Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the Centre has saved Rs 56,000 crores through Aadhaar- enabled direct benefit transfer of about 400 government schemes.

Stating that technology plays a pivotal role in the growth of an economy, Modi said one tax structure or GST has been made possible in India only because of it.

In his keynote address at the World Government Summit in Dubai, he said the government’s e-market programme of GEM has witnessed transactions worth Rs 4,500 crores in a very short span of time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. PTI Photo

Government e-Marketplace is meant for online purchase of commonly used goods and services by various central government ministries and departments.

Modi said due to technology-enabled GEM, even smallest of traders can sell their goods using this platform.

He further said India is going through a revolution in digital payment space and fast moving towards a less cash economy.

Talking about Startup India mission, he said India is creating an ecosystem for innovation through this programme and the country has become a major startup nation in the last two years.

Stating that over 65 percent of India’s population is below 35 years of age, Modi stressed the need to encourage the youth in the field of innovation while seeking international cooperation to realise the dream to create a "New India."

Modi said technology, which is changing at a speed of thought, has given a boost to his idea of ’minimum government and maximum governance’ which today has changed the common man’s life.

With regard to the role of technology in the government’s aim to double farmers’ income by 2022, he cited two examples.

First, the soil health card scheme, under which farmers get to know about the health of soil and second is the Krishi Mandi or e-NAM portal, a single window information services for farmers, which has seen transactions worth Rs 36,000 crores.