World Bank chief discusses ‘India’s digitalization’ with FM Sitharaman

The minister, while speaking to Indian reporters during a press conference towards the end of her visit to Washington city, said that there was a request extended to India to showcase how Indian people have accepted the deepening digital applications.

“Today, in my meeting with the World Bank President David Malpass, he said that you should now showcase the deepening of digital applications in India and how common people have accepted it,” Sitharaman said after she met Malpass at the World Bank headquarters here.

“He (World Bank President) said that he will be happy to work together with India to be able to take it to the other parts of the world. There is not just the World Bank, but every bilateral that I’ve had people have spoken very highly of India’s achievement on the digital side,” she added.

The finance minister further referred to her meetings on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank. She said that there’s certainly a lot of appreciation for India’s digitalization success.

“So, India stacks are both the point of admiration and the manner in which it has been rapidly developed, But even better, that we were able to spread it and reach a level of saturation and many of them. And that it is kept as a common public good, is also recognized,” Sitharaman stated.

Earlier, the finance minister also mentioned that the World Bank has been a valuable partner of the G20 since its inception and India looks forward to closing collaboration with the World Bank during the upcoming G20 Presidency.

She mentioned that during its Presidency, India would like the G20 to explore the potential for Multilateral Development Banks to enhance Climate Financing through leveraging and intermediating resources.

(With PTI inputs)