Indian government’s flagship programme 'Digital India' is directed more towards the poor than the elite, said union minister for information technology and communications, Ravi Shankar Prasad at the Nasscom India Leadership Forum 2015, held in Mumbai.

 “With broadband connectivity as our priority, we are in the process of connecting 2,50,000 villages within the  next three years, and propose to lay down 7,00,000 km of optical fibre network. Work is going on and we are monitoring it,” said Prasad adding, “This will create a non-discriminatory platform where anyone can plug-in and service will be available across the country.”

Prasad also said that cash on delivery is the most popular mode of e-commerce in India. India has 900 million mobile phone users and imports electronic goods worth $ 100 million every year. By 2020, this figure will be $ 400 million.

Speaking on Make in India campaign he said that the country has received proposals worth Rs 21,000 crore from companies, out of which proposals worth Rs 6,000 crore are already cleared. Government is majorly incentivising Make in India programme.

On setting up BPOs across small towns and cities he said that the government is in the process of finalising BPOs in small mofussil  towns  with proper incentives.  “As soon as the word spread  on the government’s proposed policy, departments like Indira  Awas Yojana , MNREGA and  some others  contacted the government to use those call centres for  a range of activities for poor and underprivileged,” he said.