Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) was introduced, about a decade back, as a good governance reform to re-engineer government welfare delivery. It ensures direct, timely, transparent and targeted delivery of benefits using digital identity, electronic payments and Mobile (JAM Trinity), thereby eliminating intermediaries and mitigating fraud. DBT of Rs 34 lakh crore from the government using PM-Jan Dhan accounts has led to savings of Rs 2.7 lakh crore. While The World Bank has appreciated the scale at which DBT impacts people’s lives, IMF has hailed it as ‘a logistical marvel’.

DBT has reduced instances of transfer of funds to duplicate or fake beneficiaries by plugging leakages. This has helped in targeting genuine and deserving beneficiaries.