Gandhinagar, February 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that robust digital governance is the backbone of the vision for a developed India by 2047. In line with this vision, the Gujarat government has taken a significant step to expand the Digital India initiative, particularly in rural and remote areas of the state.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government exchanged a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, on Monday. This collaboration aims to enhance digital connectivity across the state, particularly in remote and underserved areas facing telecom challenges.
The LOI includes a pilot project that will connect Common Service Centers (CSCs), e-governance facilities, government schools, district disaster management control rooms, ports, and wildlife sanctuaries. This initiative will be crucial for digital inclusion in aspirational districts like Narmada and Dahod. The implementation of this LOI will ensure reliable digital service delivery and improved security and stability through enhanced connectivity for police outposts, disaster management centers, wildlife monitoring, and agricultural research centers in these districts.
Additionally, the initiative will provide smart connectivity for education in state schools and improve health services and telemedicine facilities at Primary Health Centers (PHCs). Future joint training programs will also be organized to build the capacity of various government agencies, departments, schools, and disaster response teams.
To ensure effective implementation of the LOI, a joint working group comprising representatives from the state government and Starlink will be formed to address the needs for seamless connectivity. The LOI exchange ceremony took place in Gandhinagar, attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi. The exchange was conducted by P. Swaroop, the Commissioner of Industry for the state government, and Prabhakar Jaykumar, Head of Starlink India.
During the event, the Chief Minister expressed confidence that this joint project would be a milestone in expanding the state’s digital services and accelerating the progress of e-governance. The LOI also encompasses strengthening connectivity in the state’s GIDC industrial parks, highway safety systems, maritime port connectivity, and coastal police operations.
The ceremony was attended by key officials, including Chief Secretary M.K. Das, Additional Chief Secretary of the Industry Department Mamta Verma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjeev Kumar, Additional Principal Secretary Dr. Vikrant Pandey, Secretary of the Science and TECHNOLOGY Department P. Bharti, Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr. Ajay Kumar, and senior officials from both the state government and Starlink.
