India Leads the Way in Global Digital Transformation with Groundbreaking Report on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

Primus Partners Pvt. Ltd and iSPIRT have launched a report titled 'Beyond Boundaries: India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Model for Global Progress', a landmark in many respects, as it talks about India's leadership role in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the conceivable impact on the Global South. The report is based on a roundtable discussion that Primus Partners and iSPIRT organized last October and wherein some of the doyens from the government, industry, and international organizations came together. The findings are geared towards guiding global policymakers, especially within the Global South, on how to harness DPI in achieving inclusive and sustainable development. A special focus will be on supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The report 'Beyond Boundaries' draws from the momentum generated during India's G20 presidency and the international adoption of the 'Declaration on DPI, AI, and Data for Governance'. This declaration, adopted by several countries and international organizations such as the UN, World Bank, and WHO, recognizes the transformative power of DPI in driving public service delivery and digital governance worldwide. It was further strengthened during the G20 Brazil Summit on November 20, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiling the 'Declaration on DPI, AI, and Data for Governance - Joint Communiqué', co-endorsed by the G20 Troika, which includes India, Brazil, and South Africa. The report offers strategic insights on how India's vast experience in deploying DPI to more than 1.4 billion people over a greater number of than 700 government programmes can serve as a model for other nations, whether that involves DPI to support critical sectors like e-commerce or fintech-the very sectors which India has experienced rapid growth over, thanks largely to services supported by the government including identity verification and payments and data sharing. One of the report's foundational elements is its focus on interoperability, open standards, and citizen-first principles as the success basis for DPI in the Global South. It further states that the approach will depend on the size of the population and needs in terms of infrastructure: whereas India has a "Traditional Custom Build Model" for large-scale deployments, the DPI as a Packaged Solution Model (DaaS) will suit smaller nations. The report identifies 11 specific recommendations tailored to assist countries around the world with DPI implementation. These are: accessibility, inclusivity, and data sovereignty; building strategic partnerships; fostering capacity building and digital literacy; cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. All of these would directly impact governments trying to tackle issues of data privacy, security, and the desire for scalable and inclusive digital solutions. By focusing on the triangle of policy, technology, and governance, the report will also highlight the potential for DPI to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, especially in regions that have developed little digital infrastructure. Here, the authors of the report argue that DPI can have powerful impacts on bridging the digital divide and bettering the economic participation of people and delivering public services effectively to unserved communities. India’s experience offers a blueprint for other nations to follow, especially in the context of the ongoing digital transformation. With a growing customer base in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and the private sector expanding its reach through government-supported digital infrastructure, DPI presents an opportunity to not only expand digital access but also to drive economic growth, reduce inequalities, and improve overall quality of life. Conclusion: The 'Beyond Boundaries' report is a watershed moment in the global conversation about digital infrastructure and governance. It has given action-oriented recommendations and highlights the successful DPI model of India, which shows ways and means for other countries to replicate these achievements. With the digital divide still being a sizeable challenge in the Global South, DPI becomes an essential enabler for realizing the global goals of development. The report calls for policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders to embrace DPI as a tool for inclusive growth and global progress. Insights presented in this report can form the future of digital governance as countries are working towards the achievement of SDG's by 2030. It further tests India's leadership in this area and showcases how Digital Public Infrastructure is a transformative power in this scenario, and it carries the potential of changing the fabric of nations across the globe.   Source: Newsvoir