Despite rapid spread of digital technologies in India, nearly a billion people still need to connect to the internet for pushing growth, creating jobs and accessing public services, says a World Bank report.

Digital India has improved things

World Bank country director in India Onno Ruhl said the digital revolution is transforming the world, aiding information flow and creating huge opportunities for growth and poverty reduction. "India's Aadhaar programme is today a model for many countries and recent initiatives like Digital India has the potential to generate greater digital dividends among all sections of its society," Ruhl said. He added however that reaping full benefits will require affordable and wider access to the internet and skills that enable all workers to leverage the digital economy.

Recognising India's early success in digital technology when it became a global powerhouse for information services, the report pointed out that even while having the largest number of offline population in the world, India has the third highest number of internet users by absolute number, only behind China and the United States. According to WDR, India had more than 200 million internet users, compared to 665 million in China.