New Delhi: Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that digital platforms need to be responsive, accountable, and sensitive to the concerns of sovereign nations as far as safety, defence and privacy are concerned.


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Addressing a virtual meeting of G20 Digital Economy Ministers here on Wednesday (July 22), hosted by Saudi Arabia, Union IT Minister said, "Digital economy must go hand in hand with Data economy. We need to acknowledge the sovereignty over data. Data must belong to sovereign nation concerned, to protect also the privacy concern of its people."


Ravi Shankar Prasad told the global gathering about how India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has managed the COVID-19 crisis far better than many other countries. "The bold decision of the Prime Minister to go for an early nationwide lockdown helped in the country in curbing the spread of the virus as well as prepare for the upcoming challenges effectively," he said. 


Sharing India’s digital innovations that helped in the fight against COVID-19, Prasad spoke about initiatives like Aarogya Setu mobile app, a geofencing system for monitoring quarantined patients, and COVID-19 Savdhan bulk messaging systems.


He also spoke about how digital technology helped the government of India in providing relief to the economically weaker sections of society during this crisis. 


"Using digital innovations of India like Direct Benefit Transfers and digital payments even the weakest in the society was provided various financial relief during the lockdown," said the statement issued by the ministry. 


Prasad strongly emphasized the need for building a resilient global supply chain and shared PM Modi's vision for making India an attractive destination for investment closely integrated with global supply chains. 


Talking about India’s commitment to leverage emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence for inclusive growth and development especially in healthcare and education, Prasad emphasized the need for building trustworthy Artificial Intelligence systems that can transform the society. 


Prasad mentioned that India is soon going to put in place a robust personal data protection law that will not only address the data privacy-related concerns of citizens but also ensure the availability of data for innovation and economic development. 


He also told the digital ministers of the G20 countries that it is time to acknowledge that digital platforms anywhere in the world have to be responsive and accountable towards the sovereign concerns of countries including defence, privacy, and security of citizens.