India will develop into a knowledge economy only when the digital divide is substantially bridged through use of technology, President Droupadi Murmu said on Saturday.

Murmu expressed confidence that India is setting the right example of ensuring the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised sections of society, and strengthening economic, social, and cultural rights in its journey towards Digital Antyodaya. ”Social justice should be the prime objective of digital innovations,” she added while giving away the seventh edition of the Digital India Awards here.

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She said that the Digital India Awards 2022 acknowledge, inspire and motivate not only government entities but also startups to attain the vision of a digital India. The awards are but a step towards transforming India into a digitally empowered society where people’s potential is unleashed by the effective use of digital governance.

Congratulating the award winners, she said that it was heartening to see the diverse range of innovations made to benefit the people: from citizen empowerment and data-sharing platform to the ease of doing business.

The President said that India’s story of digital transformation is a story of innovation, implementation and inclusion. She emphasised the need to create collaborative platforms to find innovative solutions to make the world a more accessible and equitable place.

The President said that Indian IT companies have done a remarkable job in making the world realise the value of Indian talent. ”We should leverage prevailing policies and enable the ecosystem to position the country as a global powerhouse for software and hardware products by building innovative Made-in-India technologies,” she added.

The President said that data is the cornerstone of creating new knowledge, insights and thus solutions; and leads to whole new fields of application. ”We should focus on democratising the use of government data so that young technology enthusiasts can use it to build localised digital solutions,” she added.

President Murmu was happy to note the innovative initiatives undertaken by the government entities at the grassroots level and also in collaboration with startups to foster public-private partnerships. ”We have to keep challenging ourselves to deliver innovative solutions to improve the ease of living for all citizens, be it in the judiciary, land registration, fertilizers or public distribution system,” she added.