“THE STORY OF INDIA'S 5G HAS YET TO REACH THE PUBLIC”, SAYS SITHARAMAN

Asserting that this has not only aided the nation in its fight against Covid-19 and its economic repercussions but also given a sense of confidence that India's growth story is sustainable over the long term, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that India has today set a global benchmark in digitisation, particularly in payment.

In her conversation with students at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Ms Sitharaman stated that "the story (of India's 5G) has yet to reach the public".

The finance minister noted that, in the last two years, digitalization has become India's largest advantage and added that, for nations that want them, India's public goods are accessible.

“But on the digital (side), be it payment, identity, health, education, be it also the way in which your compliance requirements are being taken care of, India has actually set standards. There are countries which recognise that this scale of achievement, this absolute what it proves that it is unfailing over the years over the numbers, with expansive modesty we have set global benchmarks in the way in which the digital economy and the systems and platforms can do for us and itself for India is a big confidence booster,” she added.

In response to a question, Sitharaman stated that the drive toward digitization between 2014 and 2019 assisted in battling the economic crisis both during and after COVID-19.