IIT Kanpur Hosts Dialogue on India's Digital Public Infrastructure

In a recent campus dialogue initiative at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), Dr. RS Sharma, a luminary in India's digital transformation landscape, shared his invaluable insights on India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). In this blog post, we will delve into Dr. Sharma's enlightening talk and explore the significance of DPI in shaping India's digital future.

The Speaker: Dr. RS Sharma
Dr. RS Sharma, an IIT Kanpur alumnus and former civil servant, has held key positions in the public sector. His notable roles include being the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority and the Head of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Significance of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)

In his comprehensive talk, Dr. Sharma illuminated the remarkable strides made by India in the digital realm through the DPI approach. Let's explore the key aspects of DPI and its role in India's digital future.

DPI: A Revolutionary Approach
DPI is a concept endorsed in the G20's Leaders' Declaration. It revolves around shared digital systems, a collaborative effort of both the public and private sectors, built on secure infrastructure, open standards, and open-source software. Here are the main takeaways:

• Shared Digital Systems: DPI is all about collaboration. It brings together public and private entities to create a digital ecosystem that benefits all.

• Secure Infrastructure: DPI is built on secure foundations, ensuring the protection of data and digital assets.

• Open Standards: It relies on open standards, making it accessible and adaptable for various applications.

• Large-Scale Service Delivery: DPI enables large-scale service delivery and progress, impacting various sectors like healthcare, finance, and governance.

Connecting the Dots: DPI's Roots
Dr. Sharma emphasized that while the term "DPI" may sound novel, its roots extend deep into established concepts. For instance, the Internet, with its common protocols, and standards such as GSM, SMS, CDMA, and IEEE 802.11, has laid the foundation for DPI.

Aadhaar's Pioneering Role in DPI
The ground-breaking Aadhaar project, initiated in 2009, played a pivotal role in DPI. It led to the creation of unique digital identities for Indian residents. Aadhaar's cloud-based digital ID facilitates identity verification for various services, including bank account openings, mobile SIM issuance, and ration distribution. It also paved the way for products like Digital Locker, electronic KYC (eKYC), and digital signature on demand (e-Sign).

Role in the Digital Landscape
DPI strikes a balance between all-government and all-private systems, ensuring quality and avoiding monopoly issues. It provides frameworks for frequently required services, offering open protocols, shared platforms, and enabling policies for an interoperable ecosystem. Registries, such as those for healthcare providers, are vital reusable components that require continuous updates for functionality.

Here's a glimpse of DPI's role in the digital landscape:

• Minimizing Development Costs: DPI minimizes development costs, encouraging modular solutions and lowering entry barriers for innovators.

• Fostering a Diverse Ecosystem: It fosters a diverse ecosystem of applications, promoting innovation and adaptability.

• Scalability: Scalability is a fundamental aspect of DPI, simplifying private innovators' adaptation and enabling widespread impact.

Dr. Sharma depicted India's DPI approach as a harmonious blend of scalability, interoperability, innovation, and frugality. It represents a vision for a digitally inclusive future, resonating not only within India but also on the global stage, as evidenced by the G20 declaration.