Digital India Corporation – Capacity Building For E-Goverrnance-2024

Table of Contents

Digital India Corporation: Who We Are? What We Do?

Digital India Corporation is a not-for-profit Company set up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Govt. of India, under Section 8 of Companies Act 2013. Earlier the company was known as ‘Media Lab Asia’. It has been renamed as ‘Digital India Corporation’ w.e.f. Sep 8, 2017.

The Company now leads & guides in realizing the vision, objectives and goals of the Digital India program. It provides strategic support to Ministries / Departments of Centre / States to carry forward the mission of Digital India by way of capacity building for e-governance projects, promoting best practices, encouraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), nurturing innovations and technologies in various domains. To ensure autonomy and viability of the organization in the long run, DIC, will also collaborate and mobilise partnerships with the industry, to evolve revenue based models for service delivery.

To undertake these functions, Digital India Corporation will attract talent and resources both from government and the market. The judicious mix of talent will ensure that government is equipped with a broad spectrum of resources for successful design of Digital India-related projects.

The Company encompasses 7 Independent Business Divisions (IBDs) viz

Inception and Mandate

Amidst this pursuit of innovation, a significant chapter was penned with the establishment of Media Lab Asia. Collaborating with the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA, this initiative was a beacon of technological exploration and collaboration. The collaboration aimed to catalyze research and development in emerging technologies, forming a vital bridge between academia, research, and real-world applications.

Digital India Corporation was founded against the backdrop of the Digital India initiative launched by the Government of India. This visionary initiative aimed to harness the power of digital technologies to empower citizens, enhance government services, promote digital literacy, and foster a digitally inclusive society. DIC, since its inception, has been entrusted with the responsibility of executing key components of the Digital India program.

Roles & Responsibilities

Digital India Corporation has the following broad responsibilities:

To provide leadership and support to the Government of India through MeitY, to steer and anchor Digital India and all related policy and implementation initiatives. To promote digital transactions including digital payments through various mediums.
To support MeitY in all its initiatives with policy and implementation-related issues concerning various ongoing programmes & schemes in ICT domain and new initiatives necessitated as a part of the Digital India vision.
To support Ministries/Departments, both at the centre as well as at States and other stakeholders in crafting progressive e-Governance strategies, to promote Accountability, Efficiency, Efficacy and Transparency.
To source and make available from both the markets as well as within government, pool of specialized technically skilled manpower for hardware, software, networks, cyber security and laws, standards, quality and testing etc. in ICT domain to Ministries/Deptts on a charge basis under the Central and State Governments.
To promote innovation and evolve models for the empowerment of citizens through Digital initiatives and to promote participatory governance and citizen engagement across the government through various platforms including social media.
To establish the National e-Governance Division and to put in place an institutional mechanism for capacity building of government and its agencies, including assessment and evolution of suitable training packages/modules for capacity building for the Centre and States for Human Capital formation to enhance competitiveness for successful implementation of various projects/schemes in ICT domain to cut on cost and time over-run.

The legacy of the Digital India Corporation

The legacy of the Digital India Corporation (DIC) is a testament to a visionary journey that embarked with the inception of Media Lab Asia, an endeavor born out of the collaborative spirit between the Government of India and the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA. This momentous partnership was forged with the aim of propelling research and development in emerging technologies, anchored by the profound potential of premier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) that were poised to serve as both research powerhouses and nurturing grounds for innovation.

The genesis of this story lies in the establishment of Media Lab Asia, which marked an epoch in India’s technological landscape. It symbolized the nation’s unwavering commitment to harnessing cutting-edge advancements and adapting them to uplift lives. By partnering with MIT, the world’s citadel of technological innovation, India opened its doors to a realm of possibilities, where the synthesis of intellect, resources, and innovation could redefine the contours of progress.

Central to this narrative is the instrumental role played by the IITs. As strategic partners and incubation hubs, these institutes provide fertile ground for experimentation and the cultivation of innovative ideas. This collaboration fostered a unique ecosystem where the brightest minds converged to explore uncharted territories, experiment with breakthrough technologies, and engineer solutions that held the promise of transformative impact.

As the years unfolded, the Digital India Corporation (DIC) emerged as the torchbearer of this legacy, carrying forward the mantle of innovation, exploration, and growth. This transition was more than just a name change; it signified the evolution of an idea into a movement, a commitment to embrace technology not just as an enabler but as a force for holistic development.

DIC’s legacy echoes a symphony of international collaboration, academic excellence, and technological innovation. It narrates a story where boundaries between academia, industry, and government blurs to create an ecosystem where innovation thrives. From its roots in Media Lab Asia’s visionary initiative to its current position as a driving force behind Digital India, DIC’s journey has been one of transformation and transcendence.

Today, DIC stands as a guardian of India’s technological aspirations, working towards realizing the vision of a digitally empowered nation. Its legacy resonates in the solutions it incubates, the policies it shapes, and the lives it touches. With every milestone, DIC’s journey reinforces the idea that technology can be a bridge, connecting citizens to opportunities, aspirations, and a brighter future.

Credits: https://www.meity.gov.in/

Government of India: Ministry of Electronics and information Technology