On April 21, 2025, Shri Abhishek Singh, IAS (1995 batch, Nagaland cadre) assumed charge as the 18th Director General of the National Informatics Centre at a pivotal moment in India’s digital journey. Known for his leadership in building citizen-scale platforms, he continues concurrently as Additional Secretary, MeitY, and CEO of the India AI Mission, positions that place him at the intersection of policy, platforms, digital transformation and innovation. His work across MyGov, NeGD, Karmayogi Bharat, and Digital India Corporation has significantly contributed to realising the Digital India vision, through the development of platforms that have improved service delivery - delivering inclusive, secure, and scalable digital systems that continue to impact citizens’ lives.
Dear Readers, India’s digital journey is one of the most inspiring stories of our time, a story shaped by scale, speed, and inclusion. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been at the forefront of this transformation, powering more than 7,000 government services and enabling over 2,000 digital services across all sectors of government, including key sectors that impact lives of citizens (such as education, healthcare, agriculture). Today, more than 900 million Indians are online, benefiting from the promise of Digital India. Yet, we must not lose sight of the 500 million citizens, who may often be hindered by complex or heavy interfaces, digital literacy challenges or language barriers. To achieve true inclusion, we need to ensure that digital services are simple, secure, multilingual, and accessible on any device, in any corner of the country. Today we are closer than ever before bridging this gap - leveraging the potential of AI and other innovations that are rapidly transforming our digital landscape.
As I look ahead, NIC has a critical role in helping India navigate a dynamic and rapidly evolving digital frontier. To enable this journey, I envision that NIC will be: • At the forefront of adopting cutting- edge technological solutions across the board, be it AI, Cybersecurity, Cloud/Compute Infrastructure, Software Development practices etc. • Improving technical delivery capacity, so that NIC personnel can create a greater impact • Leading the development of citizen-first Digital Public Infrastructure and platforms that are intuitive, lightweight, and accessible in every Indian language • Embedding responsible use of Artificial Intelligence to transform service delivery and enhance the impact of digital initiatives on citizens’ lives • Strengthening cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure so that our digital backbone remains secure, resilient, and scalable • Expanding state-level and grassroots digital capacity, enabling innovation and inclusion at the very last mile The future of governance is inclusive, intelligent, secure, powered by cutting-edge technologies and deeply rooted in India’s diversity. With the collective effort of our teams and partners, NIC will continue to be the digital backbone of governance and a trusted enabler of India’s growth story. Together, let us build systems that are easy to use, safe to trust, and ready for tomorrow, so every citizen can take part in this Digital India movement.
Warm regards, Abhishek Singh