Tech Huddle | Decoding DPI: Scripting Inclusive Digital Futures

Digital public infrastructures (DPIs) are foundational population-scale technology systems upon which the digital  economy is built. DPIs mediate the flow of people (through digital identity systems), money (through real-time  fast payment systems) and information (through secure data-sharing architectures). India became the first country  to establish these three DPIs, with extraordinary outcomes for national digital transformation. DPIs have improved  public service delivery at scale, and facilitated the development of innovative new public and private sector  applications and solutions. Evidence of the benefits of DPI is strong, growing, and international: 

• India’s digital identity and payments platforms eliminated an estimated 47% of fraud, amounting to $22.4  billion in savings each year. 
• In Bangladesh, DPIs radically improved service delivery and saved Bangladeshi citizens nearly 2 billion  days, over $8 billion, and 1 billion visits to government offices. 
• Estonia’s efficiency gains from its X-Road system are equivalent to 2% of the country’s GDP and give  citizens back the equivalent of an extra 844 working years annually. 

In 2023, the first-ever multilateral consensus on DPI was arrived at under India’s G20 Presidency. This was a key moment for the future of digitalization where the Global South articulated its leadership in the space of tech governance. The advantages of DPI and its role in accelerating progress for inclusive and sustainable development were acknowledged globally.  

The ORF-IIMB Tech Huddle aims to build on the momentum generated by these discussions, and explore three  key themes: (1) The principles of DPI; (2) The private provisioning of DPI; and (3) DPI-enabled innovation and  competition. 

A. DPI Sutras 

DPI have a proven track record of enabling digital financial inclusion, digital health interventions, and a wide range  of other citizen services. DPI-based solutions are helping ensure equitable access to digital benefits by facilitating  the frictionless movement of people, assets, and information. and unlocking striking improvements in efficiency.  However, the ultimate success of DPI will depend on the guardrails and principles that guide its implementation.

• What key principles or sutras must be considered when designing DPI?
• How might we optimally balance  tech innovation, stringent governance, and community benefits when rolling out DPI?
• And how do we embed  principles of openness, inclusiveness and equitable access into DPI? 

B. Privately Provisioned Public Infrastructure 

The private provisioning of public infrastructure refers to the involvement of private sector entities in the financing,  development, operation, and maintenance of infrastructure projects that are traditionally funded and managed by the  government / public sector. The private sector could contribute to the more widespread and successful implementation of  DPI, and could even support DPI development by providing crucial resources including finance, talent and tech know 

how. DPI forms the base digital infrastructure that can be used both by private and public entities. Using DPI as the  foundation, the private sector can unleash innovation and improve service delivery and customer experience.

• What  steps could be taken to ensure closer participation of the private sector in DPI implementation?
• In which areas  could private support prove to be most valuable?
• How can public-private-partnership (PPP) models be leveraged  in this regard?

C. Innovation Unleashed 

DPIs have unleashed public and private innovation on an unprecedented scale by allowing businesses and  governments to design novel applications atop the DPI layers. The DPI framework encompasses technology,  markets, and governance. While ensuring the sovereignty of core public services, they help governments and  businesses unlock the power of market innovation and entrepreneurship, ensuring competition, and strengthening  local and potentially global digital ecosystems. Crucially, the inherent design of DPIs promotes active private  sector participation in terms of creating apps and solutions, encouraging innovation, and making continuous  improvements to service delivery that empower users and drive customer adoption.

• How might tech solutions  developers be better sensitised about the opportunities afforded by DPIs?
• Can sustainable bridges be built  between DPI / public tech developers and startup communities?
• What are the implications of DPIs for  competition and customer empowerment?  

Programme