Direct Benefit Transfer initiative saved ₹3.48 lakh cr by reducing leakages: IT Minister

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has saved three lakh 48 thousand crore rupees by reducing leakage. Quoting a policy paper titled A Quantitative Assessment of India’s DBT System, Mr. Vaishnaw, in a social media post, said that under this welfare delivery model, the coverage of beneficiaries has increased by 16 times. 

According to the policy paper, the country’s DBT system, implemented in 2013, has redefined welfare delivery by enhancing transparency, curbing leakages, and



ensuring precise fund distribution. This policy document evaluates a decade of data from 2009 to 2024 to assess DBT’s impact on budgetary efficiency, subsidy rationalisation, and social outcomes. It added that Aadhaar-linked authentication eliminated ghost beneficiaries, enabling coverage expansion without proportional fiscal impact. 

It said DBT has optimised resource utilisation, enabling broader beneficiary reach with lower fiscal outlays. By replacing inefficient subsidies with targeted transfers, India has achieved measurable gains in welfare efficiency.