A Decade of Digital Empowerment: CSC SPV Celebrates 10 Years of Digital India with Grand Event in New Delhi

New Delhi: Marking a transformative journey that reshaped governance and citizen service delivery across rural India, the Common Service Centre (CSC) e-Governance Services India Limited, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), commemorated 10 years of the Digital India programme with a major celebration at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre in Dwarka. The event celebrated the pivotal role CSCs have played in making digital access a household reality in India’s remotest corners.

Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, inaugurated the programme as Chief Guest. He praised the contribution of Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) in making Digital India a ground-level success. “From tea vendors to farmers, the reach of UPI has transformed lives. CSCs have brought that digital revolution to 90% of Indian villages,” he said, applauding grassroots digital champions.

He highlighted inspiring stories such as those of VLE Manjulata from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district and VLE Rose Angelina from Meghalaya, who overcame challenges to bring digital services to underserved communities. These examples, he noted, embody the transformative power of CSCs in empowering people at the last mile.

Vaishnaw also announced three major initiatives to strengthen CSCs and their operators. These included free Artificial Intelligence training for 10 lakh individuals (with priority to VLEs), expansion of IRCTC ticketing services through CSCs, and coordinated efforts with state governments to integrate their IT agencies with CSC-SPV platforms.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada, addressed the gathering and reflected on the growth of the CSC network from just 83,000 centres in 2014 to nearly 5.5 lakh in 2025. Emphasizing that the goal of Digital India was to leave no citizen behind, he lauded the contributions of over 74,000 women VLEs who are creating new models of local leadership and digital entrepreneurship.

He stressed the need for wider application of AI, cybersecurity awareness, and capacity building in vital sectors such as health, education, and agriculture. He recommended expanding the scope of services provided by VLEs, including access to state government services and delivery of Update Client Lite systems, which could boost their incomes and impact.

Welcoming dignitaries and attendees, Sanjay Rakesh, Managing Director and CEO of CSC SPV, reaffirmed the vision behind CSCs—to eliminate urban-rural divides in access to essential digital services. “With CSCs, the citizen doesn’t have to travel to the city. The city comes to the village,” he said, calling the CSC model a symbol of India’s inclusive digital future.

The nationwide CSC Diwas celebration began on July 1 and culminated with the New Delhi event. Across the country, CSCs held community programs and digital awareness campaigns, and top-performing VLEs were felicitated for their outstanding service. A special conference at Bharat Mandapam brought together state IT Secretaries to deliberate on the future of e-governance, rural empowerment, and public-private collaboration.

The Digital India programme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, envisioned a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Over the past decade, it has transformed India into the world’s third-largest digital economy and dramatically expanded access to government services, finance, healthcare, and education.

CSCs, as the operational backbone of this transformation, now form one of the world’s largest rural digital service ecosystems. Each CSC is managed by a VLE and delivers essential services such as Aadhaar enrolment, PAN card and passport applications, banking and insurance, telemedicine, legal aid, digital literacy, e-commerce, agriculture support, and utility bill payment.