The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will hold the inaugural Digital
Economy Working Group (DEWG) meeting in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, from February 13 through February 15, 2023, as part of India’s G20 Presidency. In 2017, as part of the German G20 presidency, the DEWG, formerly known as the DETF, was established to advance the implementation of a safe, connected, and inclusive digital economy. The DEWG is essential in influencing the global policy debate in the digital sphere since the global digital economy is estimated to be worth USD 11 trillion and is anticipated to reach USD 23 trillion by 2025.
India has invited guest nations (including Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates) as well as international organisations (like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), OECD, the World Bank, UNESCO, and the UNDP) to take part in the DEWG meetings in addition to the G20 members.
Before the first DEWG meeting in Lucknow, MeitY organised several bilateral discussions and started many activities, including, among other things, the following:
- The “Stay Safe Online” programme aims to educate people of all ages about cyber threats and online safety.
- The G20-Dia Alliance for Digital Innovation to present cutting-edge digital solutions at the G20-DIA Summit in Bangalore and support and reward cutting-edge digital innovations created by entrepreneurs from G20 countries and beyond. The six topics that the summit will concentrate on are agri-tech, Health-tech, Ed-tech, Fin-tech, Secured Digital Infrastructure, and Circular Economy.
- “Digital Payment” campaign: The campaign, which was started on February 9th, 2023, aims to spread awareness of digital payments throughout the nation. As part of the DEWG meetings for the G20, special events for the campaign will be held in the cities of Lucknow, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
- Immersive Digital Mobile Van: Introduced by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on February 2, 2023, the van will visit 45 pre-selected locations in Lucknow and offer an interactive and immersive experience about India’s digital transformation journey. It will highlight digital transformational initiatives in financial inclusion, universal healthcare, inclusive education & learning, and other areas.
Tomorrow will mark the beginning of the three-day DEWG meeting, which will feature a variety of intriguing seminars, talks, and experiences, as well as side events on topics that complement the main DEWG programme. The four workshops’ main topics will be: I Digital Public Infrastructure – Sharing Implementation Experiences of Digital Identity in Different Countries; (ii) Sharing of Cyber Security Solutions for MSMEs; (iii) Using Digital Public Infrastructure to Support the Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals; and (iv) Use of Geo-Spatial Technologies for Infrastructure and Product Development in the Digital Economy. The State of Uttar Pradesh’s Digital Initiatives will also be on display at the meeting location in addition to these sessions. Live streaming of the DEWG’s side activities can be found at this link: https://youtube.com/live/Ck6YC0 LmhY.
In addition, an exhibition coupled with a virtual reality experience centre has been built to illustrate – how Digital India has impacted the lives of a billion-plus population in India using cutting-edge technologies. In the experience centre, visitors can interact with more than 40 digital transformational initiatives.
To stimulate innovation and provide public services in a secure cyber environment through a digitally competent workforce, the DEWG meetings held during India’s Presidency will make an effort to work towards the goal of digital transformation and the global digital economy. Delegations from member and guest nations as well as international organisations, will attend the official working group conference to discuss the three DEWG priority topics that India has identified: “Digital Public Infrastructure,” “Cyber security in the Digital Economy,” and “Digital Skilling.”
Three further physical gatherings for the Digital Economy Working Groups will take place in April, June, and August in Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru, respectively.
