Dennis Francis, President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, has commended India’s digitalization initiatives, saying that they have significantly contributed to development and poverty alleviation efforts.

“India has lifted 800 million people out of poverty in the last 5-6 years through the use of smartphones,” Francis stated during a lecture at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). He emphasized that digitalization has enabled people in rural India to make payments and pay bills with a touch of a smartphone, accelerating progress towards development.

Francis’ comments were made in the context of discussing strategies to achieve Zero Hunger for current and future generations.

The high level of internet penetration in India has significantly contributed to its economic progress, according to Francis.

“Rural farmers in India, previously unconnected to the banking system, are now conducting all their transactions via smartphones. They pay bills, receive payments for orders, and 800 million people have been lifted out of poverty. Nearly everyone in India has a cellphone,” he said.

However, Francis pointed out that this is not the case in many other parts of the Global South. “To address this inequality, there must be efforts to promote digital equity as a foundational step in negotiating the global digital framework,” added the President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Notably, digitization has been a major focus of the Narendra Modi government over the past decade. During this period, there has been a significant increase in digital payment transactions in the country, with UPI emerging as a key contributor.

(ANI)