Here’s how smartphones became India’s superhero in fight against poverty

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Dennis Francis has commended India for its digital transformation and its efforts to expand banking services to rural areas. He attributed them to lifting of 800 million Indians out of poverty in the past five to six years, with the widespread use of smartphones.

Addressing the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on the theme ‘Accelerating Progress Towards Zero Hunger for the Current and Future Generations’, Francis highlighted the profound impact of digitalisation in rural India. He noted that residents who previously lacked access to banking and payment systems are now able to manage transactions, pay bills, and receive payments via their smartphones.