Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Tuesday that the Digital India initiative launched a decade ago bridged the digital divide between haves and have-nots, and democratised opportunity, stressing that it has become a people’s movement.

In a post on LinkedIn, he said while decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, his government changed this approach and trusted the ability of citizens to use technology.

Modi asserted that his government used technology to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots, he added.

“When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered. When the approach is inclusive, technology brings change in the lives of those on the margins.This belief laid the foundation for Digital India: a mission to democratise access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and opportunities for all,” he said.

In 2014, Modi said, India had around 25 crore internet connections. Today, that number has grown to over 97 crore, with over 42 lakh km of optical fibre cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between the earth and the moon now connecting even the most remote villages, he added.