In what should have been a major story that was buried under other headlines, India achieved a significant milestone in its Digital India programme when 100,000-gram panchayats, or village councils, across the country were connected through a high-speed optical fibre network called BharatNet.

In an exclusive, PP Chaudhary, Minister of State, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, says that the Centre is planning three IT and electronics regions, which will create direct employment opportunities for 12 lakh youths.