India, June 5 -- A decade ago, many Indians had never touched the internet. Today, India earns nearly $200 billion a year exporting digital services to the world. The Digital India strategy didn't just connect a country-it quietly rewired the entire global digital economy.

In 2015, a farmer in rural Rajasthan and a software engineer in Bengaluru had almost nothing in common. One had reliable broadband, global clients, and a laptop. The other had neither stable electricity nor a bank account. This stark gap is what Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out to close when he launched Digital India in July 2015. The ambition of the strategy was sweeping: universal broadband, a cashless payment ecosystem, and a digitally skilled workforce. Today, ...