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Eighty percent of Indian citizens feel that the government and public services in India have been effective in using digital technology to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new EY Connected Citizen Survey.

Respondents in India hold a favourable attitude towards technology and see an important role for technological innovation in public service delivery, it said.

The survey was conducted by market research firm Ipsos MORI, with 1,000 respondents from India between the ages of 18 to 50, and globally, 12,100 respondents across 12 countries, an EY statement said.

According to the survey, 73 percent of the Indian respondents believe technology will change public services for the better, and 71 percent think the pandemic will lead to greater use of technology in their daily lives in the future.

It revealed that 63 percent of Indian citizens feel comfortable in sharing their personal data online with the government in order to access a service.

Gaurav Taneja, who is Partner and Leader for Government and Public Sector at EY India said digitisation is the new normal and the Indian government was quick to adopt technologies, especially during the pandemic, to deliver safe, secure, and improved digital services to all citizens.

Respondents in India are comfortable with technology replacing face-to-face human interaction and are inclined to use an artificial intelligence powered chatbot to communicate with the government, the survey found.

They want the government to prioritise making certain services available online, including pension planning, resources to help people set up businesses, and providing more ways for citizens to have an online say in government decision-making.

Looking ahead to the future, 81 percent of the Indian respondents think that technology will change the way they bank and shop, 80 percent think that it will change the way they work/study, and 79 percent think that it will change the way they entertain themselves.