Narendra Modi's Digital India dream gets India Inc's votes

The leading lights of India Inc, including Aditya Birla Group chief Kumar Mangalam Birla, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, ADAG chairman Anil Ambani, Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal, Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry and Wipro's Azim Premji, extended full support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India campaign on Wednesday.

The industrialists announced their commitments to invest in the digital sector which adds up to an impressive Rs 4.5 lakh crore and has the potential to generate 18 lakh jobs.

KM Birla said the Aditya Birla Group will invest $7 billion in the next five years in network rollout and infra and digital space. "The PM has articulated a bold vision for our digital future. We applaud this momentous launch," Birla said.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani said, "We at Reliance will invest over Rs 250,000 crore across the Digital India pillars." Elaborating on the investment, he said infrastructure for all-IP next-generation, wireless broadband infrastructure across all 29 states in India is being laid. This will be amongst the best in the world.

Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said his group commits to spend in excess of Rs 1,00,000 crore over the next five years while speaking at the launch of Digital India week here. He said the amount will be spent to build further and deeper infrastructure.

Anil Ambani said his Reliance Group has committed to invest about Rs 10,000 crore over the next few years to expand its presence across digital, cloud computing and telecom space.

Reliance Group, which already has India's fourth largest telecom company in Reliance Communication, plans to achieve full deployment of next generation content and Cloud Delivery Network by the year end, he added. Billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Sterlite Technologies announced an investment of Rs 40,000 crore to set up an LCD panel manufacturing plant in the country, generating about 50,000 jobs.