800 mn lifted out of poverty by use of smartphones: UN praises India's digital revolution

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Dennis Francis praised India for lifting 800 million people out of poverty “simply by the use of smartphones”.

During a recent lecture at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Francis highlighted India’s impressive use of digital technology as a model for poverty alleviation, stating that “Digitalisation provides the basis for rapid development (of a country). Take, for example, the case of India.”

In his talk on “Accelerating progress towards Zero Hunger for the current and future generations,” Francis elaborated on how the surge in digital connectivity and financial inclusion in India has been pivotal in this transformation.

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He noted that “nearly everyone in the country owns a cell phone,” marking a significant shift from the situation in many other regions of the Global South.

Francis added, “Rural farmers in India who never had a relationship with the banking system, are now able to transact all their businesses on their smartphone. They pay their bills and receive payments for orders. There is a high level of internet penetration in India as almost everyone has a cellphone.”

“But that is not the case in many parts of the Global South. So, there has to be equity demands. There has to be some effort and initiatives to address this inequality as an initial step in negotiating the global framework for digitalisation,” he went on to add.

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Francis also talked about food security and raised concerns over hunger.

“Every year, hunger and related diseases claim the lives of 9 million people. Alarmingly, every minute, six children succumb to hunger; six innocents who have committed no wrong.

Currently, 800 million individuals are unsure where their next meal will come from. Indeed, by 2030, the year in which we boldly committed to deliver the SDG’s and with the global population expected to reach 8.6 billion – an estimated 600 million people will still be facing hunger, unless we take decisive action now,” he was quoted as saying at the event.

Francis commended several key initiatives that have driven this digital revolution in India, including Aadhaar—a biometric identification system; Jan Dhan—a scheme for no-frills savings accounts; and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) through the BHIM platform. These measures have collectively enhanced financial inclusion and streamlined digital payments.

In his lecture, Francis stressed the importance of addressing global digital inequality. “Equity demands that there has to be some effort, some initiative to address this inequality as an initial step in negotiating the Global Framework for Digitalisation,” he asserted.

The UN has recognised the urgency of advancing global digital progress, as reflected in the political declaration from the United Nations’ 75th anniversary in September 2020. The Secretary-General’s report ‘Our Common Agenda,’ released in September 2021, proposes a Global Digital Compact, which is scheduled to be discussed at the high-level Summit of the Future in September 2024.