Vinod Bhat
The 43rd India International Trade Fair (IITF) is being organised at Bharat Mandapam Complex, New Delhi from November 14 – 27, 2024 with the theme Viksit Bharat @2047.
Visitors can get an exciting array of initiatives to learn about and experience at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) Digital India Pavilion placed at Hall No. 3 which is being set up as a key attraction at IITF 2024 by the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under MeitY. The pavilion aims to provide hands-on experience on Digital India’s key initiatives that are successfully driving digital transformation in India at significant population scale.
To facilitate the sharing of experience and best practices on implementation of DPIs in the country, make stakeholders aware of initiatives that are scalable and replicable, and to offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience Digital India’s Power to Empower all, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is setting up the Digital India Pavilion. The ethos behind the exhibits is to showcase world-class initiatives which facilitate:
● Ease of Living
● Ease of Doing Business
● Ease of Governance
The Digital India Pavilion is a treasure trove of knowledge that will provide insights into six crucial initiatives namely DigiLocker, Entity Locker, UPI, UMANG, ONDC and Bhashini.
Through LIVE demonstrations, the UPI exhibit will enable visitors to explore the BHIM App that has transformed the way India manages digital transactions, promoting a shift towards a cashless economy. The BHIM app’s UPI Circle feature will be displayed at the exhibit, offering visitors a hands-on experience with its latest functionalities. UPI Circle allows primary users to authorize trusted secondary users to make transactions from their account, with set limits, adding a new layer of convenience and security. Through interactive demos and guidance, visitors can gain knowledge about the usage of this feature, illustrating how UPI Circle enables safe and flexible financial access for families and businesses. Through this showcase, visitors can learn about UPI’s role in fostering digital empowerment and financial inclusion.
Visitors can also get to learn about the practical utility of India’s DigiLocker, showcasing its role in streamlining processes and enhancing efficiency across sectors such as education, finance and banking, travel, transport, real estate, legal and judiciary.DigiLocker’s easy-to-use interface, features like instant document retrieval and sharing will be shown through demonstrations and interactive screens. Security feature explanations and successful case studies will engage visitors, emphasizing the platform’s efficiency and impact.
DigiLocker is a secure digital platform under the Digital India initiative, designed to store and access official documents online, eliminating the need for physical copies. Citizens can receive and share government-issued documents directly from their accounts, ensuring quick verification and promoting a paperless environment.
Through LIVE demonstrations of Entity Locker’s dashboard, document storage, secure access features, seamless data sharing, it will be illustrated how organizations can streamline processes. Additionally, informational displays will highlight compliance benefits and successful real-world applications.
Entity Locker is a secure digital repository tailored for organizations, allowing institutions like schools, businesses, and government agencies to manage and share documents online. It simplifies compliance, reduces paperwork, and integrates seamlessly with DigiLocker, enabling smooth digital exchanges between entities and individuals.
The UMANG exhibit will offer an engaging experience to visitors, allowing them to explore the wealth of services available on the App through interactive displays and informative videos. UMANG will highlight key services such ase-RaktKosh through which users can search for blood availability, Jan Aushadhi Sugam that offers quality medicines at affordable prices through Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras; other services include EPFO, Indian Culture, Delhi Police and many more.
UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is a mobile app launched by the Hon’ble PM on November 23, 2017 to provide citizens with access to a wide range of government services. The app is developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and the National e-Governance Division (NeGD). UMANG aims to make government services accessible, inclusive, and efficient for all citizens. Currently 7 crores plus citizens are using UMANG app and accessing services from 200+ government departments.
At the BHASHINI exhibit, visitors can gain understanding about the BHASHINI App that helps Indian citizens translate content into different Indian languages and enables effective communication with others who speak different languages, reducing language barriers in India. The app encompasses five key features:
TEXT, CONVERSE, VOICE, SCENE, and BROWSE
The TEXT feature supports translation into 22 Indian languages, while the CONVERSE and VOICE features each cover 13 languages, enhancing linguistic accessibility. SCENE works at the word level and covers 15 languages, while BROWSE facilitates website translation by pasting URLs, supporting 13 languages.
BHASHINI has integrated 5 United Nations languages in CONVERSE features for international delegates. The feature includes dual microphones for both input and output. Users can initiate conversations in their chosen languages by pressing the microphone.
BHASHINI aims to transcend language barriers, ensuring that every citizen can effortlessly access digital services in their own language. Using voice as a medium, BHASHINI has the potential to bridge language as well as the digital divide. Launched by Honourable PM Shri Narendra Modi in July 2022 under the National Language Technology Mission, BHASHINI aims to provide technology translation services in 22 scheduled Indian languages.
Users can also interact to see how Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) collaborates with sellers, customers and network providers on a large scale, highlighting the impact that it has been able to create in last 2 and half years of operations. The actual data on live transactions currently happening on the Network will be displayed. Additionally, visitors will be able to experience the ONDC Network at the exhibit via the recently launched Buyer App: DigiHaat that will allow them to order goods through any of the partner apps on the ONDC Network.
Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), a Section 8 company, is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India to create a facilitative model that revolutionizes digital commerce, giving greater thrust to penetration of retail e-commerce in India. ONDC is not an application, platform, intermediary or software but a set of specifications designed to foster open, unbundled, andinteroperable open networks.
MeitY’s Digital India Pavilion employs cutting-edge technologies, in the form of informative and interactive displays, games, and more. Each installation has been crafted to resonate with its target audience, ensuring meaningful engagement and age-appropriate content.
The first week at IITF 2024 is only for business/trade visitors, which includes Senior Representatives/CEOs from global industry, Senior State representatives and global buyers and sellers while the second week is largely for general visitors/citizens.