analysing the security threats and challenges the digital economy faces worldwide. “India’s Digital Public Infrastructure offers scalable, secure and inclusive solutions for global challenges,” said Modi. He mentioned India as an ideal testing lab for solutions while emphasising that a solution in India can be easily applied anywhere in the world.

PM Modi stated that India is prepared to share its skills and knowledge with the world and proposed the example of the CoWIN platform being offered for the global good during the Covid pandemic. He said India has developed an online Global Public Digital Goods Repository, the India Stack, to make sure no one is neglected, specifically people from the Global South.

While talking about the launch of the Digital India initiatives in 2015, he credited the digital transformation that the initiative has brought in India over the last nine years. According to him, India’s 850 million internet users enjoy the cheapest data costs in the world.

He cited the JAM trinity, Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar and Mobile that have brought a revolution in the financial inclusion and UPI payment system where almost 10 billion transactions are carried out each month and 45% of global real-time payments are happening in India. Moreover, he mentioned the CoWIN portal, which helped deliver over 2 billion vaccine doses with digitally verifiable certificates. PM Modi also noted the Gati-Shakti platform, which uses technology and spatial planning to map infrastructure and logistics, which assist in planning, reducing costs, and increasing the speed of delivery.

While mentioning the Government e-Marketplace, Modi said, “Fully digitised taxation systems are promoting transparency and e-governance.” He also talked about the progress of Bhashini, the AI-based language translation platform which supports digital inclusion in all the regional languages of India.