Nobel Laureate Paul Michael Romer on his visit India couldn’t stop praising the country’s digital revolution. He highlighted how the government’s efforts have truly transformed everyday life for people across the nation.
Romer emphasized that India’s approach to digital innovation is unique. “What makes the digital revolution in India so interesting is that it’s been used by the government to actually provide benefits to all members of society. It hasn’t just created benefits for the lucky few,” he said.
Everyday Tools Making a Big Impact
UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and DigiYatra were categorically mentioned by the Nodel Laureate. While, Indian use these are services without thinking twice, but Romer sees them as game-changers. “These developments have made day-to-day life more efficient and accessible,” he noted.
According to Romer, these advancements offer valuable lessons for other nations, especially those in the Global South. “If India can do it, we can do it too,” he encouraged other countries. He stressed that nations should shape their own digital futures rather than rely solely on richer countries.
Breaking Away from Old Notions
Romer also touched on the skepticism some had about India’s ability to pull off such massive digital reforms, given our infrastructure challenges. But he wasn’t having any of that. “Size does not determine success,” he pointed out, mentioning countries like China, Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea as examples.
“What matters is a country which has the capacity to decide what it wants to do, and to go where it wants to go. That’s what India did with digital services,” he added. It made me think about how determination can outweigh obstacles.
Government’s Key Role in the Digital Push
One thing Romer highlighted was the crucial role of the government in this transformation. Unlike the more hands-off approach seen in Western countries, India’s government took the lead. “In the United States, in the West, we’ve generally had a much more hands-off kind of laissez-faire market solution,” he said. “Without the kind of cooperation between the government and the private sector, the digital revolution hasn’t generated the benefits that it could have.”
Learning from the Past
Romer drew an interesting parallel with the development of safe air travel. “We didn’t get safe air travel because we said, let’s just let the market take care of air travel,” he explained. Government innovation and leadership were crucial back then, just as they are now with digital technology
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