The groundbreaking report “Beyond Boundaries: India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Model for Global Progress” was released by Primus Partners and iSPIRT. The report follows a multi-stakeholder Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Roundtable hosted by Primus Partners in collaboration with iSPIRT last month, which brought together thought leaders, senior bureaucrats, diplomats, policymakers, and titans of the tech industry to promote DPI deployment throughout the Global South.
The paper provides a roadmap for the Global South to capitalize on the transformative potential of DPI, building on the legacy of India’s G20 Presidency and the global acceptance of the “Declaration on DPI, AI, and Data for Governance.”
The report offers a comprehensive framework for utilizing Digital Public Infrastructure for inclusive and sustainable global development to stakeholders in digital transformation, industry leaders, and policymakers.
This report marks a significant milestone in documenting India’s leadership in developing Digital Public Infrastructure witnessed on 20 November at the G20 Brazil Summit when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled the ‘Declaration on DPI, AI, and Data for Governance – Joint Communiqué by the G20 Troika (India, Brazil, and South Africa)’, co-endorsed by with Italy, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Mexico, the United Nations, World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organisation, and World Health Organisation.
The report pays close attention to the global discussion on DPI such as ‘Report of India’s G20 Task Force on DPI’ and the UN OSET’s ‘Universal DPI Safeguards Framework’ and empowers global policymakers with strategic insights into accelerating the progress of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 through India’s experience of DPI deployment to 1.4 billion people in over 700 government programmes and multiple private sector services such as in e-commerce and fintech.
In a field that is rapidly changing with several DPI models, such as the “Traditional Custom Build Model” for nations with large populations like India and the “DPI as a Packaged Solution Model (DaaS)” for nations with smaller populations, “Beyond Boundaries” lays out 11 specific recommendations that center on how the world, and the Global South in particular, can take inspiration from India’s DPI approach for public service delivery and modify it to suit their unique needs.
These Recommendations Are:
- Interoperability, Open standards, and Citizen-first principles
- Integrating Comprehensive Frameworks for DPI
- Strategic Partnerships for Advancing DPI
- Implementing a Phased, Layered Approach to DPI with Targeted Regulatory Support
- Ensuring Accessibility, Inclusivity, Localisation, and Data Sovereignty in Digital Public Infrastructure
- Driving DPI through Policy and Government Programs
- Enhancing Data Accessibility for Successful DPI Implementation
- Capacity Building, Skill Development, and Digital Literacy for Successful Digital Public Infrastructure Implementation
- Ensuring Cost-Effectiveness in DPI Development
- Strengthening R&D, Data Exchange, and Educational Initiatives to Drive DPI Success
- Leveraging DPI to Accelerate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Achievement by 2030
These suggestions seek to address important governmental issues like privacy and data sovereignty, which are made worse by growing technological use and digital growth.
The study explores how the private sector may support a flourishing digital economy by utilizing open-source APIs from India Stack. Furthermore, the report highlights the notable expansion of the clientele of fintech and e-commerce enterprises into Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities by means of government-backed digital infrastructure services such as data sharing, payments, and identity verification.
Key Comments
In his foreword, Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, highlighted the urgent need for scalable solutions to achieve the SDGs, with only 12% currently on track. He expressed confidence in DPI’s potential to provide inclusive solutions that can scale globally, and India’s readiness to share its DPI successes with other nations wishing to develop their tailored DPI frameworks to meet local needs.
Devroop Dhar, Managing Director, Primus Partners, commented, “With ‘Beyond Boundaries’, we aim to catalyze a global shift towards more robust and inclusive digital infrastructures that can dramatically enhance societal and economic outcomes. The recommendations within this report are designed to guide and inspire action that will integrate DPI into global governance and public service delivery. DPI is among the foremost solutions to global challenges that SDG 2030 is positioned to address.”
