India’s Digital Public Infrastructure Is Open Source, Transferable, Secure: IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister of Communications Ashiwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said “what is unique about India’s digital public infrastructure is that it is open source, interoperable, scalable, transferable, secure, and based on public-private partnership.”

“India has made it a policy objective to ensure the benefits of the digital economy reach the last mile — this is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of inclusive growth,” Vaishnaw said.

Delivering the keynote address at an event hosted by G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, Union Minister of Communications Vaishnaw said, “We are happy to share India’s experience of digital public infrastructure, with the extended global family, which finds an echo in our civilizational ethos and India’s G20 presidency theme — Vasudaivam Kutumbakam.”

The theme of the event, which happened at Sushma Bhawan in New Delhi, was Building Resilient and Inclusive Economies: The Promise of Digital Public Infrastructure. Bill Gates, co-chair and trustee, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was the guest of honour at the event.

G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant spoke on India’s digital public infrastructure model. He said, “Building and scaling digital public infrastructure has demonstrated the utility of safe, secure, and interoperable digital public platforms that have improved service delivery, minimised leakages and ensured efficient utilisation of available resources.”

Kant said India’s achievements in financial inclusion, digital health, digital education, and governance demonstrated how to scale technologies, thereby maximising their impact. He said India’s digital transformation model holds many valuable lessons for the world and urged G20 countries to leverage digital public infrastructure to unlock inclusive growth.

Bill Gates said, “India has shown how investments in technology and innovation at scale can unleash changes from how people save money to how governments serve their citizens,”

He said there was an urgent need for an international initiative on digital public infrastructure to advance a range of G20 priorities, including pandemic preparedness, women’s economic empowerment, financial inclusion, good governance, food security, agricultural transformation, and digital health transformation.

Startup founders, entrepreneurs, representatives of civil society organisations, policymakers attended the event.

The event also included a panel discussion between MobiKwik Chairperson and Co-founder Upasana Taku, ZestMoney Co-founder and CEO Lizzie Chapman, and Open Financial Technologies Co-founder and COO Mabel Chacko, moderated by the Sherpa.

Digital public infrastructure is an important priority of India during its presidency year. A robust digital public infrastructure can accelerate a nation’s progress towards achieving economic growth, and ensure greater job creation and innovation.