The government has increased the expenditure for ‘Digital India’ programme to Rs 3,958 crore for 2020-21 fiscal. This increase is 23% of the allocated expenditure amount. According to a budget document released recently, Rs 3,750 crore was allocated to the programme in the previous Budget by the finance ministry, but it was revised down to Rs 3,212.52 crore.
The increase in amount will be given to IT-enabled services, cybersecurity and promotion of IT, electronic manufacturing, development of manpower for the segment and research and development.
“The government has been taking several initiatives on a continuous basis for the promotion of electronics manufacturing in the country to provide an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally.
Electronics manufacturing is one of the important pillars of the Digital India programme and the target to achieve nett zero imports is a striking demonstration of intent,” PTI reports quoting the document.
The government has increased fund allocation for cybersecurity projects and promotion of IT and ITeS industries to Rs 170 crore each, from Rs 102 crore and Rs 90 crore respectively. Now, the electronics development fund will be getting Rs 980 crore while the allocation for electronics manufacturing has been increased to Rs 690 crore in the current fiscal.
Similarly, the research and development programme under the Ministry of Electronics and IT will be getting 75% increased fund in 2020-21 than in the current fiscal of Rs 435 crore.
National Knowledge Network has also received an increased allocation fund from Rs 274 crore to Rs 400 crore in the current fiscal. The budget document also reported that the fund for Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan would remain unchanged at Rs 400 crore in the upcoming fiscal year.
