On Sepetmber 26, 2017, in New Delhi, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) convened strategic sessions with GCEL related to the potential establishment of the E-Hub of the World in India.
The E-Hub of the World is a technology center of excellence that will oversee the commercialization, deployment, maintenance, and enhancement of the Digital Economy Platform to be governed by an innovative public body, a renowned academic institution, and an expert technology firm in cooperation the world’s leading 12 technology companies.
NITI Aayog is the premier policy “Think Tank” of the Government of India, providing the strategic direction for the country. The deployment of the digital economy is synergistic with India’s objectives of ‘Make in India,’ ‘Skill India,’ and ‘Digital India’.
India, being the Silicon Valley of the East, was the first G20 Nation to conduct the G20 Nations Case Study, a diagnostic assessment of trade efficiency based on what technology makes possible today.
The India Shipment Efficiency Assessment (SEA) was the first step to deploy the digital economy and included the participation of India’s Ministry of Shipping, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Indian Institute of Management Udaipur (IIMU). The assessment included recommendations from the trade participants at the ground level to implement new digital tools to reduce trade costs, ease access of finance, and increase international trade.
It was agreed that NITI Aayog would lead the process to engage the Union Ministries towards furthering the establishment of the E-Hub in India.