India's approach to Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is a remarkable story of technological innovation and inclusive development. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) refers to the foundational digital infrastructure and platforms created by governments to facilitate the delivery of digital services to citizens. The digital economy is booming, projected to reach a staggering $1 trillion by 2025.
Public infrastructure has been a cornerstone of human progress, but it has plagued the previous generation, making it imperative for the third type of public infrastructure called Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), with more open and democratic principles built in it.
The government’s programmes like the National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN), Digital India, National Broadband Mission, and National Data Centre Policy have laid the groundwork for a robust digital infrastructure.
Secondly, the Bharat Net Project, with its ambitious goal of connecting villages through high-speed internet, serves as a prime example. Additionally, the government’s commitment is evident in establishing Wi-Fi hotspots in public spaces and fostering domestic production of telecom equipment through Production Linked Incentive schemes.
While UPI revolutionized the way financial transactions are conducted by providing a seamless, interoperable platform, DPI aims to offer a similar paradigm shift for personal identification and data security. The Aadhaar and UPI are the most popular digital public infrastructure (DPI) to have come out of India, which are being hailed globally, there are several others taking shape.
Secondly, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payments system that allows users to instantly transfer funds between bank accounts though a mobile application. With 200 banks live on a single platform, and multiple private service providers, it has fostered a diverse and innovative fintech ecosystem.
The UPI can be seen as a case of a GovTech innovation that puts the user at the centre, designs for safety in transactions, and allows multiple private players to build on top of a public, regulated platform. The UPI is a part of the larger “India Stack”, a family of APIs, open standards, and infrastructure components.
Just as UPI allows for interoperability across different banks and financial platforms, DPI would enable a unified system for digital identities that can be used across various services and platforms.
Individuals would have a unique digital identifier that simplifies and secures their interactions with digital services, ranging from government services to private sector applications.
Moving forward, DPI would be integrated with existing identity systems like Aadhaar, allowing for a smooth transition and interoperability with current services. Where the users could easily port their identity data between different service providers, ensuring continuity and ease of access.
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